Facilitating faculty competency to integrate genomics into nursing curriculum within a private US University

Abstract

Background:

This quasi-experimental study explored full-time nurse faculty competency in genomics and genetics using a validated measure prior to and following educational sessions during one academic semester. The findings represent the researchers’ efforts to educate nurse faculty and to support their competency in genomics and genetics as information shared with students is only as robust as faculty knowledge.

Methods:

Faculty who consented to participate completed the Genomic Nurse Concept Inventory (GNCI©) to measure their knowledge of the concepts surrounding genomics and genetics prior to the education intervention and then following all three education sessions. The education sessions were carried out over a semester using a lunch and learn forum.

Results:

Our first assumption was that 50% of faculty would score below 70% on the pretest. Eligible nurse faculty 29/48 (60%) completed the GNCI© and scores show they had limited knowledge in three areas: nomenclature of genes and gene function, inheritance patterns, and the clinical application of genomics to human disease. Over half of nurse faculty 17/29 (59%) scored less than 70% on the GNCI© supporting our first assumption. The second assumption that over 85% of faculty would score at least 70% on the GNCI© after the education was not supported. The education sessions improved scores on the GNCI© in the 12/29 (41%) faculty who completed the measures prior to and after the intervention.

Conclusion:

Despite the growing knowledge about genomics/genetics and the application to clinical practice, health professionals like nurses are not competent in these concepts. Nursing faculty require competency in genomics and genetics in order to integrate these concepts in nursing curricula. Outcomes of this project show the need to provide education and support for nurse faculty in genomics and genetics.

Keywords::

• education
• genetics
• genomics
• incorporation
• knowledge
• undergraduate bachelors program

Acknowledgments

The investigators (faculty) want to acknowledge the associate dean of nursing of the program who allowed our team to recruit faculty participants during a busy back-to-school workshop and who provided meals during the educational sessions. We also want to acknowledge all faculty who participated in this study.

Author contributions

LMB, LB, GD, LH, and DJC made contributions to the revision of this manuscript. LMB, LH, and DJC specifically did a review of the revisions made following their completion to ensure completion. LB and GD further reviewed the responses to the reviewers to ensure all items were addressed by the first author, LMB. LMB conducted the initial responses and revisions to the manuscript with support from GD in review of the analysis findings. GD completed Figure 1 to include in the revisions of this work. LMB, LB, GD, LH, and DJC made substantial contributions to the development, data collection procedures, data interpretation, and the drafting of this manuscript. All the authors participated in the intervention and participated in the education sessions provided for participants. LMB and GD performed the statistical analysis for the data in this study to address the specific hypotheses, while LMB, LH, and DJC completed further data analysis on the findings from the pre-test and post-test scores on the measure. All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.