Congress Abstracts 2006

88

ESTABLISHING ESSENTIAL NURSING COMPETENCIES AND CURRICULA GUIDELINES FOR GENETICS AND GENOMICS. Kathleen Calzone, RN, MSN, APNG, National Cancer Institute, CCR-Genetics Branch, Bethesda, MD; Jean Jenkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; Laurie Badzek, RN, MS, JD, LLM, American Nurses Association, Silver Spring, MD; Carolyn Constantin, RNC, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA; Annette Debisette, DNSc, ANP, RN, Suzanne Feetham, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Denise Geolot, PhD, RN, FAAN, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD; Pamela Hagan, MSN, RN, American Nurses Association, Silver Spring, MD; Madeleine Hess, PhD, RN, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD; Dale Lea, MS, RN, MPH, CGC, APNG, FAAN, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; Judith Lewis, PhD, RNC, FAAN, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; Kerry Nesseler, RN, MS, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD; Kathleen Potempa, DNSc, RN, FAAN, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR; Cynthia Prows, MSN, RN, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Elizabeth Thomson, DNSc, RN, CGC, FAAN, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; Melinda Tinkle, PhD, RN, National Institute of Nursing Research, Bethesda, MD; and Janet Williams, PhD, RN, FAAN, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.

The rapid translation of genetic and genomic science to clinical care has major implications for the nursing profession that has limited preparation in genetics. In response to this deficit, an initiative was launched to define the essential genetic and genomic competencies for all registered nurses regardless of academic preparation, role or clinical specialty.

The purpose of the competencies are to guide academic curriculum content/learning activities based on the current state of the evidence and guide the continuing education and specialty certification of practicing registered nurses. The ultimate goal is to prepare the entire nursing workforce to deliver genetically and genomically competent healthcare.

To establish the essential competencies, a Steering Committee (SC) of federal, academic and national leaders in nursing was established which identified, reviewed, analyzed, and compared competencies recommended in existing published and peer reviewed documents (including NCHPEG Competencies). A writing team from the SC was selected and the first draft of the competencies was completed and reviewed/approved by the SC. The proposed competencies were then presented for critique to nurse representatives to NCHPEG in January 2005 with revisions integrated. The revised essential competencies were then posted for public comment at http://NursingWorld.org/practice with announcements to the American Nurses Association (ANA), its constituent members and organizational affiliates, and other nursing organizations requesting their comments, then reviewed and incorporated. An invitational meeting was held September 21-22, 2005 of key stakeholders in collaboration with the ANA. Fifty participants reviewed, discussed, and modified the document with ultimate consensus on the competencies achieved.

An action plan is in progress for endorsement, integration of the competencies into curricula, the NCLEX examination, specialty certification processes, continuing education and accreditation.

We will report on the details of the competency development and consensus process, the status of the competencies, endorsement, and integration plans.