Adel S. Bashatah, MS, BSN and Kathi Huddleston, MSN, RN. College of Nursing and Health Science, George Mason University, MSN 3C4, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, 703-242-2702, abashata@gmu.edu

Public health nurses are the frontline care providers in many underserved areas. They are often the sole provider in the position to identify and refer clients for genetic counseling, for example, when children present with unusual characteristics or suggest carrying some genetic defects. In light of the outcomes from the Human Genome Project, there is an impetus for nursing to take an active role in genetic nursing. The field of genetics has exploded knowledge over the past five years, but clinical practice may take a decade to evolve due in part to the deficit in educational programs. Genetic nursing is a growing concern within nursing education. Genetic testing and screening in public health nursing involve practice implications from clinical, ethical, and social areas of concern. The role of the public health nurse in clinical genetics is being defined and designed concurrently. How is this role being taught in the nursing education programs? What obstacles do nurse/faculty perceive? Is there a clear and concise definition of the role? There is a need to explore the literature in order to design and provide a roadmap to develop a future for public health nurses in the new world of genetic nursing. An analysis of genetic nursing literature, in regard to the future role of the public health nurse, will be compared to the visions of public health nurses and faculty, emphasizing the public health education obstacles and deterrents in curriculum and practice parameters. This study is based on qualitative interviews with public health nurses and faculty in the field.

Learning Objectives:

• • Analyze the importance of genetic information in the public health nursing setting.
  • Discuss the state of affairs in public health nursing curriculum integrated with new information from the genetics field.
  • Identify possible difficulties in clinical practice of public health nurses when genetic information is involved, including screening, testing, and counseling.
  • Assess the need for the new findings from the genetics field to be integrated in public health nursing curriculum.

Keywords: Genetics, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.