Nursing student and faculty attitudes about a potential genomics-informed undergraduate curriculum

Sarah Dewell; Carla Ginn; Karen Benzies; Cydnee Seneviratne

doi:10.1515/ijnes-2020-0109

Article

Nursing student and faculty attitudes about a potential genomics-informed undergraduate curriculum

Sarah Dewell , Carla Ginn , Karen Benzies and Cydnee Seneviratne

Published/Copyright: August 9, 2021

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From the journal International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Volume 18 Issue 1

Abstract

Objectives

To explore attitudes about adding genomic content to an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Genomic knowledge is essential to nursing education, but challenges exist for curriculum innovation. Few countries have guiding documents from national nursing organizations on genomic competencies for practice or education. Information on attitudes about genomics may provide guidance for curriculum development.

Methods

Nineteen undergraduate nursing students and two faculty from a school of nursing with two sites in western Canada participated. Five focus groups and four interviews were conducted using a semi-structured focus group guide. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Coding was inductive.

Results

Characteristics of participants, eight key themes, and four future focal areas were identified to guide future research and curriculum development.

Conclusions

Global development of genomics-informed curricula will require a focus on increasing knowledge, defining scope and role, increasing visibility of role models, and preparing to implement precision health.

Keywords: baccalaureate nursing education; curriculum; genomics; nursing education research

Corresponding author: Dr. Sarah Dewell, School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, V2N 4Z9 BC, Canada, E-mail: sarah.dewell@unbc.ca

Funding source: University of Calgary http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100008459

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the student and faculty participants for their contribution to this study.

Research funding: Sarah Dewell was supported by a University of Calgary Eyes High Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship. The sponsor had no input into study design; the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; or the decision to submit the article for publication.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Calgary (REB18-0786).

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Supplementary Material

The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2020-0109).

Received: 2020-10-26

Accepted: 2021-07-21

Published Online: 2021-08-09

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2020-0109

Keywords for this article

baccalaureate nursing education; curriculum; genomics; nursing education research