GENETICS IN NURSING LITERATURE AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

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DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): This project is a case study in dissemination of emerging knowledge in genetics for utilization in nursing as a practice discipline. Advances in genetic technology are proliferating and presenting challenges to health care consumers, providers, and policy makers. It is critical that nurses in nearly all settings be informed about human genetics, genetic testing, and the associated ethical, social and legal issues because they are at the forefront in identifying, assessing, and counseling patients and families with or at risk for genetic diseases. The ultimate purpose of this project is to increase dissemination and utilization of genetic knowledge by as many as 25 to 50 percent of the nation's 2.2 million practicing nurses. This project is different from previous efforts to increase nurses' use of genetic knowledge because the investigators are targeting editors of nursing journals and leaders in continuing nursing education. These nursing leaders already have an infrastructure set in place to supply up-to-date information to the nation s consumers of nursing knowledge. State of the art knowledge about nursing and genetics is obtained from a comprehensive review of the literature in nursing. This knowledge is disseminated to nurses in practice, education, and research by way of the Internet, an invitational conference, peer-reviewed publications, and oral presentations at national and international conferences. The aims are to: (1) Conduct a comprehensive integrative review of the nursing and genetics literature not only to understand its evolution, but also to predict possible future directions for nurses in delivery of genetic services in the community, industry, and tertiary care hospitals. (2) Conduct an invitational conference for nursing journal editors and leaders in continuing education to teach them state of the science knowledge so that they can develop a strategic agenda, set priorities, and come to consensus on methods to disseminate knowledge to their memberships and readerships in a manner that appeals to different needs and learning styles of students, practitioners, educators, administrators, researchers, and nursing's policy-makers. (3) Disseminate knowledge obtained from the literature review, the educational conference, and discussants who access an Internet LISTERV. Each method for disseminating this knowledge is evaluated for its effectiveness to further enhance dissemination and utilization of this new knowledge to a wider nursing audience.