Nursing Students' Self-Reported Knowledge of Genetics and Genetic Education

Introduction: Nurses need to use genetic information in care; several areas of current need include primary care, public health, cardiovascular, geriatric and oncology nursing. Nursing faculties may be reluctant to add genetics to existing courses, let alone tackle the work of teaching an entire course in genetics. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the current genetic knowledge of nursing students regarding genetics and genetic education. Methods: This is a self-administered cross-sectional survey. A total of 162 of 209 nursing students returned a questionnaire. Data from the surveys reflect the students' self-reported knowledge regarding medical genetics (response rate = 77.5%). Results: The majority of students noted 'some' to 'minimal' knowledge of Mendelian inheritance and human chromosome abnormalities. In terms of awareness of genetic abnormalities and disorders, students claimed to have 'high' knowledge of breast cancer, phenylketonuria, thalassemia, colon cancer, Rh factor, cleft lip/palate, hemophilia, color blindness, and polydactyly. Students stated that they would like to receive more education related to genetic diseases and genetic counseling (93.9%). Conclusions: The majority of students reported very little knowledge of genetics and genetic disorders. Most of students responded positively to all the education methods suggested in the questionnaire, adding that they would like more education about genetics. The results from this study may help to reform and upgrade the educational strategy concerning genetics in the Schools of Health. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel