From Mendel to the Human Genome Project: the implications for nurse education

The Human Genome Project has heralded a whole new era in our understanding of the molecular basis of disease. New opportunities now arise to predict disease by genetic testing, and in some cases to prevent disease through surveillance or other specific interventions. Increasingly it will be possible to test for predisposition to disease, to develop new treatments or to tailor available treatments more specifically to an individual’s genetic make-up. Midwives and paediatric nurses are at the forefront of these developments with new national antenatal and neonatal genetic screening programmes due to be implemented by 2004. However, in the near future it is likely that nurses in most clinical areas will encounter genetic aspects of their practice. If they are to capitalise on opportunities offered by the new genetics, health professionals will need to become knowledgeable and skilled in genetics. They will need to understand something of the basic science and also develop an awareness of many ethical, legal and social aspects. In the light of a recent review of education in genetics for health professionals, the Department of Health and The Wellcome Trust have commissioned a process to develop a programme of education for the United Kingdom.