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Relection
ONCOLOGY NURSING PRACTICE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF
GENETICS AND GENOMICS
Milena Flória-Santos1, Erika Maria Monteiro Santos2, Lucila Castanheira Nascimento3, Gabriela Pereira-daSilva4, Beatriz Rossetti Ferreira5, Diego Oliveira Miranda6, Luis Carlos Lopes-Júnior7, Patrícia da Silva Pinto8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Ph.D. in Sciences. Professor, Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing Department, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão
Preto School of Nursing (EERP/USP). São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
Ph.D. in Sciences. Researcher, A.C Carmargo Cancer Hospital. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
Ph.D. in Nursing. Professor, Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing Department, EERP/USP. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
Ph.D. in Sciences. Professor, Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing Department, EERP/USP. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
Ph.D. in Sciences. Professor, Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing Department, EERP/USP. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
Doctorate student, Graduate Program in Public Health, EERP/USP. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
Master’s student, Graduate Program in Public Health, EERP/USP. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
RN. Ribeirão Preto Cancer Hospital, SOBECCan Foundation. São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
ABSTRACT: This study aimed to relect on oncology nurses’ practice from the perspective of genetics and genomics, and their role
as a member of the multiprofessional and interdisciplinary cancer genetics counseling team. This relection is a result of the detailed
reading of literature in the area, increased by the authors’ experience and research group discussions. In the course of this work, it
was veriied that the nurse needs to consider genomic-based health care and incorporates essential competencies. These competencies
include the ability to mobilize genomic resources in the family history assessment and in the guidelines on genetic testing for families
at risk for hereditary neoplastic syndromes. The nursing staff may act as a reference for other members of the health team, with the
potential to integrate their knowledge on care, teaching and research in oncology from the viewpoint of genetics and genomics.
DESCRIPTORS: Nursing. Oncology. Genomics.
ATUAÇÃO DO ENFERMEIRO EM ONCOLOGIA NA PERSPECTIVA DA
GENÉTICA E GENÔMICA
RESUMO: Este artigo tem como objetivo reletir sobre a atuação do enfermeiro em oncologia, sob a perspectiva da genética e da
genômica, e sobre seu papel na condição de membro integrante da equipe multiproissional e interdisciplinar de aconselhamento
genético oncológico. Trata-se de uma relexão, fruto de leitura minuciosa da literatura da área, acrescida da experiência dos autores e
discussões em grupo de pesquisa. No transcorrer desse trabalho, foi possível constatar que o enfermeiro precisa considerar o cuidado
de saúde baseado em genômica e apropriar-se de competências essenciais. Essas competências abrangem a habilidade de mobilizar
recursos genômicos na coleta da história familiar e nas orientações sobre testes genéticos a famílias em risco para síndromes neoplásicas
hereditárias. O proissional de enfermagem pode atuar como referência para os demais membros da equipe de saúde, com potencial
para integrar seus conhecimentos na assistência, no ensino e em pesquisas em oncologia, sob a ótica da genética e da genômica.
DESCRITORES: Enfermagem. Oncologia. Genômica.
PRÁCTICA DE LA ENFERMERÍA EN ONCOLOGÍA EN LA PERSPECTIVA
DE LA GENÉTICA Y GENÓMICA
RESUMEN: Este estudio objetivó relexionar sobre la práctica del enfermero en oncología en la perspectiva de la genética y genómica,
y su papel como miembro del equipo multiprofesional e interdisciplinario del asesoriamento genético oncológico. Esta relexión es
resultado de lectura atenta de la literatura, además de la experiencia de los autores y discusiones del grupo de investigación. En el curso
de este trabajo, fue posible constatar que el enfermero debe tener en cuenta el cuidado de salud basado en genómica y se apropiar de
competencias esenciales. Estas competencias incluyen habilidad de movilizar recursos genómicos en la colecta de la historia familiar y
orientaciones sobre testes genéticos para familias en riesgo de síndromes neoplásicas hereditarias. El profesional de enfermería puede
actuar como referencia para los demás miembros del equipo de salud, con posibilidad de integrar sus conocimientos en asistencia,
enseñanza e investigación en oncología, desde el punto de vista de la genética y genómica.
DESCRIPTORES: Enfermería. Oncología. Genómica.
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Oncology nursing practice from the perspective of genetics...
INTRODUCTION
From a physiopathological viewpoint, malign tumors have genetic and molecular bases and
can be acknowledge as genetic problems caused
by genomic instability.1-2 Genomics, a term coined
by McKusick and Ruddle,3 is the joint study of
all genes in the human genome, including mutual interactions and with the environment, as
well as the physical, psychosocial and cultural
factors involved, and its implications for health
and nursing care.4-5
Genomics applied to health relects the implications of the Human Genome Project in clinical
practice and on the personalization of care.6 These
implications have changed the health care paradigm, the classiication of illnesses, treatment and
symptoms management. Through the mapping of
the human genome, traditional models for health
promotion, disease prevention and the production
of new patterns of professional practice are changing, especially in oncology.6-8
Based on these premises, the aim in this paper is to present a relection of oncology nurses’
activities from a genetic and genomic perspective, as well as about their role as a member
of the multiprofessional and interdisciplinary
cancer genetics counseling team. This relection
derives from careful reading of literature in the
area, in addition to the authors’ experience and
discussions in the GenomicsNursing Study and
Research Group.
NURSING ACTIVITIES IN THE AGE OF
GENOMICS
For about ifty years, in accordance with
scientiic discoveries that consequently change
care practices for the population, nurses have
delivered health care based on genomics, which
incorporates gene-based diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In that perspective, health
manifestations can be considered as a result of
combinations between the human genome and
environmental inluences.9-11
One important landmark for nursing
professionals’ activities was the foundation of
the International Society of Nurses in Genetics
(ISONG), which currently comprises approximately 400 members in 14 countries, including
Brazil. 12 This organization is responsible for
deining and establishing the scope of nurses’
practice in genetics and genomics on an interText Context Nursing, Florianópolis, 2013 Abr-Jun; 22(2): 526-33.
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national scale. ISONG sets care standards and
guidelines, and professional competency levels.5
In Brazil, these guidelines direct nurses’ actions,
which have been similar to other countries, with
the irst Brazilian publications on the theme dating back to the 1980’s.10 Since then, this number
has gradually increased through the conquest of
new activity contexts.10
Essential nursing competences in genetics
and genomics
At the same time as publications that
informed about the conclusion of the Genome
Project, the National Human Genome Research
Institute, located in the United States, published
its view on the future of genomics, which highlighted the need for workforce training and
education for health care delivery in the age of
genomics.4 In response to this demand, nurses
who work at the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) planned a nursing education proposal and
established the “Essential Genetic and Genomic
Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines” (Picture 1).13
In 2008, the American Association of Colleges of Nurses, which determines the curriculum
contents of North American nursing Bachelor programs, reformulated its guidelines in view of the
complexity of nursing practice in the 21st century.
This association, in turn, reformulated the document “The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education
for Professional Nursing Practice”, which started
to recommend that nurses: (a) receive education
on relevant genetics, genomics, pharmacogenetics
and pharmacogenomics sciences; (b) learn about
the social impact of genetic and genomic trends in
health policies; (c) be capable of discovering protective and predictive factors, considering genetic
factors, which inluence the health of individuals,
families, groups, communities and populations;
(d) raise the health history, including the family
history, of genetic risks for current and future
health problems; (e) be capable of discovering the
evolution of genetics and genomics knowledge, including speciic client treatments; (f) acknowledge
the relation between genetics and genomics and
health, prevention, screening, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment selection, treatment effectiveness
monitoring, using the pedigree, constructed based
on information collected from the family history,
using standardized symbols and terminology for
that purpose.8,14
Flória-Santos M, Santos EMM, Nascimento LC, Pereira-da-Silva G, Ferreira BR, Miranda DO, et al
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Picture 1 - Essential genetic and genomic nursing competencies and curricula guidelines
Area
Competencies
Professional responsibilities
Recognize when one’s own attitudes and values related to genetic and genomic science may affect care provided to
clients.
Advocate for clients’ access to desired genetic/genomic services and/or resources including support groups.
Examine competency of practice on a regular basis, identifying areas of strength, as well as areas in which professional development related to genetics and genomics would be beneicial.
Incorporate genetic and genomic technologies and information into registered nurse practice.
Demonstrate in practice the importance of tailoring genetic and genomic information and services to clients based on
their culture, religion, knowledge level, literacy, and preferred language.
Advocate for the rights of all clients for autonomous, informed genetic and genomic-related decision-making and
voluntary action.
Professional practice
Demonstrates an understanding of the relationship of genetics and genomics to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness.
Demonstrates ability to elicit a minimum of three generation family health history information.
Constructs a pedigree from collected family history information using standardized symbols
and terminology.
Nursing assessment
Collects personal, health, and developmental histories that consider genetic, environmental,
and genomic inluences and risks.
Conducts comprehensive health and physical assessments which incorporate knowledge
about genetic, environmental, and genomic inluences and risk factors.
Critically analyzes the history and physical assessment indings for genetic, environmental,
and genomic inluences and risk factors.
Assesses clients’ knowledge, perceptions, and responses to genetic and genomic information.
Develops a plan of care that incorporates genetic and genomic assessment information.
Identiies clients who may beneit from speciic genetic and genomic information and/or services based on assessment data.
Identiication
Identiies credible, accurate, appropriate, and current genetic and genomic information, resources, services, and/or technologies speciic to given clients.
Identiies ethical, ethnic/ancestral, cultural, religious, legal, iscal, and societal issues related
to genetic and genomic information and technologies.
Deines issues that undermine the rights of all clients for autonomous, informed genetic- and
genomic-related decision-making and voluntary action.
Referral activities
Facilitates referrals for specialized genetic and genomic services for clients as needed.
Provides clients with interpretation of selective genetic and genomic information or services.
Provides clients with credible, accurate, appropriate, and current genetic and genomic information, resources, services, and/or technologies that facilitate decision-making.
Consider genetic and genomic inluences on personal and environmental risk factors.
Incorporate knowledge of genetic and/or genomic risk factors.
Uses genetic- and genomic-based interventions and information to improve clients’ outcomes.
Provision of education, care, and support Collaborates with healthcare providers in providing genetic and genomic health care.
Collaborates with insurance providers/payers to facilitate reimbursement for genetic and genomic healthcare services.
Performs interventions/treatments appropriate to clients’ genetic and genomic healthcare
needs.
Evaluates impact and effectiveness of genetic and genomic technology, information, interventions, and treatments on clients’ outcome.
Resource: Jenkins J, Calzone KA.13
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Oncology nursing practice from the perspective of genetics...
Interfaces between academic preparation,
professional activity levels and genomicsbased health care
Nursing in genetics and genomics is deined
as health protection, promotion and optimization;
disease and injury prevention; relief of suffering
through the diagnosis of human responses, and
advocacy, which involves argumentation, search
for support and pro-active struggle to defend the
rights of individuals, families and communities
who receive genomic care.5 To take this deinition
into account in their activities, nurses’ role and
competences are determined according to their
educational level and the complexity of their activities in clinical practice. The two activity levels,
proposed according to a generalist or specialized
academic background, are the basic and advanced
level, respectively, both of which include the application of genetics and genomics in nursing
assessment, diagnosis and interventions. These
levels, however, differ according to the depth and
range of knowledge, skills, professional experience
and formal preparation for clinical activities.5,9,12
It is highlighted that, in Brazil, the competency
levels required for practice are considered in accordance with the law that regulates professional
nursing practice and have already been formally
acknowledged.10
Nowadays, despite these new care approaches, many health professionals still consider
genetics as a medical specialty only, and not as a
part of their daily practice.12 The increasing importance attributed to knowledge on individuals
and their families’ family history and genetic and
genomic proile, however, will strongly inluence
preventive medicine in the years to come, not
just in oncology, but in all health specialties.7,12
Hence, the emphasis needed on genomics-based
professional education will turn into an important
requisite to the extent that genetics gets integrated
into the care routine and stops being solely a specialization area.6-7,9
NURSING INTERVENTIONS IN RISK
ASSESSMENT AND IN CANCER GENETIC
COUNSELING
In the mid-1990’s, changes in rare genes were
identiied, which could predispose their bearers
to an increased risk of malign tumors.1,2 On that
occasion, for the irst time, the American Society of
Clinical Oncology proposed recommendations for
Text Context Nursing, Florianópolis, 2013 Abr-Jun; 22(2): 526-33.
the accomplishment of genetic tests, which became
part of the oncology care delivered to clients with
breast, ovarian, colon, stomach, uterine, thyroid
and other primary tumors.2 Since then, individuals with a family history of these and other tumors
have contacted, or have been referred to specialized genetics services for risk assessment and
genetic tests, in case of the probability of inding
genetic mutations that predispose to cancer.2,12
As the public gets further access to information about the importance of genetics in cancer
development, nurses who work with oncology
patients should be prepared to respond to new
care demands.12,15 Several societies of nursing
professionals in oncology, genetics and genomics
have published documents that determine nurses’
functions in risk assessment and genetic counseling in oncology. These functions can be divided
into clinical (care), educational, organizational
(consultant, coordinator and administrator) and
research activities.15 To develop these activities,
care systemization was proposed through the
application of the nursing process in each risk assessment and genetic counseling phase, including:
initial assessment, diagnosis, establishment of a
care plan, intervention and result assessment, in
accordance with ISONG recommendations.5
Educative actions
Education is one of the pillars of the cancer
genetic counseling process and models for this
activity include group and/or individual sessions.2,15 Educative actions need to be dynamic and
interactive, applying participatory pedagogical
strategies that are appropriate for adult education
and can attend to their health needs. It is presupposed that those actions are outlined according
to the subjects’ comprehension abilities, educational level, ways of risk perceptions, personal
and family history of tumors, in view of their
cultural beliefs and habits.11,15 The main topics to
be addressed include basic genetics and genomics
concepts, cancer as a genetic and hereditary disease, etiological aspects of tumors, environmental
risk factors and strategies for prevention and early
diagnosis.2,15 During these sessions, diagnostic assessment questionnaires can be applied to obtain
fundamental data on these individuals’ personal
and family history, as well as on environmental
exposure factors and lifestyle aspects. These questionnaires can be answered at home to stimulate
further contact between family members, and to
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collect medical documents that can validate the
previously reported family history, so that the
collected information is as reliable as possible.2,11,15
The main aims of these educative practices are to
enhance clients’ knowledge on the genomic and
hereditary aspects of tumors, provide clariications
on the need for future genetic investigation of these
individuals and offer conditions for informed decision making about treatment options, monitoring
and genetic tests.2,11,15
Cancer Genetic counseling
Genetic counseling emerged in nursing
literature at the start of the 1960’s, emphasizing
psychosocial support and case monitoring as
nurses’ main responsibility in the multiprofessional team.16 It became part of systemized nursing
language when genetic counseling was included
in the Nursing Interventions Classiication (NIC),
through which it was deined as an interactive
process of help, focused on care delivery to individuals, families or groups with or at risk of developing or transmitting a congenital defect or genetic
condition.16 Genetic counseling is also deined as
a communication or education process, through
which subjects and family members receive information on the nature, beneits, risks and meaning
of genetic test results.2,11,16 During the counseling
process, support is also offered to clients so that
they can cope with the implications of possible
cancer predisposition test results. Individuals who
take these tests need to receive the orientations
needed for informed decision making on their
health and for voluntary and conscious consent,
through the signing of the informed consent term,
before blood collection for genetic analyses.2,11,16-17
Nursing consultations
Nurses are professionals, who usually interact quite close and directly with clients, and
in general, are the irst to have contact with those
individuals in health services. During the nursing consultation, they attempt to go beyond the
biological by surveying subjects’ health needs
in their family context, which can be attended
to through nursing interventions or forwarding
to other multiprofessional genetic counseling
team professionals.11,16 Interviews and physical
investigation are instruments used for nursing assessment purposes. According to ISONG, the data
collected during the nursing assessment include
client’s expectations; their personal and family
health history; data on the family dynamics and
structure; information on their health practices;
environmental and economic factors that can affect
their health; adaptation and disease coping patterns; support systems; values and beliefs, as well
as their knowledge about the inluence of genetics
and genomics on the etiology of their disease.5
Family history collection and risk assessment
Among the items in this assessment, cancer
family history stands out, as many hereditary
neoplastic syndromes are identiied through a
properly collected and validated history.1-2 Some
skills are important to collect the family history,
including: basic genetics knowledge, communication skills, ability to develop empathetic interpersonal relationships, persistence, and knowledge
about ethical and legal aspects that may emerge.15
When collecting and interpreting family
history data, nurses need knowledge about clinical markers that indicate inherited susceptibility
to cancer, called “red lags”, which include: (a)
young age when diagnosed (generally younger
than 50 years); (b) bilateral tumors in paired organs; (c) presence of multiple distinct tumors in
the same organ; (d) multiple primary tumors in the
same individual; (e) presence of tumors in two or
more irst or second-degree family members; (f)
“constellation” of tumors in subjects or families,
acknowledged as part of a hereditary neoplastic
syndrome previously described in the literature;
and (g) associations between cancer and benign
injuries.1,15
Health professionals should systematically
collect data from the individuals who are going
through the consultation, that is, the proband
or index case.15 If (s)he is affected by cancer, it is
important to report the primary tumor site, including evidence through anatomical pathology tests
with data on the tumor’s histologic type and age
when the disease was diagnosed.1 To identify a
genetic heritage pattern, the family history should
include at least three generations.11 First, questions are asked about irst-degree family members
health history, always guided by the “red lags”.
Then, the history of second and third-degree family members is assessed.1 Both the maternal and
paternal branch should be investigated and, in
case of death, the age and cause of death should
be mentioned. Due to the founder effect observed
in different genetic diseases, the ethnic and racial
origin of each family member should be part of the
collected data. Information about lifestyle and enText Context Nursing, Florianópolis, 2013 Abr-Jun; 22(2): 526-33.
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Oncology nursing practice from the perspective of genetics...
vironmental exposure to carcinogenic substances
need to be investigated for all family members.
In addition, all collected data need to be proven
through medical iles or reports, anatomical pathology test results and death certiicates, as that
is the only way to obtain a reliable assessment,
leading to a precise diagnosis.1,15
Without available genetic tests to detect
susceptibility to certain types of cancer, the family history is an important genomic, effective and
low-cost instrument to identify risk categories
and individuals that may be more predisposed to
tumor development.15 Based on the family history
reported by the client, the nurse can construct the
pedigree, which is the representation of this history, using standardized symbols. The pedigree
makes it easier to visualize the family history,
identiication of the genetic heritage patterns and
evaluation of individuals at risk, which facilitates
access to these data during care delivery by the
multiprofessional oncology genetic counseling
team.1,15
Like the pedigree, the personal and family
history is a very useful resource to estimate the risk
of developing cancer. Knowledge about the degree
of risk is important for decision making on the accomplishment or not of genetic test, indication of
clinical screening conducts and use of chemoprevention measures.2 Various statistical methods and
models have been proposed to quantify the risk
associated with a family history of cancer.2 After
reaching the diagnosis and determining the risk of
developing cancer, in accordance with the family’s
clinical characteristics, the health team advises the
proband about the indication of predictive genetic
tests for individual and/or family follow up, and
also about the speciic prevention and screening
program for their case and their family.17
Genetic tests
When clients decide to take a genetic test,
nurses need to broaden their orientations and
include topics that need to be taken into account
in their consultations, such as their motivations to
take the test, how they will process the obtained
result and their communication patterns with relatives.17 Clients’ consent to submit to the genetic test
needs to be voluntary, but nurses can participate
as facilitators in this decision process, offering
psychosocial support in the intent to help them
understand the risks, beneits and limitations of
the tests, their potential results, sensitivity and
speciicity of the test, without any implications
Text Context Nursing, Florianópolis, 2013 Abr-Jun; 22(2): 526-33.
for their treatment or follow up. These topics need
to be part of the informed consent form which, in
accordance with ethical and legal standards, all
clients need to sign before taking genetic tests.2,17
Most Brazilian genetic counseling services
offer tests for the prevalent hereditary neoplastic syndromes in the population, like hereditary
breast cancer syndromes, when the most frequently tested genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2; and
colorectal and gynecological cancer syndromes,
in which the repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6,
PMS1 and PMS2 can be investigated.1,2,17 Those
tests are accomplished to detect germline mutations inherited in high-penetrance genes, which
are associated with the tumor type observed in
individuals and families who seek counseling.2,17
Other intermediary penetrance mutations have
also been reported in families with hereditary
breast and colon cancer, but their impact in clinical
practice has not been well-established yet. Those
high and intermediary-penetrance mutations are
considered rare and, more commonly, inherited
susceptibility to cancer is attributed to a number
of varying sequences in low-penetrance genetic
material. The genomic location of many of these
low-penetrance variations has been established
through association studies across the genome,
which are not part of routine clinical recommendations yet. Private institutions already offer those
tests though, through genetic tests offered directly
to the consumer, whose potential impact in the
population is completely unknown so far.2,15
Follow up and returns
Clients follow up is an essential component
of the genetic counseling process. The information
clients receive during consultations is very complex, so that nurses need to follow the evolution
of their clients across this process and evaluate
their understanding about the counseling.15 The
returns and follow up are important to update
the family history, as well as to reinforce healthy
behaviors with regard to cancer prevention and
check clients’ adherence to screening and early detection programs of future injuries. Ideally, nurses
should contact the families once per year to check
for changes in the family history.12,15
POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES
In view of the above, nursing professionals
who work in oncology can apply their knowledge
to assess clients’ risk of tumor development, with
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Flória-Santos M, Santos EMM, Nascimento LC, Pereira-da-Silva G, Ferreira BR, Miranda DO, et al
a focus on genetic and genomic aspects.15 This
assessment should be a fundamental part of their
routine and particularly include the collection and
registration of the family history, facilitating forwarding to specialists. Nurses are the professionals who need to reinforce care recommendations
and the information that genetics experts provide.
They need to be competent to provide orientations
and support, and constantly assess the individuals’
reactions to the care received.12,17
ISONG recommends that nursing professionals who want to act at a more advanced professional practice level in genetics and genomics take
a graduate program that addresses those themes or
oncology.5,15 Through that training, nurses will be
apt for a detailed and personalized risk assessment
of individuals and their relatives, using statistical
model that include available algorithms to calculate probabilities of cancer and to identify possible
bearers of genetic mutations.2,15 These professionals
can discuss the implications of the genetic test and
provide counseling; acting as references for other
nursing team colleagues, and can also participate
in and/or conduct research in the area.12,15,17
Oncology personalized medical techniques
are gradually permitting the detailed characterization of the tumors individual biology, and of their
bearers.2 The therapeutic decisions that are based
on this personalization have included the integration of complex clinical-pathological, technical and
socioeconomic considerations.2,6-7 Personalized
medicine involves all health professionals and appoints the need to educate these subjects about the
meaning and implications of genomic information
applied to their daily professional reality.2,6 The
increasing number of gene-based approaches and
the technological advances deriving from the Human Genome Project are leading to redeinitions in
the pathophysiology, prevention and treatment of
different conditions. Although nursing represents
the main workforce, which delivers care all over
the world, most nurses have not taken the initiative yet to confront these advances, often due to
knowledge deicits or dificulties to access updated
information sources in the context of their daily
practice.18 Nursing professionals need training
and continuing education programs , as they will
increasingly play a central role in the planning and
execution of genomics-based health care.
CONCLUSION
Now more than ever, it is fundamental for
nurses to gain essential competences in genetics
and genomics, which is no longer an option but a
need in nursing practice in the 21st century. They
need to advance and assume leadership roles on
initiatives aimed at the integration of these sciences into oncology care, focused on individuals
and their families. Thus, nursing professionals can
serve as references for other health team members
and, within a genetics and genomics perspective,
apply their knowledge in clinical care, teaching
and oncology research.
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Correspondence: Milena Flória-Santos
Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing Department
University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing
Av. Bandeirantes, 3900
14040-902 – Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
E-mail:
[email protected]
Received: August 03, 2011
Approved: March 14, 2012
Text Context Nursing, Florianópolis, 2013 Abr-Jun; 22(2): 526-33.