Genetics Nursing: Family History, Communication and Referral

Course Purpose

This course is designed for all nurses in various practice settings. It aims to equip nurses with essential skills and knowledge to confidently integrate genetics into their daily patient care. Nurses will learn to identify key genetic considerations, engage patients effectively, and recognize when to involve genetics specialists.

Continuing Education Credit Designation

This educational activity is credited for 4 contact hours at completion of the activity.

Overview

Genetics has become an integral part of modern nursing practice, subtly influencing patient care across various specialties. Whether performing a routine admission assessment, taking a prenatal history, or reviewing a newborn's chart, nurses are constantly engaging with genetic information, even if it is not always explicitly labeled as such. Recognizing and understanding these genetic components is crucial for providing comprehensive and anticipatory care, enabling nurses to identify potential risks and guide patients toward specialized resources. This course aims to equip nurses with essential skills and knowledge to confidently integrate genetics into their daily patient care.

Objectives

Upon completion of this independent study, the learner will be able to:

1. Explain the nurse's role in genetics care: taking and updating a family health history, recognising red flags, providing information, and referring, as distinct from the roles of the genetic counselor and medical geneticist.
2. Collect and record a three-generation family health history, including relatives, conditions, ages at diagnosis and death, and update it over time.
3. Recognise family history and clinical patterns that suggest a hereditary cancer syndrome and warrant referral for genetic counseling and possible testing.
4. Describe the elements of informed consent for genetic testing and the boundaries of the nurse's role in that conversation.
5. Explain the major inheritance patterns for single-gene conditions and why many common diseases do not follow them.
6. Describe how the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects patients and where its protections do not extend.
7. Communicate genetic test results and their limitations accurately to patients and families without offering interpretation that belongs to genetics professionals.
8. Describe newborn screening and pharmacogenomics at a basic level sufficient to answer common patient questions and know when to refer.

Who this course is for:

Healthcare professionals who want continuing education on Genetics Nursing: Family History, Communication and Referral.

Course outline

12 sections · finish in any order across devices

1. 1

   Course overview and learning objectives

2. 2

   Introduction

3. 3

   The nurse's role in genetics care, and where it stops

4. 4

   Building and using a three-generation family health history

5. 5

   Recognizing red flags and referring for hereditary cancer risk

6. 6

   Informed consent and communicating genetic test results

7. 7

   Privacy and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

8. 8

   Inheritance patterns and what they do and do not predict

9. 9

   Newborn screening: what it is and what nurses explain to families

10. 10

    Pharmacogenomics: an introduction for everyday nursing practice

11. 11

    Nursing Considerations

12. 12

    Conclusion

This Course Satisfies

Requirement summaries come from our state requirement records. All Users of Cheap CE For Nurses’s website and content are responsible for knowing their state’s license and renewal requirements.

Questions about this course

How many contact hours is Genetics Nursing: Family History, Communication and Referral?

4 contact hours, credited at completion.

How much does it cost?

$20.00 on its own, or included with All-Access ($29.99 a year, renewing yearly until you cancel).

Can I listen instead of reading?

Yes — every section can be read or heard, on your phone or computer.

When do I get my certificate?

As soon as you finish the course requirements and the evaluation. It stays in your account.

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