Success of a Genetics Educational Intervention for Nursing and Dietetic Students: A Model for Incorporating Genetics into Nursing and Allied Health Curricula

Allied health care professionals and nurses provide genetic-related client services, such as eliciting family medical history information and discussing the genetic component of health conditions. However, these professionals report a lack of confidence in their ability to perform genetic services and have little formal education in genetics. A barrier to incorporating genetics into allied health curricula includes the limited flexibility to expand curricula. This barrier was addressed by incorporating a Web-based tutorial on basic genetics and a lecture on the genetics of diabetes into preexisting undergraduate nutrition courses for nursing and dietetic students. The vast majority of students enrolled in these required courses participated in the intervention. Most participants agreed that genetics is important to their future career. Following the intervention, students' knowledge of genetics and confidence in their ability to provide genetic-related services increased significantly. Despite the short-term success and positive student evaluations, a single educational intervention does not appear to be sufficient for students to become proficient in performing the recommended genetic competencies for all health care professionals. Recommendations and resources for incorporating genetics into allied health curricula are included.