Teaching Strategies to Incorporate Genomics Education into Academic Nursing Curricula

The translation of genomic science into health care has expanded our ability to understand the effects of genomics on human health and disease. As genomic advances continue, nurses are expected to have the knowledge and skills to translate genomic information into improved patient care. This integrative review describes strategies used to teach genomics in academic nursing programs and their facilitators and barriers to inclusion in nursing curricula. The Learning Engagement Model and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory guided the interpretation of findings. CINAHL, Medline, and Web of Science were resources for articles published during the past decade that included strategies for teaching genomics in academic nursing programs. Of 135 articles, 13 met criteria for review. Examples of effective genomics teaching strategies included clinical application through case studies, storytelling, online genomics resources, student self-assessment, guest lecturers, and a genetics focus group. Most strategies were not evaluated for effectiveness.