Genomics in nursing education

Genetics/Genomics is a relatively new science. The basic principles were formally described at the end of the 19th century, the physical structure of genes were described in the middle of the 20th century, and the first gene located in the early 1990s. Later, the human genome was sequenced. More and more genes have been located and described and some are now being manipulated. All health professions are struggling to infuse genomic content into the curriculum. This article traces the roots of the undergraduate and graduate nursing competencies and provides a brief review of the literature describing nursing genetic/genomics education.