Genetics in the NICU: Nurses' Perceived Knowledge and Desired Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Genetics
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Many infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have genetic conditions.
• Existing research indicates nurses have knowledge gaps and lack comfort applying genetics in clinical practice.
• No prior studies assessed genetics knowledge or comfort specifically in NICU nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived genetics knowledge of NICU nurses.
• To evaluate NICU nurses' comfort levels with clinical genetics scenarios.
• To identify the educational needs of NICU nurses regarding genetics.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 122 NICU nurses.
• Participants reported their perceived genetics knowledge and comfort with clinical genetics scenarios.
• Nurses indicated their preferences for future genetics education.

Main Results:

• Perceived knowledge and comfort correlated with higher degrees, preparedness from training, and personal experience with genetic conditions.
• A significant majority (96%) of NICU nurses expressed a desire for more genetics education.
• Overall comfort working with clinical genetics scenarios was low among the surveyed nurses.

Conclusions:

• Gaps in genetics knowledge and low comfort levels exist among NICU nurses in this cohort.
• There is a strong demand for enhanced genetics education for NICU nursing staff.
• Improving genetics education is crucial for better care of infants with genetic conditions in the NICU.