Designer genes and critical care nursing: the future is now

Discoveries about the human genetic code and innovations to manipulate genes are rapidly advancing. Laboratory strategies used for recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid techniques have revolutionized medication production and have led to experimental protocols for gene therapy. The implications for critical care nursing practice are profound. To keep pace with new discoveries, critical care nurses now need to consider the impact of advances in genetic engineering on their practice. Nurses assisting with gene therapy protocols will need to not only update their knowledge of genetics but also learn the fundamentals of recombinant technology. Administration of genetically engineered medications almost certainly will lead to new clusters of side effects and new routes for delivery. A multitude of ethical considerations such as biosafety and patient selection raises a realm of clinical practice implications. To provide the care that critically ill patients require, practitioners will need to update their knowledge constantly about the rapidly changing discipline of genetics and how advances in genetics relate to nursing and medical practice.