Abstract

• Purpose
  The purpose of the study was to assess the level of nurses' genetic knowledge and the perception of nurses' role in genetics. The ultimate goal of this paper is to educate practicing nurses so that they can counsel individuals and families with genetic problems, on the basis of better understanding of genetic diseases.
• Methods
  A total of 969 clinical nurses in 11 general hospitals completed a self-administered questionnaire including basic genetic knowledge and perception of their role. The instruments were made by the author with the help of some experts on genetics. T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation were used to analyze the data.
• Results
  The results of this study indicated that nurses revealed a vast knowledge deficit in genetics and the need for genetic content in nursing curriculum. The results also showed that nurses' sources of information about genetics largely came from the mass media. The nurses also expressed great interest in educating and counseling patients. Overall, the survey found a positive correlation between the nurses' level of knowledge and their degree of interest in genetics.
• Conclusion
  In conclusion, education and training of clinical nurses in genetics is critical in integrating genetics with nursing science. Therefore, the development of educational programs for nursing knowledge and counseling as well as basic curriculums in genetic nursing at universities are essential in the near future.
• Keywords: Genetics; Genetic knowledge; Perceived role of nurses

Figure & Data

REFERENCES

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses Toward Genetics and Genomics: A Scoping Review
  Konstantinos Mintzaridis, Evangelos Dousis, Eleni Evangelou, Maria Polikandrioti, Ioannis Koutelekos
  Cureus.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Nurses' knowledge and educational needs regarding genetics
  Memnun Seven, Aygül Akyüz, Burcu Elbüken, Heather Skirton, Hatice Öztürk
  Nurse Education Today.2015; 35(3): 444.     CrossRef
• Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceived Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Genetics and Nursing Competencies for Genetics
  Hyunkyung Choi
  Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science.2014; 16(2): 69.     CrossRef
• Current Issues and Tasks of Genetic Cancer Nursing in Korea
  Myunghee Jun, Kyung Sook Choi, Gyeyoung Shin
  Asian Oncology Nursing.2012; 12(4): 267.     CrossRef
• Perception About the Elderly Among Undergraduate Students Interested in the Elderly Care Business
  Mi-Ja Shin
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2011; 17(4): 551.     CrossRef
• Genetic content in Korean nursing textbooks
  Miyoung Kim, Jinho Han
  Nursing & Health Sciences.2010; 12(1): 135.     CrossRef
• Nurses' Professed Knowledge of Genetics and Genetic Counseling
  Ayse Gaye Tomatir, Hülya Çetin Sorkun, Huriye Demirhan, Beyza Akdag
  The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine.2006; 210(4): 321.     CrossRef