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This resolution was passed by voting members at Congress 2024.

Every single person has a genome; it’s what makes us unique. Genomic medicine is the study of an individual’s DNA, their genes and how they influence the growth, development, and working of the body (GEL, 2024). Genomics grants us a greater understanding of how our genetic makeup impacts on our health and how we will respond to treatments (NHSE, 2022).

With advancing technology, we can read all of the information in a person’s DNA at once. This novel approach allows us to better understand health, make diagnoses, treat disease, and care for our patients (GEL, 2024).

The field of genomics is rapidly advancing and is affecting all areas of health care. It isn’t just specialist nurses who are dealing with genomics; across nursing there needs to be an understanding of its relevance within all roles. Genomics is now included in the NMC Standards: ‘2 At the point of registration, the registered nurse will be able to: 2.2 demonstrate knowledge of…genomics’ (NMC, 2018). Genomics awareness is increasingly important and will rely on nursing practice across the health and social care sector to positively impact services (GEP, 2022). As the RCN is the leading national and an international authority in representing the profession, it is incumbent on the College to establish a place within the genomics arena.

In nursing, the term ‘genomics’ might seem unfamiliar, but in reality, nursing is vital to the delivery of genomic medicine and is already contributing to incredible advances. While there are numerous sources of education and training aligned to nursing in genomics, the existing ‘easy to follow’ (Carpenter-Clawson et al 2023) nursing competencies need to be embedded within the workforce to ensure nursing can meet the challenges of the future genomics agenda.

Across the UK, steps are already being taken to do this. In England the NHS Genomic Medicine Service Alliance is helping to embed genomics into patient care pathways. The Scottish government has set out an aim to support the workforce across all sectors to communicate about genomics in an accessible way and to include it in clinical pathways and standards (Scottish Government, 2023).  The Genomics Delivery Plan for Wales 2022-25 (Welsh Government, 2022) calls for a multidisciplinary approach to genomics education.

The NMC Standards state that nurses are 'responsible and accountable for keeping their knowledge and skills up to date through continued professional development’ (NMC, 2014). With this directive in mind and in line with the UK Government pledge to ‘maintain and extend our leadership position,’ in ‘the provision of world-leading genomic healthcare,’ (UK Gov. 2020) the RCN can become a forerunner in collaborating across the devolved nations to meet the UK Government’s vision for excellence.

Therefore, we ask RCN Council to support the introduction and embedding of genomic competencies within the nursing profession, across all health care settings.

The reading list for this debate is available .

References 

Carpenter-Clawson C, Watson M, Pope A, Lynch K, Miles T, Bell D, Talbot M and Varadi A (2023) Competencies of the UK nursing and midwifery workforce to mainstream genomics in the National Health Service: the ongoing gap between perceived importance and confidence in genomics, Frontiers in Genetics, 14, p. 1125599. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1125599/full

Department of Health in Northern Ireland (2022) Ministerial Statement of Intent - Genome UK: Shared Commitments Update. Department of Health in Northern Ireland. Available at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/ministerial-statement-intent-genome-uk-shared-commitments-update (Accessed 6 March 2024)

Genomics Education Programme, 2022. ‘Genomics in Nursing’. NHSE: London. Available from: https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/genomics-in-healthcare/genomics-in-nursing/#toggle-id-1 [Accessed: 21st December 2023].

Genomics England, 2024. ‘Understanding Genomics’. DOHSC: London. Available from: https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/genomic-medicine/understanding-genomics [Accessed: 21st December 2023].

NHS England, 2022. ‘Accelerating Genomic Medicine in the NHS’. NHSE: London. Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/accelerating-genomic-medicine-in-the-nhs/ [Accessed: 21st December 2023].

Waterman T. (2023) The 2023 Genomic Competency Framework for UK Nurses. NHSE, England.

Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2018. ‘Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses’. NMC: London. pp. 10-12. Available from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards-of-proficiency/nurses/future-nurse-proficiencies.pdf [Accessed: 21st December 2023].

Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2014. ‘Standards for Competence for Registered Nurses’. NMC: London. Available from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/nmc-standards-for-competence-for-registered-nurses.pdf [Accessed: 21st December 2023].

Scottish Government (2023) Genomics in Scotland: Building our future. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/genomics-scotland-building-future/documents/ (Accessed 6 March 2024) 
Welsh Government (2022) Genomics Delivery Plan for Wales 2022 to 2025. Welsh Government. Available at: https://www.gov.wales/genomics-delivery-plan-2022-2025

Acknowledgements:

Shipway A (2024) Literature search: Genomics competencies within the nursing profession. London: RCN Library and Archive Service.