Biomedical subjects

Nancy Steinberg Warren

Publications and source records attributed to Nancy Steinberg Warren.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Genetic counselors and research: current practices and future directions.

Members of the genetic counseling community have debated the need for doctoral degree programs to further advance the profession. However, genetic counselors' interest in conducting independent research and attitudes toward obtaining a doctoral degree in genetic counseling has not been assessed in more than a decade. We designed a comprehensive web-based survey to characterize the current research values and practices of genetic counselors. Respondents were asked to self-report their current research involvement, their specific role in research activities, and their interest in performing research in the future. The study showed that a significant number of genetic counselors (84.5%) have conducted previous research, and 69.4% of respondents plan to perform research in the future. These results reflect the maturation of the genetic counseling field, in that a substantial number of genetic counselors consider active involvement in research to be a core role. The study also showed that 34.1% of respondents have high interest in a hypothetical PhD in Genetic Counseling, suggesting that the profession is primed for the development of doctoral degree training options.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

An interdisciplinary approach to introducing professionalism.

OBJECTIVE: To provide interdisciplinary structured activities in academic and clinical settings for introducing the concept of professionalism to health professions students. DESIGN: Undergraduate and graduate students from 8 health care disciplines including pharmacy, nursing, communication sciences and disorders, dietetics and nutrition science, genetic counseling, advanced medical imaging, medical technology, and physical therapy participated in an orientation program focusing on interdisciplinary health care and professionalism, as well as a field experience. ASSESSMENT: Survey results from both components (orientation, n = 284; field experience, n = 123) indicated that the project was valuable in increasing students' awareness of (1) the importance of professionalism in the clinical setting and (2) the potential contributions of their profession to the health care team. CONCLUSION: Health professions curricula should include interdisciplinary learning opportunities that enhance collaboration, collegiality, and professionalism among future members of the health care team.

Communication↗

PubMed2006

Ethical issues in cancer genetics: I 1) whose information is it?

This article presents and discusses four clinical cases that exemplify the complexity of ethical dilemmas concerning the provider's obligation to disclose or withhold genetic information from patients. Case 1: What is the responsibility of the cancer genetics provider to ensure that a positive test results is shared with distant relatives? Case 2: To ensure that results go to at-risk relatives, do we have the right to ignore the wishes of the designated next-of-kin? Case 3: Do we have the right to reveal a familial BRCA1 mutation to a patient's relative, who is at 50% risk? Case 4: Do we have an obligation to reveal that a patient is not a blood relative and therefore, not at risk to have inherited a familial mutation? These cases form the basis for discussing the provider's dual obligations to keeping patient confidentiality and informing patients and families about risk (i.e. duty to warn). We also provide a summary of consensus points and additional discussion questions for each case.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2005

Assessment of allied health graduates' preparation to integrate genetic knowledge and skills into clinical practice.

Allied health professionals are in a unique position to address the concerns of and provide information to clients with genetic disorders. This study assessed the preparation of recent graduates of allied health training programs to provide these services by determining their (1) professional practices, (2) confidence in performing skills that require genetic knowledge, (3) extent of genetic training, and (4) interest in genetic topics. A survey was sent to 698 alumni of six allied health training programs who graduated between 1997 and spring 2002 from a midwestern university. A total of 235 alumni responded to the survey (34%). Forty-three percent of respondents reported discussing at least one of eight topics, such as patterns of inheritance, recurrence risks, genetic testing, and characteristics of genetic conditions and/or prognosis. Referrals for genetic services were made by 12.6% of respondents. Of the 10 genetic assessment, counseling, and referral skills that were assessed, eliciting family history was the skill most commonly performed. Many respondents discussed the genetic basis of disorders, provided guidance to clients about the impact of their condition, and corrected misconceptions. Only 22% of the respondents rated the amount of genetic knowledge/skills covered in training as satisfactory, and 78% rated it as marginal or none. However, there is strong interest in genetic topics, especially related to common disorders. A correlation was found between the respondents' training and confidence in performing these skills. Allied health professionals are providing genetic-related services in clinical settings. However, sufficient instruction in genetic knowledge and skills is not being provided in their undergraduate and graduate training programs. Preservice and continuing educational interventions designed to prepare allied health professionals for the genetic age are needed. This study establishes baseline data regarding professional practices and perceived clinical confidence related to genetics that can be used to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of future educational interventions.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Outcomes of a genetics education program for nursing faculty.

A multifaceted educational program designed to teach nursing faculty about genetics was first offered in 1997 and subsequently repeated on an annual basis. The specific aims of the program were to: 1) increase nursing faculty knowledge about genetics and its clinical application, and 2) increase genetics content taught in entry-level nursing education programs. The major components of the program included an annual Genetics Summer Institute (GSI), pre-planned follow-up strategies, and continuing education offerings. Measured outcomes included significant improvement in nursing faculty genetics knowledge and increased amounts of genetics content in their curricula. The majority of surveyed faculty focused curriculum change efforts on lectures or courses for which they were personally responsible. Thirty-one percent were working on, or had developed, elective nursing genetics courses after attending a GSI. These findings indicate that this program provided the necessary foundational instruction and resources to enable nursing faculty participants to bring about change in their curricula.

Curriculum↗