Improving genetics and genomics education in the preregistration nursing curriculum: A cross-sectional survey

• Knowledge of genetics, genomics, and epigenetics is a priority for all healthcare professionals. • An online survey identified that student nurses are inadequately prepared for competency in this aspect of their nursing practice. • Nursing schools must have curricula that include genetic and genomic content applicable to clinical practice and tailored to knowledge gaps. Registered nurses must be prepared to apply genomics-informed nursing care. To inform the development of genomic literacy curricula by evaluating preregistration nursing students’ knowledge of genetics and genomic principles. The Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI) was administered as an anonymous, cross-sectional online survey to preregistration nursing students. The GNCI is a 31-item validated instrument for assessing knowledge of genetics and genomics considered necessary to support registered nurses’ understanding and application to clinical practice. Descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate students' level of knowledge and understanding of key concepts. Cronbach alpha and item discrimination instrument reliability scores were calculated. The response rate was 24.1% (66/273). Correct scores for content subcategories of inheritance, genomic healthcare, genome basics, and mutations were 57%, 54%, 40%, and 36%, respectively. On average, students answered 15 of 31 GNCI items correctly, i.e., 48.4% correct responses (SD = 3.9). Preregistration nursing students demonstrated some basic genetics literacy of foundational concepts concerning genomics and genetics. However, gaps in genomic knowledge across all three preregistration training years were noted.