The development of the Essential Nursing Competencies in Genetics/Genomics in 2006, which were updated with outcome indicators in 2008 (Consensus Panel on Genetic/Genomic Nursing Competencies, 2009), provided nursing with a framework for identifying the educational needs of nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) used these competencies to support their recommendation for the inclusion of genetics and genomics into nursing curriculum (AACN, 2008; Jenkins & Calzone, 2012). Educational programs and curricula guidelines have been developed to assist in the integration of genetics and genomics into baccalaureate nursing curricula (Calzone, et al., 2013a; Calzone & Jenkins, 2012; Jenkins & Calzone, 2014) Genetics has been included in undergraduate curriculum via both stand-alone genetics courses, and integration across the curriculum. Many studies have addressed genetic and genomic knowledge gaps, integration of competencies into practice, and educational needs of nursing students, practicing nurses, and nurse educators (Calzone, et al., 2012; Calzone, et al., 2013b; Calzone, et al, 2014; Coleman, et al., 2014; Scanlon & Fibson, 1995). Recent research has included the use of nursing’s first concept inventory (The Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI ©) to evaluate meaningful learning of genetic concepts, as well as common misconceptions (McCabe, Ward, & Ricciardi, 2016; Ward, French, et al., 2016; Ward, Haberman, & Barbos-Leiker, 2014; Ward, Purath, & Barbosa-Leiker, 2016). Ausubel’s Assimilation Theory suggests meaningful learning is a better approach to understanding difficult concepts, as opposed to rote learning (Ausubel, et al., 1978). Meaningful learning occurs when new knowledge is anchored with pre-existing knowledge in a person’s cognitive structure. The majority of studies identified that nurses with a higher level of education, and nurses who had taken a genetics course since licensure had increased knowledge and increased integration of genetic competencies into practice. However, many of these studies did not include RN to BSN students. Scant research is available to assess the genetics knowledge of the practicing RN enrolled in a BSN completion program. The educational barriers include nursing faculty with a weak understanding of foundational genetics and a lack of practicing nurses’ knowledge (Jenkins & Calzone, 2014; Read & Ward, 2016). Research has indicated some progress in the acquisition of genetic-genomic knowledge by nurses, but much work still needs to occur.
The Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI©) was developed to evaluate nurses’ and nursing students’ understanding of foundational genetic-genomic concepts, or genetic-genomic literacy (Ward, Haberman, & Barbosa-Leiker, 2014). The purpose of this descriptive research was to identify the current genetic-genomic knowledge and misconceptions of RN to BSN students as measured by the Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI©) (Ward, Haberman, & Barbos-Leiker, 2014). The participants were registered nurses enrolled in or recently graduated from an online RN to BSN completion program in a large, urban university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. A cross-sectional design was used and provided access to students at varied levels of progression within the program, in various stages of development (Houser, 2015). This design allowed the researcher to analyze differences among participants across the continuum of their program, compare these differences against the GNCI© score, and provide more generalizable results. The differences evaluated included age, sex, educational program at attainment of licensure, and past genetic education.