A historical comparison of the development of specialist genetic nursing in the United Kingdom and Japan

Abstract

This paper reports the development of specialist genetic nursing in the UK and Japan. Between 1970 and 1990, significant technical advances in genetic testing occurred. These advances offered many families affected by genetic conditions more choices in diagnostic, predictive, and prenatal testing. It was recognized that genetic testing could significantly alter the life of the family and that supportive health services were required to accompany such testing. Nurses began to offer specialist services in this setting, but considerable professional development was required to ensure practitioners were competent. In the UK, the profession grew slowly over several decades. Concern to establish minimum standards of practice in this new professional setting culminated in the establishment of a set of competencies and a formal registration process. By comparison, in Japan, developments in genetic nursing have occurred over a shorter period of time, but minimum standards of competence already have been agreed upon.

Clinical Delivery of Pharmacogenetic Testing Services: A Proposed Partnership Between Genetic Counselors and Pharmacists

“…In the interim, the development and implementation of a method of triage to ensure that patients in greatest need for genetic services, such as those manifesting symptoms of anxiety, are scheduled to be seen immediately [12]. Alternatively, given that counseling for PGx testing is anticipated to adopt the teaching model and the non-directive counseling approach will not typically be necessary, other health professions such as genetic nurses could assist in providing information to inform decision-making and help patients understand test results[89–91], thereby limiting the time required of genetic counselors to interact directly with patients. Given the development of new modes of healthcare delivery (e.g., phone, Internet), the absence of an onsite counselor may no longer be considered a limitation to access.…”

A systematic review of nurses’ knowledge of genetics

“…In addition, specialist genetic nurses currently work in many countries, including the United Kingdom (UK) [3] , Japan [4] and the United States [5] . However, as there is increasing evidence that genetics will change the practice of medicine and mainstream health-care [6,7] , all nurses must understand genomic information and the concurrent skills and attitudes to enable them to incorporate these changes for patient benefit [8,9] .…”

“It just becomes much more complicated”: Genetic counselors' views on genetics and prenatal testing

“…It should also be noted that unlike other countries, the master's-trained genetic counselor in the USA is not a medical professional such as nurse or sonographer that is then trained to conduct genetic counseling. Additionally, also unlike other countries, in the USA genetic nurses (with both BA and MS backgrounds) constitute both a very small and separately certified group of genetic counseling practitioners (Lea et al 2006;Skirton, Arimori, and Aoki 2006). 3.…”

“…Recently in 2013, the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) was formed as a separate accrediting body for training programs while ABGC continues to certify individual counselors (American Board of Genetic Counselors 2013). The establishment of a master's-trained genetic counseling professional was thus created and institutionalized in the USA over a decade or two before separate training and certification programs emerged in other countries (Sahar et al 2005;Skirton, Arimori, and Aoki 2006;Barnes et al 2012;Sagi and Uhlmann 2013;Skirton et al 2013). 2 In the meantime, this specifically graduate-trained and credentialed genetic professional -both in the science of genetics and in the psychosocial aspects of counseling -has vastly expanded in the USA.…”