Genetics Nursing Practice Enters a New Era With Credentialing

In a few short years genetic nursing practice has been transformed from a nearly hidden specialty to a recognized specialty practice with formal recognition, publication of scope and standards of practice, and most recently the availability of credentialing for genetic nurses. All areas of nursing practice have been impacted by recent advances in genetic knowledge and technology. Nearly all diseases are now recognized to have a genetic component. Nurses now provide education to patients about hereditary risk for developing disease, counsel about the benefits and risks associated with genetic testing, and manage disease risk based on genetic information. The recent development of commercial testing for susceptibility genes, (such as the predisposition genes for breast ovarian cancer syndrome and colon cancer) have had a great impact on nursing's role in the identification and management of individuals at risk for developing many diseases. These developments have led to tremendous changes in genetic nursing practice, including the development of a credentialing process through the International Society of Nurses in Genetics, which recognizes nurses with expertise in genetics. This paper will describe the need and rationale for such a credential, the description of the credential and its development, the birth of the Genetic Nursing Credentialing Commission, a discussion of titles used in genetics, and an account of the personal experience of one nurse who successfully completed the requirements to obtain the credential, and an overview of what genetic nurses do in clinical practice.