Genetics takes a bigger role in health care

Genetics takes a bigger role in
health care

A United States expert in human genetics education will visit New Zealand this month, sponsored by the Universal College of Learning, UCOL.

Dr Jean F. Jenkins has taken a leading role in promoting the importance of knowledge of clinical genetics in health care. Her visit coincides with UCOL’s preparations to deliver a new graduate programme in clinical genetics.

During her visit to New Zealand Dr Jenkins will speak to academic staff at universities and polytechnics in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, the Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North on the role of genetic competencies in health care education, including nursing. The topic is now incorporated into all undergraduate programmes in the United States.

Dr Jenkins is the Senior Clinical Advisor to the Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, a key leadership position at the National Institutes of Health.

She is a registered nurse and her qualifications include a Ph.D. from the George Mason University, Vancouver. It was during a clinical internship as part of her doctoral studies that she recognized the importance of advances in genetics research for all health care providers.

As a senior Clinical Adviser she collaborated in research on the impact of the genetics and genomics revolution on patients and their families. “We asked questions that had many ethical and social implications. For example, if you had a family history of a certain type of cancer, and a genetic test was readily available through your local doctor’s office, would you get tested?

“We wanted to know if people were interested in or feared this kind of testing. Were they concerned about insurance coverage if the genetic test revealed a predisposition for developing a certain disease? What changes in health behaviours and screening occurred if testing was done?”

Dr Jenkins has benefitted personally from progress in genetic and genome research. A year after completing her PhD, and after 20 years working in oncology, she was diagnosed with cancer. “In the months to follow, I learned even more about the genetic changes that occur in normal cells that eventually become cancerous. I understood further how those genetic changes could help guide the decisions about my healthcare options. What I learned helped me decide to become part of a clinical trial. The trial included standard chemotherapy followed by a genetically engineered vaccine, designed to work specifically against my cancer cells. Being involved and making decisions was one way that I could gain some control of my life.”

She is committed to the preparation of others to become aware of, plan for and integrate genetic concepts into clinical practice. In 2005, she received the Michael J. Scotti Jr. Award for National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG) efforts as the Content and Instruction co-chair. She coordinated the development and consensus of the NCHPEG competencies and the Essential Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines for Genetics and Genomics.

Dr. Jenkins has co-authored three nursing texts, including Nursing Care in the Genomic Era: A Case Based Approach.

Pending final NZQA approval, UCOL’s Graduate Certificate in Human Clinical Genetics will be offered online from UCOL’s Palmerston North campus from next year. It is the first graduate programme in clinical genetics to be offered in New Zealand. The programme is based on similar programmes in the United Kingdom and the United States.

UCOL’s Professor of Human Genetics Dr Nick Nicol says the graduate certificate will appeal to registered health care professionals and others in genetic-related disciplines. He says the introduction of the programme reflects a world-wide recognition of the importance of human clinical genetics to the work of health professions: “It’s reinforcing the link between biological science and clinical practice,” he says. “Health care providers themselves need sufficient knowledge to accurately inform their patients and clients on genetic issues.”

Dr Jean Jenkins arrives in New Zealand on Sunday 3 October and leaves on Sunday 12 October. She is available for media interviews.

ENDS

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