Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Professional Nursing journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jpnu GUEST EDITORIAL Genetics and Genomics Content in Nursing Education: A National Imperative Nurses must be prepared in fundamental genetic and genomic content to meet population health needs. Understanding the molecular and genetic basis of disease, treatment modalities, and recognition of therapeutic response to therapy is an imperative for quality nursing practice. Genetic testing has implications not only for the patient, but also for at-risk family members. Healthcare tailored to genetic profiling is a reality today, and it is crucial that nurses receive extensive formal and ongoing continued education on genetics and genomics. Although frequently used interchangeably, genetics is the study of heredity, focused on single genes, while genomics is the study of all genes, genetic inter-relationships, and their influence on growth and development (World Health Organization, 2017). Personalized healthcare began with the Human Genome Project, conducted from 1990 to 2003. The project represented an international effort to sequence the human genome and stimulated the growth of genetic and genomic science. Human genetic sequencing unlocked the amino acid code and researchers were able to begin determining the function of human genes (Chial, 2008; Collins, Green, Guttmacher & Guyer, 2003; International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, 2001; Lander, 2011). Findings of the Human Genome Project resulted in new possibilities for personalized healthcare. One example is CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) genome editing technology, which determines possible ways to fix broken code or gene mutations (Ledford, 2016). Applications of CRISPR can potentially correct genetic mutations before an embryo is implanted for in vitro fertilization. Recently, researchers corrected a disease-causing mutation in the MYBPC3 gene linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in human embryos with the use of CRISPR-Cas9 (Ma et al., 2017). Multiple opportunities for application of personalized treatments based on genetic profiling across all populations now exist to the public. President Obama presented a Precision Medicine Initiative for use of personalized genetic information to treat medical conditions such as cancer and diabetes in the 2015 State of the Union Address. For example, a tailored treatment approach is now available to women with ovarian cancer, rather than the standard systemic treatment used for more than three decades (Kim, Ueda, Naka & Enomoto, 2012). The new treatment includes a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 specifically for women with ovarian cancer who have a BRCA 1 or BRCA2 mutation (Ledermann & El-Khouly, 2015; Lord & Ashworth, 2017). In addition to personalized treatment, direct-to-consumer genetic testing is a current reality. In 2015, Color Genomics was the first to offer a direct-to-consumer 19 gene panel for hereditary cancers (The New York Times, 2015) and earlier this year expanded to offer a 30 gene hereditary heart health panel assessing risk for cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, and arteriopathies (Color Genomics, 2018). The genetic testing is advertised for $249 and completed using a self-collected saliva sample. In March 2018, the U.S. FDA authorized 23andMe, a privately held personal genomics and biotechnology company, to offer direct-to-consumer testing of three specific BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations common in in- dividuals of Ashkenazi Jewish decent via self-collected saliva sample (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). Individuals who complete direct-to-consumer genetic testing will likely present the testing results to their healthcare providers for clinical interpretation and management. Understanding the availability, reliability, and value of direct-to-consumer genetic testing is necessary for nurses. 1. Genetic and Genomic Education for Nurses Inclusion of genetic competencies for nursing education has been recommended. The Essentials of Genetic and Genomic Nursing Competencies and Curricula Guidelines were established by a consensus panel and published by the American Nurses Association (2006). The goal of the panel was to define essential genetic and genomic competencies for all nurses, regardless of level of academic preparation, practice setting or specialty. Laurie Connors GUEST EDITOR Laurie Connors, DNP, RN, APNG, FNP-BC, AGN-BC Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing E-mail address: Laurie.m.connors@ vanderbilt.edu Mavis Schorn GUEST EDITOR Mavis Schorn, PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM Professor, Senior Associate Dean for Academics Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Genetics and Genomics in Healthcare Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Genetics and Genomics in Healthcare https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2018.06.003 Journal of Professional Nursing 34 (2018) 235–237 8755-7223/ © 2018 Published by Elsevier Inc. T