Precision Medicine as a Nursing Competency
Precision medicine, genomic-driven treatment, phenotyping—it all sounded like too much dense material to cover in one article. But I’m happy to say that the authors of the October CE feature, “Knowledge of Precision Medicine and Health Care: An Essential Nursing Competency,” take this complex content and present it in a clear, straightforward, and interesting way.
‘Omics’ sciences.
We’re delighted to be able to bring you this timely and important content. As the authors explain, advances in the study of genes have given rise to the ‘omics’ sciences—the study of how genes function and how treatments can be tailored to an individual’s genetic makeup, i.e., precision medicine. While we’ve long found ways to tailor care to specific characteristics determined all or in part by genetic differences—–for example, prescription lenses to correct vision, blood typing—the completion of the Human Genome Project has given impetus to using genomics in many areas of care.
The completion of the Human Genome Project . . . provided insight into both mutations (genetic variations that occur in less than 1% of the population) and polymorphisms (genetic variations that are sufficiently common to be considered normal). Genetic variations confer not only such unique individual characteristics as eye color and blood group, but also susceptibility to such diseases as sickle cell and […]