Genetic discoveries and nursing implications for complex disease prevention and management.

The purpose of this article is to examine the management of patients with complex diseases, in light of recent genetic discoveries, and to explore how these genetic discoveries will impact nursing practice and nursing research. The nursing science processes discussed are not comprehensive of all nursing practice but, instead, are concentrated in areas where genetics will have the greatest influence. Advances in genetic science will revolutionize our approach to patients and to health care in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, raising many issues for nursing research and practice. As the scope of genetics expands to encompass multifactorial disease processes, a continuing reexamination of the knowledge base is required for nursing practice, with incorporation of genetic knowledge into the repertoire of every nurse, and with advanced knowledge for nurses who select specialty roles in the genetics area. This article explores the impact of this revolution on nursing science and practice as well as the opportunities for nursing science and practice to participate fully in this revolution. Because of the high proportion of the population at risk for complex diseases and because nurses are occupied every day in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and therapeutic intervention of patients with such diseases in practice and research, there is great opportunity for nurses to improve health care through the application (nursing practice) and discovery (nursing research) of genetic knowledge.