The UK is recognised worldwide as a leader in genomics. The ambition of embedding genomic medicine in the diagnostic pathway requires involvement of the front-line clinical workforce, known as ‘mainstreaming’. Nurses and midwives are the largest professionally qualified workforce in the NHS thus, it is anticipated that they will play significant roles in genomic mainstreaming. The University of the West of England (UWE) Generation Genome Education Team includes key national organisations (e.g.: NHS England Genomic Education Programme (GEP), Macmillan Cancer Support, the British Heart Foundation, Genomics England, and NHS England), which delivers practice-led postgraduate training for non-genomic specialist healthcare professionals, such as nurses and midwives.
The team created a fully funded, inclusive, and flexible learning environment for mature students, which significantly enhanced their knowledge and confidence in delivering genomics as part of their day-to-day practice. The team established national networks for learners in the field of genomics to enable them to work together and with other professionals, such as genetic counsellors. The team developed a new PGCert in Genomics and learners on this programme delivered genomic transformation projects in their local trusts (e.g.: nurse-led services for Lynch Syndrome and inherited breast cancer) and led new regional services for example for Sudden Cardiac Death.
The team’s collaborative and innovative research led to a novel competency framework that serves as a good learning example for nurses and midwives both nationally and globally. This framework has already been adopted in clinical pathways for several inherited conditions across the NHS serving close to 56 million people in England. The team’s education and evaluation approaches had direct influence on the national NHS England funded MSc in Genomics Medicine qualifications as well as empowering their own learners to develop genomics-based services within their own organisations, which has been evidenced to reduce waiting times for patients and cost for services.
The team’s framework can now provide a foundation for a scaled-up education programme for all clinical nurse specialists (~2,500 current NHS employees) to lead the transformation of genomic services. Our competency framework can be applied to all genomic clinical pathways and undergraduate teaching programmes for healthcare professionals.
