The Nurse’s Role in Genetic Counseling Genetic disorders are forever changing the lives of human beings around the world. These disorders can vary in severity and how they impact a person’s daily life. It is important to understand that while genetic disorders cannot be changed, they can be predicted and diagnosed through genetic testing. Once a genetic disorder is confirmed, dealing with the diagnosis can be extremely hard on a patient as well as their family. The patient will need resources available to aid them through the process of dealing with the diagnosis and determining what to do next. This is where genetic counseling would come in. It is used to help a patient seek understanding of their disorder and how to manage the disorder.
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It is the nurses job to ensure that the patient understands both, but especially the risks. A genetic disorder diagnosis can be very difficult for a patient to deal with which can lead to psychological issues. This is because the results do not change once confirmed. The diagnosis can cause disruptions in family and social life as well (Ignatavicus & Workman, 2016, p. 51-62). A patient may feel angry with certain family members if they do not have the disorder, or place blame on those who do. Biesecker (2016) said, “We aim to effectively meet the needs of our clients clinically, cognitively and affectively. How they conceptualize their risk and feel about their risk influences what they do (or do not do) to minimize negative outcomes to their health” (p. 622). Once the patient has decided to face the risks of testing, they can then move on to the benefits. One major benefit is that genetic testing can confirm a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, a plan of action may be taken to relieve symptoms for that patient. Genetic testing can also identify those at risk so that they can take early precautions against fighting the disease and decide how to expand their …show more content…
“Nurses serve as advocates for patients when they utilize their clinical knowledge to provide care rather than perform care as task-based orders to be completed” (Lucatorto, Thomas, & Siek, 2016). Nurses make excellent patient advocates because often, it is the nurse who spends the most one-on-one time with a patient. Advocating for a patient with a recently diagnosed genetic disorder can be a very daunting task, but it is crucial that a nurse stand up for the patient’s needs. Shannon’s (2016) article said,
…a nurse is often the member of a health care team most likely to notice changes that might signal problems or poor responses to treatment. The role of the nurse is to share this information with the interprofessional
It is the nurses job to ensure that the patient understands both, but especially the risks. A genetic disorder diagnosis can be very difficult for a patient to deal with which can lead to psychological issues. This is because the results do not change once confirmed. The diagnosis can cause disruptions in family and social life as well (Ignatavicus & Workman, 2016, p. 51-62). A patient may feel angry with certain family members if they do not have the disorder, or place blame on those who do. Biesecker (2016) said, “We aim to effectively meet the needs of our clients clinically, cognitively and affectively. How they conceptualize their risk and feel about their risk influences what they do (or do not do) to minimize negative outcomes to their health” (p. 622). Once the patient has decided to face the risks of testing, they can then move on to the benefits. One major benefit is that genetic testing can confirm a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, a plan of action may be taken to relieve symptoms for that patient. Genetic testing can also identify those at risk so that they can take early precautions against fighting the disease and decide how to expand their …show more content…
“Nurses serve as advocates for patients when they utilize their clinical knowledge to provide care rather than perform care as task-based orders to be completed” (Lucatorto, Thomas, & Siek, 2016). Nurses make excellent patient advocates because often, it is the nurse who spends the most one-on-one time with a patient. Advocating for a patient with a recently diagnosed genetic disorder can be a very daunting task, but it is crucial that a nurse stand up for the patient’s needs. Shannon’s (2016) article said,
…a nurse is often the member of a health care team most likely to notice changes that might signal problems or poor responses to treatment. The role of the nurse is to share this information with the interprofessional