CURRICULUM INTEGRATION, COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT, AND FACULTY PREPAREDNESS IN GENOMIC NURSING EDUCATION: A THREE-MANUSCRIPT DISSERTATION

Abstract

The rapid integration of genetic and genomic science into healthcare is transforming nursing practice, creating new demands for undergraduate nursing education worldwide. Despite the establishment of competency frameworks by leading nursing organizations, considerable disparities remain in curriculum coverage, faculty preparedness, and competency assessment, especially in regions such as Saudi Arabia. This dissertation examines the state of genetic and genomic competency development in undergraduate nursing education, drawing on three independent but complementary manuscripts to inform curricular reform, faculty development, and competency assessment, with a focus on the Saudi Arabian context. The first manuscript uses a scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) of 38 studies from high- and middle-income countries to assess how genetic and genomic competencies are integrated into nursing curricula globally. Results underscore persistent fragmentation in curriculum design, limited pedagogical innovation, and underdeveloped assessment strategies, with notable gaps in faculty capacity and sharp disparities across geographic regions. The Nursing Educational Framework identifies systemic barriers and opportunities for reform. The second manuscript evaluates existing tools for assessing genetic, genomic, and pharmacogenomic competency in nursing and allied health, guided by the COSMIN standards. Twenty-three studies evaluating eight assessment tools were reviewed for content validity, reliability, and cross-cultural adaptation. Only two tools (GNCI and GGNPS) were found to offer moderate validity and reliability, but overall, there are significant gaps in measurement coverage, contextual fit, and structural integrity. The third manuscript presents qualitative findings from interviews with Saudi nursing faculty, highlighting diverse levels of genomic literacy, limited access to professional development, and systemic barriers to curricular integration and competency assessment. Faculty identify the urgent need for culturally tailored training, robust resources, supportive institutional policy, and a clearly defined framework specifying genomic competencies essential for the Saudi nursing scope of practice. Findings from these three manuscripts collectively demonstrate the critical need for coordinated action to advance genomic nursing education globally and to align faculty development and evaluation with rapidly emerging health priorities. Recommendations include sustained faculty training, embedded competency assessment, curriculum redesign, and the development of genomic practice guidelines to ensure nursing graduates are equipped to meet the challenges of precision healthcare and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 health transformation.الملخص: تقييم دمج المنهج الدراسي، وأدوات قياس الكفاءة، ومدى استعداد أعضاء هيئة التدريس في تعليم التمريض الجينومي: دراسة دكتوراه تتألف من ثلاث مقالات بحثية