Impact of nurses’ cultural, professional and personal experiences on genetic conditions of patients

Abstract

Aim/Objective: To investigate the impact of nurses’ cultural, professional, and personal experiences on the genetic conditions of patients in hospitals within the Greater Accra region.Background: Despite the growing demand for genetic services, the scarcity of research on nurses' genetic counselling practices in Africa highlights the need for evidence-based strategies to improve genetic healthcare outcomes.Design: A positivist paradigm with a quantitative approach and cross-sectional design was adopted.Methods: A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 170 nurses. Data were collected using an adapted Attitudes Scale for Mental Illness questionnaire. Inferential statistics were used to analyse the data, including regression analysis and independent sample t-tests.Results: Professional experiences significantly enhanced nurses' genetic counselling competencies, and personal experiences positively influenced their attitudes toward genetic counselling. Additionally, attitudes toward individuals with genetic conditions varied considerably across healthcare settings.Conclusions: Professional experiences are essential for developing nurses' genetic counselling skills, while personal experiences shape their attitudes toward genetic counselling practices. Healthcare settings also influence nurses' perceptions and attitudes toward individuals with genetic conditions.Healthcare management at Achimota and Legon hospitals should provide regular genetic counselling training and workshops to enhance nurses' competencies. Reflective practices on personal experiences should be encouraged to improve attitudes and practices in genetic counselling.