Five-Year Bibliometric Review of Genomic Nursing Science Research

Genomic nurse scientists are at the intersection of human genomics research and the science of health. As the potential health benefits of precision medicine are considered, it is timely to reflect on nursing science's contributions to advancing the understanding of genomic aspects of health. During the decade of the 1990s, genetics was recognized as an essential component of nursing science (Lashley, 1997; Pesut, 1999), but was not yet a prominent focus of nursing research. Over the past two decades, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has identified the importance of the basic, behavioral, and social science aspects that influence health across populations, communities, and healthcare settings (NINR, 2011; Sigmon, Grady, & Amende, 1997). Also, during this period, the NINR has maintained an emphasis on the integration of behavior and biology (Grady, 2006). The current NINR Strategic Plan (NINR, 2011) continues this emphasis with its focus on investigation of multiple determinants of health, including genomics.During this same time period, a trajectory of genomics research was mapped (Green, Guyer, & National Human Genome Research Institute, 2011) in which the progression of genomic science moved from understanding the structure of the genome, through understanding the biology of genomes and disease, to advancing the science of medicine and improving the effectiveness of healthcare. Phases of clinical translation of genomic discovery to improve health include genome-based discovery, evidence-based recommendations, incorporation into the healthcare system, and evaluation of impact on health of populations (Khoury, Gwinn, Bowen, & Dotson, 2012). This trajectory of genomic science research also includes discovery of biology of diseases and symptoms, as well as examination of nursing interventions tailored for clients based on genomic variations (Munro, 2015). The dissemination and implementation phase addresses how to enable application of best evidence to improve healthcare outcomes (Eccles & Mittman, 2006). An awareness of genomic aspects of emerging areas of science was identified by the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS) Idea Festival Committee (Henly et al., 2015) as a priority in its report on implications for PhD education. New healthcare policies will be needed to enable translation of genomic discoveries into health care (Institute of Medicine, 2014, 2015). Elements of the Precision Medicine Initiative (www.whitehouse.gov/precisionmedicine) are consistent with a nursing science agenda, as described in the NINR Strategic Plan (NINR, 2011), that includes a focus on innovation, as well as health promotion, disease prevention, and advancing quality of life. Further, the future of symptom science is envisioned as including knowledge development regarding genomic and context factors influencing symptom development and expression (Corwin et al., 2014).An invitational workshop at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) produced the Genomic Nursing Science Blueprint (hereafter referred to as the Blueprint), which identified crucial genomics problems relevant to health (https://www.ninr.nih.gov/sites/www.ninr.nih.gov/files/ jnu_12007_Rev_EV.pdf; Calzone et al., 2013). The systematic evidence review, key stakeholder testimony, and main meeting generated the listing of research topics that were then mapped into the NINR Strategic Plan, which contains themes of symptom science, wellness, self-management, and end-of-life and palliative care. The Blueprint contains four components: health promotion and disease prevention, advancing quality of life, innovation, and training, plus a fifth category of cross-cutting themes (e.g., health disparity and policy). In August 2013, a genomic nursing science workshop was convened by the NINR and the Office of Rare Diseases Research, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, to consider research topics that address behavioral and social sciences, as well as the biological aspects of genomic nursing science (Tully & Grady, 2015). …