Health policy and advocacy education are important aspects of graduate nursing curriculum and have been integrated into curricula. Graduate nursing students at all levels reported that health policy AACN Essential competencies are being included in their program, either as stand-alone health policy courses or integrated health policy learning activities during matriculation.
Genetic advancements have presented numerous discrimination predicaments to individuals, the healthcare community, and legislators at state and federal levels. Oncology nurses should be knowledgeable about the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) and its applications to clinical practice. GINA is the first federal law passed to protect U.S. citizens with inherited disorders from being treated unfairly because of their genetic makeup. Understanding the legislation known as GINA, including how it modifies existing federal laws governing health insurance coverage and employment discrimination, can assist oncology nurses in providing important education and advocating for patients and their extended families. Federal agencies that govern and enforce GINA's provisions are identified. Case situations are included to demonstrate how to apply information concerning GINA to patients with cancer and their families who are considering or have already completed genetic testing. Privacy of genetic information is a timely issue but difficult to understand; therefore, provisions of GINA should be addressed and evaluated carefully.
Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is an epidemic cancer in the United States. Survival rates for invasive CMM have not increased in past decades despite numerous clinical trials and the effective use of various combinations of chemotherapy agents to treat other cancers. Recent research has investigated the role of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), a gene associated with red-hair phenotype in White individuals and with increased risk for developing CMM, in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. This limited narrative review discusses the incidence, history, and risk factors for CMM. It explores familial CMM and provides a brief review of melanocyte development and melanogenesis. Histology of CMM and cytogenetic techniques used to identify CMM mutations is also discussed. The structure and function of MC1R is described, with particular attention to MC1R's role in the MAPK pathway. Finally, the review touches on individualized therapy for CMM using genetic biomarkers and explores the promise of genomic research for finding effective treatments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.