Running head: GENETICS COUNSELING 1
Genetic Counseling
Grand Canyon University: DNP 810
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https://www.coursehero.com/file/38930500/DNP-810-Genetics-paperdocx/
, GENETICS COUNSELING 2
Genetics Counseling
Genetics counseling is big decision for any patient or couple to consider. If the decision
is made to have genetic counseling, then the patient and family will have to face the possible
challenges of the outcome of the testing while dealing with the counseling. A common disease
identified that often requires genetic counseling is Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). SCD will be
discussed in this paper as several patients have been cared for during the author’s tenure as a
Labor and Delivery Nurse as well as Women’s Healthcare Specialist in Obstetrics and
Gynecology that required genetic counseling.
Reason for Genetic Counseling
Upon initiating the conversation with the patient regarding the need for genetic
counseling, there will be an assessment of how much the patient understands about the disease.
Being that there are times when the patient has lived with the disease a long time, there won’t be
a need to explain what SCD is. For the purpose of this paper, this particular patient has the sickle
cell trait and is uneducated about SCD. The patient was told as a teenager, she had the sickle cell
trait.
The patient will be informed that SCD is when a gene mutation cause the normal red
blood cells to become stiff and “sickle-shaped”. This change to the cells causes them to get
stuck in the blood cells and causing blood flow blockage. SCD is inherited by a blood protein
genetically known as (S) which replaces the normal blood protein gene (A). New African-
London Magazines (2001) describes it as “This S gene, inherited with Normal Haemoglobin-A,
produces the "AS" genotype which I have called the Norm/Ache phenotype and which looks
exactly like AA phenotype (Norm/Norm)”(p.40). Patients with SCD have two abnormal genes
This study source was downloaded by 100000836546216 from CourseHero.com on 01-25-2022 08:48:53 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/38930500/DNP-810-Genetics-paperdocx/
Genetic Counseling
Grand Canyon University: DNP 810
This study source was downloaded by 100000836546216 from CourseHero.com on 01-25-2022 08:48:53 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/38930500/DNP-810-Genetics-paperdocx/
, GENETICS COUNSELING 2
Genetics Counseling
Genetics counseling is big decision for any patient or couple to consider. If the decision
is made to have genetic counseling, then the patient and family will have to face the possible
challenges of the outcome of the testing while dealing with the counseling. A common disease
identified that often requires genetic counseling is Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). SCD will be
discussed in this paper as several patients have been cared for during the author’s tenure as a
Labor and Delivery Nurse as well as Women’s Healthcare Specialist in Obstetrics and
Gynecology that required genetic counseling.
Reason for Genetic Counseling
Upon initiating the conversation with the patient regarding the need for genetic
counseling, there will be an assessment of how much the patient understands about the disease.
Being that there are times when the patient has lived with the disease a long time, there won’t be
a need to explain what SCD is. For the purpose of this paper, this particular patient has the sickle
cell trait and is uneducated about SCD. The patient was told as a teenager, she had the sickle cell
trait.
The patient will be informed that SCD is when a gene mutation cause the normal red
blood cells to become stiff and “sickle-shaped”. This change to the cells causes them to get
stuck in the blood cells and causing blood flow blockage. SCD is inherited by a blood protein
genetically known as (S) which replaces the normal blood protein gene (A). New African-
London Magazines (2001) describes it as “This S gene, inherited with Normal Haemoglobin-A,
produces the "AS" genotype which I have called the Norm/Ache phenotype and which looks
exactly like AA phenotype (Norm/Norm)”(p.40). Patients with SCD have two abnormal genes
This study source was downloaded by 100000836546216 from CourseHero.com on 01-25-2022 08:48:53 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/38930500/DNP-810-Genetics-paperdocx/
