This International Nursing Day, we’re celebrating the incredibly important role nurses play in genomics.
One of these nurses is Alessia from St George’s Hospital in London.
When Alessia first saw a job advertised for an Inherited Cardiac Care (ICC) nurse, she had no idea what it involved, but she was intrigued. The application process sparked her interest in genomics, when she needed to prepare for her interview.
Her first ICC nursing role landed her at Great Ormond Street Hospital, working with children who have inherited cardiac conditions. There, Alessia learned just how uniquely placed the ICC nurse is.
“ICC nurses play a crucial role helping families come to terms with a diagnosis of an inherited cardiac condition, especially navigating the uncertainties that such a diagnosis can bring.”
Alessia decided to deepen her knowledge and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Genomics.
Now Alessia is the Sudden Cardiac Death Pathway Co-ordinator for the South East Genomic Medicine Service.
The pathway she is rolling out in this region aims at identifying all Sudden Unexpected Death cases that are reported to the coroners. She makes sure that families who have been affected by a sudden cardiac death, are appropriately assessed for their family history, looking for signs that may have previously gone unnoticed and are signposted to Inherited Cardiology units for cardiac screening.
If there was more education about genomics and the symptoms of Sudden Cardiac Death, some deaths could be prevented, and more families could be helped.
Alessia finds her work incredibly rewarding.
“The gratitude from families makes it such a fulfilling job. It’s great to be that person who can provide specialist advice in a way that’s easy to understand.”
Her advice for anyone considering a career in genomics is to be patient with yourself.
“It’s not an easy path. It can feel really challenging and overwhelming at first.”
But she emphasises the importance of resilience, curiosity, and keeping an open mind. Alessia now loves working alongside the very people who authored the research papers she studied during her postgraduate course, and continues to learn from experts in the field.
Alessia is passionate about ensuring all nurses understand the importance of genomics, not just those in specialist roles.
“I want all nurses to feel confident to go and find out more about genomics.”
