From leadership research to district action: Developing leadership competencies for genomics integration through globally networked learning and education

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. Proposed district actions are separate from the original authors’ findings and recommendations. Independent peer review of this guide is not asserted.

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Evidence and transfer

Education-related source: verify which participants, institutions and outcomes were actually studied before district adoption. Source publication type: research-article. License and identity checks do not establish study quality or causality.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the source license:

Aim To describe the implementation and evaluation of an education strategy called the globally networked learning-genomics (GNL-G) used in Master’s courses in Canada and Finland. The study focused on the feasibility and effectiveness of GNL-G in developing leadership competencies for integrating genomics into practice. Methods Interpretive description qualitative methodology was used to explore how GNL-G, global exchanges and assignments standardized with the Assessment of Strategies to Integrate Genomics in Nursing (ASIGN) tool influenced competency development. The Reporting Item Standards for Education and its Evaluation in Genomics (RISE2 Genomics) framework guided the design, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of GNL-G. Data included one-to-one interviews, written assignments, and reflections. Results Interviews and assignment data from three cohorts of students for a total of ten Canadian and 11 Finnish master’s students participated in this study. The ASIGN Tool played a crucial role in facilitating students’ analysis of their practice context and the development of leadership strategies. Participation in GNL-G enhanced students’ confidence to lead efforts to integrate genomics, irrespective of their genomics expertise. Engagement with global peers emphasized the importance of incorporating equity, ethics, and social justice into leadership strategies for genomics integration. Conclusion The GNL-G strategy enhanced leadership competencies for genomics integration in graduate students from Canada and Finland. The ASIGN Tool and global peer collaboration highlight the importance of innovative educational methods in preparing leaders for the complexities of genomics in healthcare.

Study methods

To design the educational strategy, consideration was given to the global networking and supports that currently exist for the integration of genomics and how this could be used in graduate education. Distance education using computer conferencing to support learning about leadership, healthcare, and global issues influencing nursing has a long history of over 20 years (15). Globally networked learning (GNL) is a term commonly used to describe an approach to education that uses internet and computer technology rather than geographic mobility for global exchanges in learning (16). GNL has been used to support education on concepts related to leadership such as learning about diverse people and nursing practice (16, 17). It has been used to assist students in understanding international aspects of nursing, to build global professional relationships, and to explore how nursing care can be modified to meet the healthcare needs of diverse populations (18–21). Online learning has also helped students to connect internationally, appreciate cultural differences and commonalities, recognize assumptions, and explore solutions to common professional challenges (22, 23). Given this evidence, we decided to use GNL to structure our approach to delivering education on leadership and the integration of genomics. Using GNL allowed us to leverage the growing strength in genomics literacy and genomics-informed practice among nurses in different countries and to encourage global collaboration.

Limitations

A limitation of this study is that all research team members could not collect or read all study data due to language barriers. This could limit the rigor of the analysis. We anticipated this situation as JL and AH had previously conducted international research projects. Thus, we formed a research team with two researchers in each country who could analyze the data to support rigor. We also used discussions with the entire team when identifying themes and quotes and returned to the data to ensure accuracy. While there is significant value in international research, language barriers can present unique challenges that can generate limitations. With Interpretive Description, there is no set sample size, however, we recognize the diversity between Canadian and Finnish students and healthcare contexts and that our sample of 21 students could limit the understanding of the many complexities we explored.

A 90-day district inquiry

Days 1–15 · Appraise. Read the source methods, recruitment, comparator, outcomes and limitations. Record how the study setting differs from your district and which claim the design can support.
Days 16–30 · Design. Choose one school improvement question with teachers. Protect a short shared planning cycle, agree an instructional change and use a common rubric for examining student work. Agree participation, privacy protections, baseline and stopping rules before starting.
Days 31–60 · Observe. Collect the pre-agreed measures, keep a log of implementation changes and invite confidential voluntary feedback. Preserve existing support for staff and learners.
Days 61–90 · Decide. Review implementation fidelity, teacher time and independently scored student work against a recorded baseline. Examine access differences and competing explanations before attributing changes to leadership. Make a dated decision to stop, revise or extend the inquiry.

Board decision brief

Present the local problem, source setting, evidence limits, intervention, responsible owner, total cost, measured changes and uncertainty. Separate staff perceptions, implementation measures and student learning outcomes.

Attribution and reuse

Jacqueline Limoges; Arja Halkoaho; Mari Laaksonen; Muskaan Karwal. Developing leadership competencies for genomics integration through globally networked learning and education. Frontiers in Medicine (2024-08-12). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1404741

Prepared 2026-11-07. Source authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract and source passages are attributed extracts; this editorial guide is offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license.