Patients receiving clinical genetics services often navigate emotionally difficult situations and may utilize their faith as a source of support, an aid in decision‐making, or a core coping strategy. Although patients have expressed interest in discussing their religious or spiritual (R/S) beliefs with their genetic counselor (GC), GCs may avoid such conversations because they feel they do not have the necessary skills to discuss R/S beliefs (Reis, Baumiller, Scrivener, Yager, & Warren, 2007). This qualitative study explored how GC programs in North America currently prepare their students to discuss R/S matters with their patients. The aims of this study were to identify (1) the R/S topics genetic counseling programs currently cover in the curriculum, (2) how genetic counseling programs evaluate their students within the R/S topics and activities that are included in the curriculum, and (3) the value or importance placed on R/S training by genetic counseling program directors. Leaders of 12 (36%) of the 33 eligible GC programs at the time of the study participated in a semi‐structured phone interview. Their responses were coded using open and axial coding techniques and analyzed using grounded theory. Results revealed that R/S issues are often covered during the psychosocial portions of the curriculum through writing assignments, in class exercises, and role plays. Almost all participating programs include information on pastoral care services, but have little to no training about specific R/S beliefs or the use of spiritual surveys. While participating program directors emphasized that it is critical for students to be prepared to hold conversations about patients' R/S beliefs, the strategies used to prepare students are inconsistent and often not evaluated. We provide suggestions for enriching the R/S training in genetic counseling graduate programs in order to prepare students to facilitate discussions around patients' religion and/or spirituality in genetic counseling sessions.

中文翻译：

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遗传咨询研究生培训，以解决临床实践中的宗教和灵性问题：对北美计划的定性探索。

接受临床遗传学服务的患者通常会在情绪困难的情况下转机，并可能将自己的信仰作为支持的来源，决策的帮助或核心应对策略。尽管患者表达了与遗传顾问（GC）讨论其宗教或精神（R / S）信仰的兴趣，但GC可以避免此类对话，因为他们认为他们没有必要的技能来讨论R / S信仰（Reis，Baumiller ，Scrivener，Yager和Warren，2007年）。这项定性研究探索了北美的GC计划目前如何帮助学生准备与患者讨论R / S问题。这项研究的目的是确定（1）课程中当前涵盖的R / S主题基因咨询计划，（2）基因咨询计划如何根据课程中所包含的R / S主题和活动评估学生，以及（3）基因咨询计划主管对R / S培训的重视或重视。在研究之时，33个合格的GC计划中有12个（36％）的负责人参加了半结构化电话采访。他们的反应使用开放和轴向编码技术进行编码，并使用扎根理论进行分析。结果显示，在课程的社会心理部分中经常通过写作作业，课堂练习和角色扮演来涵盖R / S问题。几乎所有参与的计划都包含有关牧民护理服务的信息，但几乎没有关于特定R / S信仰或使用精神调查的培训。参与计划的负责人强调，让学生做好与患者的R / S信念进行对话的准备至关重要，但用于准备学生的策略却不一致，而且常常没有得到评估。我们为丰富遗传咨询研究生课程的R / S培训提供了建议，以使学生为在遗传咨询课程中促进围绕患者宗教信仰和/或灵性的讨论做准备。