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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes.
2. Provide information, support and community education related to eye health
   • Provide accurate information to the community about eye health and associated risk factors
   • Provide information about the importance of regular eye checks, compliance with treatment regimens and medications, and the need to follow-up and monitor eye problems
   • Provide information on available eye health care resources and services, including specialist resources
   • Support clients in self-care practices related to eye health, as required
   • Explain common eye conditions to the community including their treatment and management strategies
   • Discuss with community members using appropriate resources how a healthy lifestyle affects the eye
   • Promote community eye education and awareness using available resources
3. Perform an eye health check
   • Establish trust with the client through active
4. promotion of and strict adherence to confidentiality
   • Use effective, culturally appropriate and safe communication skills to obtain a history from the client
   • Measure distance, near and pinhole Visual Acuity
   • Diagnose conjunctivitis, corneal foreign bodies and minor ocular trauma
   • Identify and grade the severity of trachoma
   • Identify and refer clients who require full eye examination by an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist
   • Take retinal photographs as required
5. Treat eye health issues
   • Recommend treatment eye drops for patients with conjunctivitis
   • Show clients the correct procedure for instilling eye drops or applying ointment
6. Perform basic first aid procedures to address acute eye problems, as required
   • Assist patients to understand common surgical concepts using relevant eye care resources at an appropriate level
   • Instil dilating or anaesthetic eye drops
7. Treat conjunctivitis, corneal foreign bodies and minor ocular trauma
8. Organise visiting Optometry or Ophthalmology Clinic
   • Schedule dates for visiting clinic
   • Arrange travel for practitioners involved in the visiting clinic
   • Promote details of the visiting clinic in the community using appropriate methods
   • Confirm and arrange for required equipment as part of the clinic with visiting practitioners
   • Organise patient lists and bookings
   • Arrange language translation services as required
   • Provide protocols and information to support culturally appropriate practice and communication to visiting practitioner/s
   • Accompany visiting practitioner/s to remote locations and support culturally appropriate and safe interactions
   • Complete all relevant paper work, patient records and recall lists
9. Support client referrals
   • Coordinate hospital visits for patients
   • Arrange patient transport to the appointment
   • Facilitate access to services for people with low vision
   • Maintain patient records and recall lists
   • Provide support and follow-up to patients
10. Arrange for spectacles for clients
    • Assist clients to select suitable spectacles
    • Take pupillary distance (PD), Bifocal and progressive height measurements for ordering spectacles
    • Make appropriate fitting and adjustments of spectacles to client’s face and ears
    • Repair damaged spectacles for continued use, as appropriate
11. Follow-up eye health care programs
    • Record and collect patient data to contribute to eye health profile according to the organisational policies and procedures
    • Evaluate eye health programs in line with organisation guidelines and community requirements
    • Maintain client confidentiality in line with organisation guidelines
    • Regularly update and maintain records of eye health care programs according to organisational policies and procedures
    • Implement strategies to improve eye health in line with community requirements and organisation guidelines

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.

There must be evidence that the candidate has:

communicated effectively in a group and one-on-one environment to promote healthy practices and discussed eye health issues on at least three separate occasions

provided accurate and relevant information and guidance about eye health care for at least three clients, and ensured each client’s understanding of information

performed each of the following on at least three occasions:

- an emergency pupil assessment

- a basic external eye examination

- vision and visual acuity testing

- diagnosis and treatment of conjunctivitis, corneal foreign bodies and minor ocular trauma

- trachoma identification and grading

- retinal photographs

- pinhole acuity measurement

- eye drop and ointment instillation

- eye patch and eye shield fitting

- spectacle adjustments and minor repairs

facilitated referrals for patients and liaised between service providers, individuals, families and community groups

organised a regular or visiting Optometry or Ophthalmology Clinic at least once, including:

- scheduling provider dates and organising travel logistics

- organising patient lists and bookings

- completing paperwork and maintaining patient records

evaluated eye health programs and implemented strategies to improve eye health in the community on at least one occasion.

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role.

This includes knowledge of:

anatomy and physiology of the eye

broad facts of eye diseases (manifestation, impact and treatment)

eye-related symptoms and signs that suggest a need for urgent/emergent medical or optometric assessment

refractive errors and spectacle correction

children’s vision issues (strabismus and amblyopia)

diabetes

organisation policies and procedures

strategies to:

- improve eye health in the community

- address clients presenting with eye problems

- coordinate provision of optimum level of eye health service delivery

eye health problems requiring referral

effective self-care practices for eye health

relevant evaluation criteria for monitoring effectiveness of eye health care program.

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