I was fortunate to have attended quite a few clinical and technical training sessions last year – sometimes as a delegate, sometimes as a facilitator. In either role, I always learn something – and I’m still processing everything that I learnt at ABDO’s inaugural Myopia Management Conference last October. What is particularly gratifying in my role as a facilitator is seeing delegates grow in confidence as they learn new skills.
At a recent ABDO Extended Services Day at the National Resource Centre, we delivered training on acute eyecare procedures to prepare delegates for their Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC) objective structured clinical examinations to then be qualified to deliver minor eye conditions services (MECS). All the delegates have to be contact lens optician (CLO) qualified and, before attending this course, complete the WOPEC online theoretical training.
Over the course of the day, I shared my experiences since qualifying as a MECS CLO in 2021. I highlighted the variety these skills throw into my day, and the end-of-day satisfaction that having extended skills has given me. As an example, I recounted removing a foreign body from someone’s eye, and the double lid eversion I performed to access said foreign body.
Often, dispensing opticians (DOs) and CLOs do not realise they are able to expand their scope of practice – provided that they have received the appropriate education and training. Our extended services course is one way to develop your skills and knowledge. While foreign body removal will not be for everyone, there are many interesting roles that DOs can undertake with the appropriate education and training.
Your scope of practice is certainly not frozen in time on the day you qualify. If you would like to explore the opportunities available to you, as your professional body, we are here to help.