Certified ParaOptometric

Interested in a career with both meaning and growth? Whether your abilities are in direct patient care or one of the many other areas of healthcare administration and support, everyone at Parkland works together to fulfill our mission: the health and well-being of individuals and communities entrusted to our care. By joining Parkland, you become part of a diverse healthcare legacy that's served our community for more than 125 years. Put your skills to work with us, seek opportunities to learn and join a talented team where patient care is more than a job. It's our passion.

Primary Purpose: Performs various optometric pre-testing procedures, including reviewing patient's previous records, obtains and documents patient medical/ocular history, review of systems, chief complaint, preliminary testing, and select supervised testing.

Minimum Specifications

Education

- High school diploma or equivalent.

Experience

- Must have six months of relevant Optometry or Ophthalmology experience.

Certification/Registration/Licensure

- Must have certification as a Certified ParaOptometric (CPO) or higher (i.e. CPOA, CPOT, COA, COT, COMT) by the American Optometric Association (AOA) or International Joint Commision on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) within 15 months of hire.

- Must have current healthcare provider BLS for Healthcare Providers certification from one of the following:

• American Heart Association
• American Red Cross
• Military Training Network

Skills or Special Abilities

- Must be able to communicate effectively with patients, hospital staff, and the general public.

- Must be able to document patient history in EMR.

- Must be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of optometry, ocular anatomy, and conditions of eye.

- Must be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of conducting ocular tests.

- Must be able to demonstrate basic patient skills in the use of supplies and assigned equipment.

Responsibilities

1. Makes initial contact with patients, providing ocular evaluations (i.e., autorefraction, lensometry, IOP check with non-contact tonometer or tonopen, instilling drops such as those required for dilation) to assist the physician in patient assessment.

2. Tests patients using visual field analysis to assist in determining the progression of glaucoma and other disease processes.

3. Tests patients using non-invasive imaging technology i/e retinal imaging, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to assist in determining the extent of progression of disease processes when needed.

4. Instructs patients on the care and handling (insertion and removal) of contact lenses, to ensure proper patient care and safety.

5. Cleans and stocks lanes (inventory supplies) and reports depleted supplies to ensure sufficient supplies and materials are available to avoid shortages.

6. Attends in-services and continuing education clinics to ensure on-going certification. Integrates knowledge gained into current work practices.

7. May administer unit-dose medications under the direction of the delegating physician according to department policies and procedures after successful completion of competencies and signed Physician-Unit Based Medication Administration Delegation form.

8. Maintains a positive working relationship with patients, medical staff, clinic staff, and management to facilitate cooperative and coordinated interaction.

Parkland Health and Hospital System prohibits discrimination based on age (40 or over), race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, disability, national origin, marital status, political belief, or veteran status.As part of our commitment to our patients and employees' wellness, Parkland Health is a tobacco and smoke-free campus.