Optometrist jobs in Finland
Optometrists examine and test eyes to identify abnormalities, visual problems, or disease. They prescribe and fit lenses such as spectacles and contacts, and offer advice on visual problems. They may also refer patients to a medical practitioner. Their scope of practice and title varies according to national regulations.
Optometrist - Which skills are essential?
Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.
The measures taken for disease prevention in a specific area or a group of people.
Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.
Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.
Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.
Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.
The characteristics of optical glass such as refractive index, dispersion, and chemical properties.
Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.
Test patients` visual acuity, perception of depth colour, and ability to focus and coordinate the eyes.
Record the healthcare user's progress in response to treatment by observing, listening and measuring outcomes.
Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.
Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.
Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.
The various national or international quality standards for ophthalmic equipment (glasses, lenses, etc) such as ISO 10685-1:2011.
Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.
Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.
Undertake comprehensive eye examinations to determine prescription needs or diagnose disease or abnormalities. Some of the methods for this are cover tests, color blindness tests, and pupil dilation.
Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.
Participate in activities that contribute to promoting ocular health and preventing ocular problems.
Eye protection regulations and relevant standards in relation to occupational visual requirements.
Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.
Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.
Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.
Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.
Advise patients with low vision on strategies to enhance their sight, such as use of magnification and lighting equipment.
Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
Prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses, according to measurements and tests conducted.
Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.
Maximise the remaining sight in people with low vision using rehabilitation strategies and magnification aids.
The way to perform clinical tests by using a phoropter to identify the eye's refractive error.
Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.
Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.
Identify possible treatment protocols for the challenges to human health within a given community in cases such as infectious diseases of high consequences at the global level.
Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.
Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.
Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.
Advise patients on how to clean and wear contact lenses to maximise lifespan and minimise risk of complications.
Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.
Make referrals to other professionals, based on the healthcare user's requirements and needs, especially when recognising that additional healthcare diagnostics or interventions are required.
Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.
The characteristics and usage of optical instruments such as lens-meter, to determine refractive power of lenses such as glasses.
Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.
Apply suitable orthoptic, pleoptic and optic treatment methods, using equipment such as lenses (`training glasses`), prisms, filters, patches, electronic targets, or balance boards, and suggest and implement adaptation options or possibilities for coping with everyday life, supervising in-office reinforcement exercises and instructing the patient to execute at-home exercises.
Optometrist - Which skills are useful but not essential?
Implement strategies which aim to promote a specific product or service, using the developed marketing strategies.
Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Identify and diagnose problems of the visual system, such as those related to binocular vision, ocular motility, amblyopia or lazy eye, strabismus or squint, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, assessing the sensory state of the eye.
Practise reasoning and apply simple or complex numerical concepts and calculations.
Perform ocular tonometry as a test to determine the intraocular pressure inside the eye of patients at risk from glaucoma.
Record the healthcare user`s information for the billing of provided medical services.
Carry out the plan to gain competitive advantage on the market by positioning the company's brand or product and by targeting the right audience to sell this brand or product to.
Accept payments such as cash, credit cards and debit cards. Handle reimbursement in case of returns or administer vouchers and marketing instruments such as bonus cards or membership cards. Pay attention to safety and the protection of personal data.
Participate in inventory control and safe storage of materials and re-order supplies.
Provide in-home eyecare for patients.
Use foreign languages for conducting and collaborating in health-related research.
Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.
Communicate in foreign languages with healthcare users, their carers, or services providers. Use foreign languages to faciliate patient care according to the needs of the patient.
Administer medication to patients to aid in the diagnosis of vision problems and prescribe drugs to treat some eye diseases.