This article aims to assist nurses to perform a systematic external examination of the eye with the minimum of equipment. The eyes form a complex anatomical system, about which nurses often lack confidence.
Eye problems are a relatively common reason for presentation to emergency departments and primary care.
The nurse requires a knowledge of the underlying anatomy and physiology to perform an eye examination.
Nurses in non-specialist settings should be able to assess the integrity of the eye and decide whether specialist referral and examination is required.
Eye examination requires few elements of equipment and should be systematic.
Clinical skills articles can help update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of:
What further knowledge and skills you require to enable you to explain to the patient what might be occurring when they have an eye problem.
How you will gain this knowledge.
Subscribers can upload their reflective accounts at:
Nursing Standard. 30, 13, 34-37. doi: 10.7748/ns.30.13.34.s44
Correspondence Peer reviewAll submissions are subject to external double-blind peer-review and checked for plagiarism using automated software.
Received: 26 September 2014
Accepted: 25 March 2015
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