Nurse-led clinics in ophthalmic practice: a vision for the future

Abstract

This study was motivated by my interest and belief that the introduction of nurse-led clinics and advanced practice roles are the next evolution in the development of ophthalmic nursing practice in New Zealand. Nurses of today are educated and highly skilled health professionals. This is evidenced by the diversity of roles now undertaken by nurses and the continued advancement of nursing practice, in many instances into what have traditionally been medical roles. The purpose of this thesis was to explore the reasonableness of the establishment of nurse-led clinics into the Ophthalmology Department, Auckland Hospital. Sources utilised to inform this thesis derive mainly from literature together with the findings from site visits to three large Ophthalmic Units in the United Kingdom. The Ophthalmology Department, Auckland Hospital was also scrutinized to determine readiness for the possible introduction of nurse-led clinics. This study found that the Ophthalmology Department at Auckland Hospital has planned for the introduction of nurse-led clinics and is well situated to introduce these roles into practice. There is a very real possibility that nurse-led clinics will become integral to our everyday ophthalmic practice as they have in the United Kingdom.