Implementation and evaluation of an ophthalmic nurse practitioner emergency eye clinic.

BACKGROUND To describe the implementation and assess the efficacy of an ophthalmic nurse practitioner (ONP) emergency eye clinic. METHODS In a 13-month period, patients were assessed in an ONP emergency eye clinic in a teaching hospital setting. The ONP clinic was run on a defined scope of practice. Risk assessment was carried out in two audit sessions, 4 weeks duration each, at months 1 and 7. Patient outcomes were monitored for reattendance to the department following discharge. RESULTS A total of 259 patients were assessed, 143 (55.2%) were within the scope of practice. In the two audit periods, concordance with the ophthalmologist was high, diagnosis 100% and management 95.2%. Many patients assessed (111, 42.9% of total) had minor external eye conditions--chiefly corneal foreign body or abrasion (n = 50), conjunctivitis (n = 14) and minor (non-alkali) chemical injuries (n = 11). No reattendance was noted in these patients when monitored for a mean of 12 months (range 7-19 months). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of an ONP emergency eye clinic when practising within a defined scope of practice. An ONP-led emergency eye clinic is a viable addition to acute ophthalmic eye care in Australia.