Our work

• Promoting best practice in ophthalmology
• Leading the development of ophthalmic nursing practice
• Promoting the nature, scope and value of ophthalmic nursing
• Educating nurses and health care professionals and improving the quality of compassionate patient care
• Influencing changes in ophthalmology that will benefit both patients and nurses.

Recent activity

Read our reports - download the PDFs

• Ophthalmic Nursing forum annual report 2023.
• Ophthalmic Nursing Forum - Nature Scope and Value Resource: Project Completion and Evaluation report.

See also:

• Ophthalmic conditions and treatment pathways. Watch a series of short videos, developed by the RCN Ophthalmic Nursing Forum (ONF), which discuss a range of ophthalmic conditions, including adnexal, glaucoma, vitreo-retinal and ophthalmic emergencies.
• Ophthalmic nursing digital pages – an update on the nature, scope and value of ophthalmic nursing resource was created in 2023. 
• Eyes right. helping non-ophthalmic health care professionals deliver quality care safely (2022)
• Eyes right. older people and driving (2021)
• Elderly Sight Loss Early Detection and Action Simulation workshops, carried out across the UK to support better understanding of the issues faced by patents who have sight loss.

Projects for 2024

National Ophthalmic Nursing Conference 2024 – in planning

Collaborations

The ONF committee represent the RCN in a wide range of National activities including:

• RCN Congress 2024
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) Cataract Service Standards Development Group
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOph) Ophthalmic Practitioner Training (OPT)
• UK Ophthalmic Alliance (UKOA)
• Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC) Standards service specification for community minor and urgent eye care (England) and Standard service specification and workforce data modelling: advisory groups 
• NHSE National curriculum framework     
• UK Health Security Agency - Falls and vision
• NHS Eye Care Restoration Plan
• Macular Society
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)   
• Association of Ophthalmic Nursing and Technicians         
• Glaucoma UK     
• APPG Eye Health             
• Eye Health Forum.       
• Health Education England. The Ophthalmic Common Clinical Competency Framework - Curriculum. This framework provides standards and guidance for the knowledge and skills required for non-medical eye healthcare professionals to deliver patient care
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists (2020) Restarting and Redesigning of Cataract Pathways in response to the COVID 19 pandemic
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists (2021) Cataract Services & Workforce Calculator Tool

Eye Workforce Competencies Documents

National Eye Care Recovery and Transformation Programme (NECRTP)

• Registered Eyecare Professionals – multi-professional skills to deliver new pathways of care
• Competencies and Qualification summary table

Stakeholders and useful links

The Cochrane Eyes and Vision (CEV) is an international network of individuals working to prepare, maintain and promote access to systematic reviews of interventions to treat or prevent eye diseases or visual impairment. CEV also undertake systematic reviews of the accuracy of diagnostic tests for common ocular diseases or conditions. CEV have been working on a formal priority setting exercise to identify reviews that they should consider undertaking in the future. They would like the views of nursing staff.

• Visit the Cochrane Eyes and Vision website to find out more and to take the survey.

Further resources

Eyes Right: older people and driving. Eyesight deteriorates gradually with age. This publication has been developed to assist nurses working with older people who present with eyesight issues. It includes details on eye health, visual impairment and ageing, highlights nurses’ responsibilities and signposts for further information.

Everyone's responsibility - New video on vision and falls by Liverpool University.

Royal College of Ophthalmologists. NOD Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) audit report.