Singapore’s reputation in providing world-class patient care could not have been achieved without the dedication and skills of nurses who undergo extensive training throughout their careers.
From basic ophthalmic nursing to the development of the advanced diploma offered together with Nanyang Polytechnic in the late 90s and early 2000s, nursing training in Singapore has come a long way.
In May 2014, SNEC partnered with Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore to develop its first formal training programme offering different levels of training and certification for allied health professionals such as ophthalmic technicians and ophthalmic nurses.
The programme has been further accredited by the US-based International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel for Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO), making SNEC the first institution in Southeast Asia to receive the recognition.
Participants who complete the programme will receive course certificates endorsed by the three organisations — IJCAHPO, SNEC and Duke-NUS. With the certification programme in place, the SNEC is poised to become a regional training and examination centre for IJCAHPO certificate programmes and hopes to fulfil its role as the regional training hub for ophthalmic staff at all levels.
SNEC has been appointed as the regional examination and testing centre of the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO), through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing on 10 November 2017. SNEC will work towards becoming the regional training centre for IJCAHPO certification exams in the near future.
Through this appointment, SNEC will be an official examination and testing centre outside the United States of America for allied health personnel to be training internationally certified as ophthalmic technicians and ophthalmic assistants. This appointment establishes SNEC as an allied health centre of excellence, delivering quality eye care services to patients in Singapore and the region. Candidates interested to take the IJCAHPO exams can take those exams in SNEC without travelling to the USA.
Our very first batch of ophthalmic technicians have successfully passed their international certification exam to obtain their Certificate of Ophthalmic Technician (COT) last month.
The certificate demonstrates their proficiency in eye care delivery, which include skills such as visual assessments, various investigations for eye care and diagnostics, equipment use and repair, medical ethics, and many more.
The Certificate of Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) & COT exams are administered by the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAPHO), which has appointed SNEC as its regional examination and testing centre. The centre aims to train up more Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP) to enhance eye care delivery in the region.
From left to right:Assoc Prof Ian Yeo, Manivannan Udayaraj, Jackson Kwok, Lee Lin Jun, Patrick Ng, Craig Simms, Dr Thiyagarajan Jayabaskar, Dr Lynn Anderson, Eileen Lim, Abigail Ruth Hendriks, S Mohan Ram Lakshmanasamudram, Assoc Prof Vicki Drury, Claire Ong
The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Ophthalmology) course aims to facilitate the novice nurse’s ability to competently care for patients and to progress to an advanced level in this specialty. It is anticipated futuristically that the course will address the need for ophthalmic nurses in Singapore as well as those in the region.
This course is designed to prepare registered nurses to assume the role of ophthalmic care nurses in the ophthalmic unit. It consists of four units (12 weeks per unit) which combine theoretical and clinical nursing components.
The theoretical components consist of didactic lectures, structured learning packages, group discussions, a critique of literature and oral presentations. Participants will be attached to the various ophthalmic units for clinical experience. The clinical components include on-the-job training (OJT) which will be guided through the use of Clinical Competency Assessment Tools (CCATs), demonstrations and return demonstrations.
Pilot intakeA hearty congratulations to our nurses who graduated in March 2018 with their Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing Ophthalmology.
The 8-month course is jointly offered by Curtin University and SNEC and will help meet the rising need for ophthalmic nurses in Singapore and the region.
This pilot intake saw five Registered Nurses (three from SNEC and two from Changi General Hospital) further their skills in eye health and care.
From left to right: Geselia Chong, SNEC; Soh Wee Wee, SNEC; Nazurah Loh, SNEC; Marni Bte Mohammad, CGH and Rachel Ng, CGH
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