CO Ophthalmic Technician

The Department of Ophthalmology is seeking anOphthalmic Technician. Under broad guidelines, with a high level of independence, assist the Ophthalmologist by performing ocular examination and testing. Ophthalmic Technicians in this range must be able to perform the duties and responsibilities outlined in items 1 through 13 as well as the additional duties and responsibilities highlighted below.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Obtain and concisely record an accurate patient history
• Chief complaint
• Past ocular history
• Family history
• Systemic illnesses
• Medications
• Allergies and drug reactions
• Basic skills and lensometry

Measure visual acuity at distance and near utilizing test appropriate for age and education, and records accurately. Perform pinhole testing when indicated.

• Perform and record contrast sensitivity testing.
• Perform Ishihara or HRR color vision testing.
• Accurately measure and record current lens power with a lensometer.
• Perform and record exophthalmometry.
• Perform and record Amsler grid.
• Perform and record Schirmer testing.
• Evaluate the pupil.
• Estimate anterior chamber depth.
• Able to properly operate common non-automated and automated ophthalmic equipment including, but not limited to: IOL Master, Orb-scan, bright field acuity testing (BAT), potential acuity meter (PAM), auto refractor, corneal pachymetry, Humphrey visual field, OCT, HRT.

Patient Services

• Apply proper ocular dressings and shields.
• Properly instill eye drops and understand the indication/contraindication for use in dilation, for use in tests requiring corneal anesthetic including tonometry, and for use in other tests that may be required by the physician.
• Measure interpupillary distances, evaluate glasses fitting and perform simple eyeglass adjustments.
• Properly assist physically or visually disable patients.
• Adhere to regulations regarding drug samples and drug sample logs.

Basic Tonometry

• Perform accurate indentation tonometry and properly disinfect the tonometer.
• Perform accurate applanation tonometry and properly disinfect the tonometer.
• Perform accurate Tono-pen tonometry and properly disinfect and store the tonometer.
• Understand the principals of scleral rigidity and the factors that alter intraocular pressure.

Instrument Maintenance

• Perform routine instrument maintenance on all ophthalmic equipment.
• Stock examination rooms in assigned area and ensure medication expiration dates are current.
• Disinfect and maintain examination rooms.

Office Minor Surgery

• Confirm informed consent obtained.
• Assemble instrument tray for lid lesion treatment or lacrimal probe.
• Disposition of materials and waste.
• Instrument care and sterilization.

General Medical Knowledge

• Maintain current CPR certification.
• Understand basic ocular anatomy and physiology, systemic diseases, ocular diseases and ocular emergencies.
• Understand and practice the fundamentals of microbial control.

Must complete currently required JHMI courses, such as:

• Self-learning educational packets
• HIPAA regulations
• Conflict of Interest

Clinical Optics

• Perform accurate refractometry to determine the subjective refractive error.
• Perform accurate retinoscopy to determine the objective refractive error.
• Measure vertex distance.
• Lensometry – determine optical centers and determine direction of prism base.

Basic Ocular Motility

• Evaluate the actions of the extraocular muscles by ductions and versions.
• Determine if deviations are latent with cover tests, or manifest.
• Evaluate sensory status including Titmus stereopsis test and Worth four-dot.
• Detect functional amblyopia through measurement of the visual acuity.

Visual Fields

• Perform a visual field with a tangent screen, HVF, or Goldmann perimeter.
• Calibrate the perimeter for accurate testing.
• Explain the visual pathway from the retina to the visual cortex.
• Identify common visual field defects and corresponding etiology: neurologic, glaucomatous, retinal, physiologic, or functional.

Intermediate Tonometry

• Identify the signs and symptoms of various types of glaucoma, including open angle and angle closure.
• Understand and explain basic medical management of glaucoma.
• Understand and explain basic surgical management of glaucoma.

Ocular Pharmacology. Explain the types, strengths, actions and indications, contraindications and possible complications of the following:

• Anesthetics
• Mydriatics and Cycloplegics
• Miotics
• Epinephrine
• Beta-Blockers
• Steroids
• Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatories
• Antibiotics
• Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors
• Antihistamines
• Osmotic agents

Contact Lenses

• Perform keratometry
• Perform over-refractions to modify contact lens power
• Instruct patients in insertion, removal, cleaning, storage, hygiene, proper lens solutions, and wearing time.

Electrophysiological Testing

• ERG, EOG, VER, VEP
• SLO (Scanning laser ophthalmoscope)
• Measure color vision with Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue and D-15 tests.

If performing testing for clinical trials, must be familiar with relevant protocols and pass required certifications.

Measure axial length with A-scan biometry and determine the appropriate intraocular lens power for implantation.

• Summarize findings for the clinical record.

Outpatient Surgical

• Obtain Informed Consent from patient.
• Knowledge of aseptic technique includes scrubbing, gloving, prepping and draping.
• Prepare instrument tray in outpatient operating room.
• First assist as needed during procedure.
• Apply post-surgical dressing.
• Prepare and deliver specimen to Ocular Pathology; log reports.

Advanced Clinical Optics

• Measure base curve and surface curves of a lens with a Geneva lens clock.
• Measure interpupillary distance at distance and near.
• Measure the near point of accommodation using a full distance correction and a metric rule.
• Measure vertex distance with a distometer.
• Perform refractometry with hand held lenses and Jackson cross-cylinder.

Advanced Ocular Motility

• Measure patient’s amplitude of accommodation.

Photography

• Photograph the ocular fundus.
• Correctly differentiate right and left fundus photos and angiography.

Other duties that may be assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum of a High School diploma or General Education Degree; some college preferred. Minimum of one-year experience performing ophthalmic testing.

Must obtain Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) from Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) within 18 months of start date. Must maintain certification while employed at Wilmer. Failure to obtain/maintain certification might result in termination of employment at Wilmer.

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Mathematics:able to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Able to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

Language:able to read, analyze and interpret commons scientific and technical journals, and basic financial reports. Able to write speeches and simple technical articles for in-house use. Able to effectively present information to management and public groups.

Reasoning:able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw solve practical problems with a variety of variables in situations where standardization might be limited. Able to interpret an extensive variety of instructions.

Familiarity with the operation of computers.

Familiarity with common software such as Word, Power Point, and Excel.

Familiarity with ophthalmic and general medical terminology.

Contact with others:

Availability of assistance or information to solve problems:

• Lead technicians, residents, fellows and attending physicians.
• Divisional clinical supervisor
• Wilmer Library

Internal Contact:

• Clinic employees: give or receive factual information, receive or refer inquiries, communicate patient information.
• Division heads, managers, supervisors, and physicians: give or receive factual information, receive or refer inquiries, communicate patient information.

External Contact:

• Patients and their families: explain difficult information, requiring social judgment, patience and understanding. Includes instructing in methods and procedures and explaining diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Physical Activity / Work Environment:

Sitting, standing and walking for extended period. Climbing, crawling, crouching or other non-sitting, non-standing positions. Lifting, carrying, restraining, pushing, pulling. Ability to move standard equipment through a hospital or clinical environment.

Dexterity and Concentration:

• Finger / hand manipulation and Precise eye / hand coordination
• Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than with whole hand(s) or arm(s).
• Reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.
• Visual / mental concentration on instruments or other visual stimuli.
• Observation of and rapid reaction to changeable situations

Classified Title: Ophthalmic Technician ​​​​​
Role/Level/Range:ACRO40/E/02/CE
Starting Salary Range:$18.67 - $25.68/Hour; Commensurate with experience
Employee Group:Full Time
Schedule:Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
Location:School of Medicine, East Baltimore Campus
Department Name:Ophthalmology Glaucoma
Personnel Area:School of Medicine

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office atjhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711.

The following additional provisions may apply depending on which campus you will work. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

During the Influenza ("the flu") season, as a condition of employment, The Johns Hopkins Institutions require all employees who provide ongoing services to patients or work in patient care or clinical care areas to have an annual influenza vaccination or possess an approved medical or religious exception. Failure to meet this requirement may result in termination of employment.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.

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