Journal article icon

Journal article

Innovative care models: expanding nurses' and optometrists' roles in ophthalmology

Abstract:
The expanding demands of healthcare necessitate novel methods of increasing the supply of trained professionals to enhance the delivery of care services. One means of doing so is to expand allied health professionals’ scope of practice. This paper explores the ethics of two examples of such expansion in ophthalmology, comparing the widely accepted practice of nurses administering intravitreal injections and the relatively less prevalent optometrists functioning as physician extenders. We conducted a literature review of empirical research into both practices and conclude that nurses administering intravitreal injections are ethically justified. With adequate standardized training, optometrists can also function as primary eye care providers to improve accessibility to eye care. We provide an algorithm for the ethical introduction of innovative expanded allied healthcare.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

Actions


Access Document


Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1177/09697330251317670

Authors


More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0009-0000-7033-5322
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0009-0000-0911-4117
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-3950-9950
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-5777-6457


More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/029chgv08
Grant:
226801


Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Journal:
Nursing Ethics More from this journal
Volume:
32
Issue:
6
Article number:
1900-1910
Publication date:
2025-03-12
Acceptance date:
2025-01-12
DOI:
EISSN:
1477-0989
ISSN:
0969-7330
Pmid:
40072479


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
2095010
Local pid:
pubs:2095010
Deposit date:
2025-03-20

Terms of use



Views and Downloads






If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP