When you think about life saving events, do images of heroic emergency acts involving cardiac arrest, trauma, and other complicated medical procedures immediately come to mind? Most likely, this is the case.

But there are many ways to save a life! One way is through childhood vision screening, as you will see in this educational program. Early detection of visual problems saves children from accidents, learning problems, and other maladies that affect the quality of their lives. Make no mistake about it: early detection and treatment of visual problems optimizes the potential contributions of these children as productive citizens.

This educational program developed from the efforts of vision health professionals who, with the financial and resource support from the National Eye Institute, were able to develop childhood vision screening content targeted at childhood educators and health care providers – especially nurse practitioners and school nurses. The result of developing this program and conducting vision screens for children allowed the nurse practitioner faculty at the University of Kansas School of Nursing to become competent in a topic area that receives far too little attention in the professional nursing community. Throughout, the Kansas Optometric Association offered unwavering support in promoting vision health for children and all Kansans.

In particular, Dr. Gerard Lozada was the connecting link who brought the right parties together and inspired us at critical stages throughout this project. In addition to Dr. Lozada we want to thank Dr. Karen Aldridge, Dr. Cynthia Burlingame, Dr. Wayne Hemphill and Dr. Joseph B. Sullivan for serving as content consultants and for providing us with patients and demonstrating clinical skills for the video clips that you will see throughout the program. These vision health providers and many others are true friends of nurses and childhood educators.

Thank you to the patients, their families and the staff in the Instructional Services Department at the University of Kansas Medical Center for helping to make the assessment demonstrations by video clip possible.

Thanks also, to you – in advance – for your interest in saving the lives of children in a different way!

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

The option to obtain continuing education units
is available at a nominal cost.

This option will automatically be offered to you upon your completion of the module and a post-test score of 75% or better.