Professional training – Nystagmus Network

Delegates at an interactive CET workshop

Our online training for eye care practitioners

FREE CPD webinars with the Nystagmus Network for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians

A brand new series of three Nystagmus Network webinars are now available online on demand for high street optical staff. Attendance at each webinar delivers 1 CPD (Continued Professional Development) point, allowing practitioners to maintain their professional standards.

Investigating and managing nystagmus in the orthoptic clinic is by Gemma Arblaster, Orthoptist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Lecturer in Orthoptics at the University of Sheffield. Gemma also serves as a research adviser to the Nystagmus Network.

Jayshree Vasani, Dispensing and Contact Lens Optician, ABDO practical examiner and CET Facilitator, presents Solutions for patients with nystagmus, exploring dispensing spectacles and contact lenses for patients with infantile and acquired nystagmus.

Looking at nystagmus from the patient perspective, the charity’s Information and Development Manager, Sue Ricketts, entitled her webinar 1 in 1,000 things you never knew about nystagmus, bringing the patient voice to the fore.

The webinars will remain available to eye care practitioners FREE OF CHARGE until 12 May 2022.

Sue Ricketts said: “It is the Nystagmus Network’s ambition to bring eye care practitioners and their practices and the nystagmus community closer together, to build stronger relationships, based on knowledge, experience and trust. We are delighted to have the opportunity to provide professional training to help us work towards this goal, thanks to the support the charity enjoys from clinicians and researchers.”

The Nystagmus Network webinars are online here

Training eye care practitioners

FREE interactive CET webinars with the Nystagmus Network for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians

This December the Nystagmus Network hosted a further series of three interactive training webinars for eye care practitioners.

Investigating and managing nystagmus in the orthoptic clinic was delivered by Gemma Arblaster, Orthoptist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Lecturer in Orthoptics at the University of Sheffield. Gemma also serves as a research adviser to the Nystagmus Network.

Jayshree Vasani, Dispensing and Contact Lens Optician, ABDO practical examiner and CET Facilitator, presented Solutions for patients with nystagmus, exploring dispensing spectacles and contact lenses for patients with infantile and acquired nystagmus.

Around 200 practitioners attended each webinar over the course of three evenings. They were very well received with one attendee, speaking for many, saying “Thank you for such an interesting and informative set of lectures. I felt they were a cut above a lot of CET. Well done!”

The charity began delivering CET training in May 2020 and is planning more online and in person interactive workshops and courses in 2022.

Training eye care professionals

High street optical staff need to understand the complexities of nystagmus, how to test the sight and how to dispense any corrective glasses or contact lenses.

Due to the cancellation of so many routine eye clinic appointments during the current pandemic and the signing off of non-urgent cases, such as patients diagnosed with nystagmus, local opticians are now seeing increasing numbers of these patients in their practices.

Following the success of 3 webinars the charity organised and hosted in May 2020, attended by a total of over 900 dispensing opticians and optometrists, the Nystagmus Network is planning to host a further 2 webinars on nystagmus for eye-care professionals.

But we need funding to do this.

That’s why we’re fundraising with The Good Exchange. Please visit our campaign page and share it with your networks.

THANK YOU

See our campaign page here.

Nystagmus Network launches webinar series for clinicians

Nystagmus Network launches online CET webinars for eye-care professionals

The Nystagmus Network charity was founded in 1984 to support patients living with the condition. They currently have 500 members but estimate there are more than 64,000 patients in the UK living with the condition that they would love to support. This is why they want to expand their reach to engage with eye-care professionals to raise awareness of the charity and encourage referrals.

Daniel Williams, Trustee said “We are delighted to launch our new eyecare professional CET webinars and host some of the ground breaking speakers. We are a small charity wanting to grow our membership and engagement for the benefit of our beneficiaries”.

The Nystagmus Network is a registered charity in England and Wales, number 118450. They provide support and information to people living with all forms of nystagmus and the professionals who work with them.

Nystagmus is a complex, incurable eye condition characterised by involuntary movements of the eyes where they appear to wobble or flicker from side to side, up and down or round and round.

Nystagmus affects ability to focus, recognise faces and judge speed and depth.

The charity offers support and information to the 1 in 1,000 or more people affected by nystagmus, raises awareness through an annual Nystagmus Awareness Day on 20 June, whilst also investing in research into the condition to find a potential treatment.

Below is a list of the upcoming webinars you can book on. Each webinar will give delegates 1 CET point.

Nystagmus Network CET Webinars

The Nystagmus Network is delighted to host a series of webinars all about nystagmus for eyecare professionals. Each Webinar will provide 1 CET point.

Tuesday 26^th May – 10:30

A Clinician’s Guide to Nystagmus

Nystagmus affects 0.24% of the population, yet it is a very poorly understood condition. Optometrists will regularly encounter patients with the condition in practice, especially in the low vision setting. Knowing how to modify routines appropriately, as well as how to classify and potentially refer patients for treatment, will help maintain high clinical standards.

This lecture will provide an optometrist’s up-to-date guide to nystagmus, covering diagnosis, classification, and how to modify a standard routine. Currently available treatments will be discussed.

Delivered by Dr Matt J Dunn who is a lecturer and optometrist at Cardiff University. His research focuses on clinical disorders of visual perception and oculomotor control. At the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, he teaches clinical orthoptics. Matt is the author of the mobile ophthalmology reference text Dunn Vision Reference.

Wednesday 27^th May

Diagnosing Nystagmus – how, why and when?

Jay will be talking about how Optometrists might approach patients with nystagmus and tips and tricks about what to look for, deciding how urgently to refer and what happens once they reach a specialist centre. No prior knowledge is expected!!

Delivered by Jay E Self BM FRCOphth PhD who is a Consultant Paediatric Eye Surgeon and Associate Professor at the university of Southampton. He runs a research group with an interest in nystagmus, albinism and childhood visual disorders and works closely with Helena Lee who is also a Consultant and Associate Professor in Southampton. Jay is a medical advisor to 4 support charities, a board member of 2 charities and ambassador for one. He has worked both as a researcher and clinician in the field of nystagmus for 15 years. He is a founder member of the Nystagmus UK Eye research group (NUKE).

Thursday 28^th May – 10:30

Testing, Dispensing and Supporting Patients with Nystagmus

The holistic view of supporting a patient with nystagmus. A practical approach on how to test, dispense and support a patient with Nystagmus.

Delivered by Bhavin Shah, Behavioural Optometrist and Jayshree Vasani, Dispensing Optician. Bhavin is passionate about lifelong learning and technology to enable patients to optimise their vision. Jayshree is passionate about supporting patients with visual impairments and empowering the profession with her knowledge.

Contact

Sue Ricketts, Executive Information and Development Manager

Tel: 01427 718093

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sue-ricketts-38305b176

Enquiries

Tel: 01427 718093

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://nystagmusnetwork.org/