LEVEL I – GRANT



TRINITY VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING

RNSG 1216

PROCEDURE GUIDE AND CHECK-OFF SHEET

INSERTING AND REMOVING CONTACT LENSES

Nurses should be familiar with the general principles of caring for contact lenses, including insertion and removal.

Delegation: This procedure may be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel.

| Procedure | Scientific Rationale |

|1. The following equipment is needed for this skill: | |

|gloves | |

|storage container | |

|Manufacturer-recommended lens solution | |

|other products used for cleaning, disinfection, and storage | |

|manufacturer-recommended storage container. | |

|2. Insertion of contact lens: | |

|Assess lens for damage and cleanliness. | |

|Rinse lens with manufacturer-recommended lens solution before |b. Rinsing frees the lens of debris and helps lens glide over the cornea |

|inserting. |thus reducing risk of injury. |

|Place lens on index finger of dominant hand. Make sure to place |c. If soft lens droops outward and downward at edges, the lens needs to be|

|each lens in correct eye. |inverted. |

|Hold upper lid with index finger of non-dominant hand and spread | |

|upper and lower lid by slight downward pulling on lower lid with | |

|thumb. | |

|Place lens over the iris. | |

|Ask patient to blink. | |

|If patient feels discomfort, remove lens, clean, and insert again.| |

| |f. Determines if lens is correctly placed. |

|3. Removal of soft contact lens: | |

|Ask patient to look up and to the side. With middle finger, pull |a. Reduces risk of damage to the cornea. |

|down on lid and place index fingertip of dominant hand on lower | |

|edge of lens. | |

|Move lens down medially to the sclera. | |

|Remove lens by pinching it between pads of thumb and index finger.| |

|If edges stick together, add lens solution or saline. |Pinching causes the lens to double up which breaks the suction and allows |

| |removal. Using the pads of the fingers prevents scratching the eyes or |

| |the lens with the fingernails. |

|4. Removal of hard contact lens: | |

|Make sure lens is positioned directly over cornea. |a. Aids in proper removal. |

|Pull the patient’s upper and lower lids apart and to lateral side | |

|using the index and middle fingers. | |

|Ask patient to blink. The lens should fall into your hand. If it | |

|doesn’t, apply gentle pressure on lower edge of lens, and grasp | |

|upper edge as it falls away from eye. | |

|Place in storage container for appropriate labeled eye. | |

| |c. Reduces risk of damage to the cornea. |

| | |

|5. Follow recommended directions on products for |Ensures proper use of cleaning agents. |

|cleaning and disinfection of lenses. | |

|6. Store each lens in its own compartment that tis clearly labeled|Non-compliance with the care of contact lenses is one of the largest |

|right or left eye in a manufacturer-recommended storage container.|contributes to microbial keratitis, a potentially dangerous infection of |

|Cover lenses with recommended lens solution until they are |the eye. |

|re-inserted. Never reuse the lens solution. | |

|7. Document your care. |All data must be entered in patient’s record. |

N:ADN/ADN Syllabus/CBC Curriculum/Level I/1216/Performance Checklist for Basic Skills - Inserting & Removing Contacts Reviewed 04/16

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download