Fort Worth is bracing itself for a massive influx of current and prospective nurses arriving for another informative gathering of the state American Society Of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses (ASORN) conference April 25.

According to ASORN’s website, the conference is a one-day event that addresses the instructional needs of ophthalmic nursing in a wide range of areas. Attendees will learn about medical advances in refractive, cataract and glaucoma surgery, as well as treatments for macular degeneration.

Eye care technology instructor Laura Cole, who will escort 10 San Jac students to the conference, said the event is important because it provides “our students the opportunity to hear specialists in the field give update(s) on changing technology in ophthalmology.”

Likewise, Cole said the fresh information presented at the conference offers students valuable current insight.

“The eye care / EyeCons students have attended this conference for the last three years. Each year, new topics and information are covered,” Cole said. “The students have always returned with exciting new knowledge and information pertaining to changes in ophthalmology.”

Meanwhile, ASORN president Sue Clouser said the organization has grown since its early days when it began over two decades ago.

“In its early years, ASORN had only registered nurses as members,” Clouser said. “But recognizing the role that others, such as ophthalmic technicians play in care of the ophthalmology patient, an affiliate membership was established around 20 years ago.”

Furthermore, Clouser said ophthalmic nursing is one of many specialties within the nursing field, but it does not garner the attention other areas generate. ASORN provides that needed attention and guidance.

“Most of the knowledge a registered nurse acquires comes from on-the-job training, self- study, and continuing education programs,” Clouser said. “The program in Fort Worth on April 25 is one of the ways that ASORN provides continuing education to ophthalmic healthcare providers.”

Moreover, Clouser said eye care treatment protocol continuously changes and filling the need for fresh techniques is key to successful patient care.

“The field of ophthalmology is constantly evolving and it is important for those caring for patients to stay abreast of advances in care and technology.”

Additionally, Clouser indicated, she hopes this program will increase the efficiency of care patients receive.

“The impact of a continuing education program, such as this one, comes in the form of higher quality patient care as a direct result of increased knowledge on the part of the caregiver.”

Ultimately, Clouser noted, San Jac students display great commitment to staying informed about new developments in their chosen field.

“In the past,” she said, “students from San Jacinto have shown their dedication to maintaining the highest level of professional practice by attending this yearly meeting to increase their knowledge of ophthalmic care.”