Staff role
Optometrist
Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.
O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Optometrist; Optometry Doctor (OD); Therapeutic Optometrist
Tasks
- Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
- Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
- Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
- Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
- Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
- Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
- Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
- Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
- Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.
- Provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation.
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Economics and Accounting
- Physics
- Administrative
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Computers and Electronics
- Law and Government
- Sales and Marketing
- Public Safety and Security
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
Abilities
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
- Written Expression
- Information Ordering
- Flexibility of Closure
- Category Flexibility
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Finger Dexterity
- Selective Attention
- Far Vision
- Fluency of Ideas
- Perceptual Speed
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Control Precision
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Visualization
- Time Sharing
- Manual Dexterity
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.