Chapter 9: Patient comfort and supporting personal hygiene
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Pre‐procedural considerations
Equipment
A good light source (such as a minor procedure light, a bright pen torch or lamp, or a bright ophthalmoscope) is necessary to enable careful assessment of the eyes and to avoid damage to the delicate structures (Marsden [119]). The light source should be positioned above and behind the nurse. It is important to inform the patient that a bright light will be shone in their eyes and that this may be painful. Topical anaesthetic drops can be used to alleviate pain before examination, eye irrigation and other procedures (Marsden [119], Stevens [220]).
Position of the patient
The patient should be sitting or lying with their head tilted backwards and chin pointing upwards. This allows for easy access to the eyes and is usually a good position for patient comfort and compliance (Shaw and Lee [213]).
Procedure guideline 9.7
Eye swabbing
Procedure guideline 9.8
Eye irrigation
Procedure guideline 9.9
Artificial eye care: insertion
Procedure guideline 9.10
Artificial eye care: removal
Procedure guideline 9.11
Contact lens removal: hard lenses
Procedure guideline 9.12
