Euroguidance Österreich
Ebendorferstraße 7
1010 Wien
T +43 1 534 08 - 0
F +43 1 534 08 - 699
E info@euroguidance.at
Higher education institutions for orthoptists
Higher education institutions for orthoptists (Akademien für den orthoptischen Dienst) provide vocational education and training and entitle their graduates to work as qualified orthoptists (Orthoptistin/Orthoptist) (completion: diploma thesis and diploma examination). After the secondary school leaving examination (Reifeprüfung), the programme takes three years and is offered at several sites in Austria.
> Access
• physical fitness
• good character and standing
• a school-leaving certificate (Reifeprüfungszeugnis) issued by an academic secondary school, a vocational secondary school, a nursery teacher training college or a foreign higher education entry certificate or a diploma in nursing (Diplom im gehobenen Dienst für Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege) or a university entrance examination (Studienberechtigungsprüfung) for medical studies
• aptitude test
• a board decides on admission
> Programme
Theoretical instruction/subjects: first aid and wound dressing; anatomy; physiology; pathology; hygiene and environmental protection; physics, in particular optics and spectacles; introduction to equipment and its maintenance; types of squint and their treatment; theoretical foundation of orthoptic and pleoptic examinations and treatment; paediatrics, pedagogy and child psychology; basic pharmacology; basic anaesthesia; ophthalmologic examination methods; physiological, optical and practical foundations of contact lens fitting; neurology and neuro-ophthalmology; theoretical and practical foundations of the treatment of persons whose impaired vision has organic causes, including the fitting of magnifiers; image documentation; nature and ethics of the profession; psychology; basic health, labour and social security legislation; introduction to operational management in hospitals; IT, medical informatics; statistics and documentation; medical English; theoretical and practical introduction to nursing.
Practical training: general nursing; examination and treatment of patients in the fields of orthoptics, pleoptics, motility disorders, impaired vision, asthenopia, nystagmus, neuro-ophthalmology, magnifiers, contact lenses, documenting the anamnesis, assessing the patient’s condition, making an orthoptic diagnosis, discussing cases, talking with, and advising patients and their family members, applying general ophthalmologic examination methods, including perimetry, suggesting, planning and performing therapeutic measures, using and maintaining the relevant optical, orthoptic, pleoptic and generally ophthalmologic equipment, squint surgery, organisation and administration.
> Job description / field of activities
Autonomous performance of preventive measures as well as examination, assessment and treatment of vision impairments, squint, amblyopia and eye motility disorders on a doctor’s orders.
> Career
Orthoptists may work as self-employed persons or may be employed by hospitals, other establishments under medical management or supervision that specialise in the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of diseases or in the nursing of persons needing care, or by medical practitioners.
> Further opportunities for education and training
Following the basic programme for orthoptists, some higher education institutions offer specialised courses for special, teaching, lecturing and managerial tasks.
Furthermore, there are the following opportunities for qualified orthoptists:
• university courses
• university studies (e.g. medicine)
Print this page