Ophthalmic Nurse: Pre-screener at VisionSpring

VisionSpring, an international social enterprise, seeks a full-time vision pre-screener to join its Vision Access Project Team in Ghana. The pre-screener plays an important role in conducting vision camps in workplaces and communities – providing a warm welcome to customers, pre-screening customers and directing them to the appropriate team member for the next steps, scheduling eye exams, giving top-notch advice about vision care, and answering questions. S/he will make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible in the vision camps by staying alert and solving problems as they arise.

This position is based in Kumasi but will require extensive travel, sometimes including overnight stays near work sites in Ashanti Region of Ghana.

About You

• You are passionate about improving the accessibility of affordable eyeglasses to earners and learners vulnerable to poverty.
• You are a natural teacher. You love sharing your knowledge and getting others excited about what they are going to do.
• You enjoy talking to new people and take pride in making sure that every customer you serve has a great experience and leaves feeling satisfied and excited about sharing his/her VisionSpring experience with friends and family.
• You are a roll-up-your-sleeves, hands-on team player. To provide the highest-quality service to your customers, you are not above doing any task, large or small.
• You set a positive example through practices like punctuality, respect, and commitment to work.
• You express a willingness to constantly learn about how to better serve your customer’s needs.

About Us

• We are creating access to affordable eyewear, everywhere. Clear vision creates opportunities for increased learning, work, safety, civic participation, and quality of life.
• As a social enterprise, social change motivates us first. Our focus on sales and revenue targets serves and advances our mission objective – to increase our customer’s quality of life, productivity in the workplace, and income earning potential by providing them with eyeglasses for clear vision.
• We are working to transform the systemic dysfunction of an optical market that has failed to deliver eyeglasses – a 700-year-old technology – to 2.5 billion consumers in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day.
• We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries, but as customers. Our customers expect a high-quality and affordable product, and they will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction.
• By selling eyeglasses, we awaken new demand and seed a viable market. By selling new eyeglasses we can serve four times as many people per dollar input than the alternative of donating recycled ones. To efficiently scale, we must deliver each new unit at lower cost.
• We run our business on both sales metrics and social impact measures. We exploit a range of organizational forms and practices to get the job done.
• We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers.

What You'll Do

• Work in an outreach/field environment in low-resource settings.
• Conduct vision assessments for customers at vision camps.
• Examine, diagnose and treat eye conditions.
• Communicate with people to get their detailed eye-related case histories and understand their concerns.
• Document and collate all cataract cases diagnosed on the field for appropriate action.
• Diagnose Presbyopia and prescribe reading glasses where appropriate.
• Triage customers to determine those who need to see the Optometrist.
• Train local implementing teams on vision assessment and pre-screening.
• Maintain a clean, tidy, and safe environment for customers and staff.
• Promote eye health, and general health related to clear vision, by counselling customers on vision and eye care, good visual hygiene practices, and proper eyeglass care. Offer advice and reassurance about vision-related matters.
• Assist in the collection of customer stories, and survey data to help understand customer satisfaction, preferences, and barriers to vision and optical care.
• Monitor and supervise the dispensing of eye drops.
• Carry out any other additional duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.
• Conduct community eye health talks during vision camps to equip customers with information on camp flow and healthy eye care practices.

Requirements

• Higher Diploma in Ophthalmic Nursing from a recognized institution.
• 1-3 years of experience, including field experience, working in the health industry with an international NGO(s).
• Experience in teaching, training, behaviour change activities, and/or counselling.
• Highly organized, reliable, and prompt. Ability to multitask while adhering to schedules and deadlines. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to travel across districts in Ghana, with overnight stays as needed, for Vision Access Programs, community eye care/health care programs, awareness programs, training, or for any other purpose that VisionSpring deems necessary.

Compensation

• Salary is based on experience and education.
• Please note, only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.