OPN461 Optometry in Professional Practice


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:OPN461
Credit points:12
Co-requisite:OPN465
Coordinators:Katie Edwards | katie.edwards@qut.edu.au
Sharon Bentley | sharon.bentley@qut.edu.au
Damien Fisher | d2.fisher@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

The practice of optometry is regulated by several State and Federal Acts of Parliament and all optometrists have professional and ethical responsibilities. The majority of optometry graduates aspire to enter private practice, either as an employee of another practitioner or an organisation of optometrists. They are frequently required to manage the practice and therefore, must have business, finance and administration capabilities, as they relate to optometry. This unit provides the skills required for the transition from student to professional practice, including knowledge of the legal, professional and ethical responsibilities of optometrists to patients and the wider community, as well as how to manage an optometry practice.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Apply knowledge of key legislation, guidelines, benefit schemes and organisations to the practice of optometry.
  2. Critically evaluate and reflect on the legal, ethical and cultural safety implications of your actions and professionalism as an optometrist.
  3. Collaborate with peers to identify and apply knowledge of the requirements for commencing, building and managing a practice to create a business plan.

Content

Key topics in this unit include:

  1. Principles of Professional Practice: State and Federal legislation governing the practice of optometry (including registration requirements); professional ethics and codes of practice; Medicare and other fee schedules; key organisations in the profession; good communication; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and cultural safety in practice; safety and quality in practice; public health optometry; and the role of optometry in sustainability.
  2. The Business of Optometry: Types of practices; commencing, building and managing an optometry practice; business plans; understanding financial statements; profit and loss; creating a brand and marketing; and key indicators of business success. 

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will learn by engaging in lectures, online tutorials and online workshops using real world case examples.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive formative feedback through the online learning activities with industry experts, as well as automated feedback via the weekly online practice quizzes. You will receive written summative feedback  from your teaching team on the case study and business plan assessments, as well as peer feedback on your collaboration and contribution to the business plan.

Assessment

Overview

Summative assessment in this unit consists of three main assessments: an examination (non-invigilated) that will assess your applied knowledge of concepts covered in the first half of the semester, a case study that will evaluate your critique of and reflections on professional, ethical and cultural dilemmas in a given optometric case, and working in teams, you will develop a business plan for a new optometry practice.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Examination (non-invigilated)

You will complete an online non-invigilated examination comprising short answer case-based questions to demonstrate knowledge and application of the legal aspects of optometry practice, professional guidelines, benefit schemes and key organisations.

Weight: 20
Length: 1 hour
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 6
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1
Related Standards: ENTRYLVL OPT2014: 1, 1.01, 1.04, 1.07, 1.08

Assessment: Professionalism, Ethics and Cultural Safety Case Study

You will critically evaluate and reflect upon a case that presents a professional, ethical, and/or cultural safety dilemma.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 40
Length: 1500 words maximum
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 9
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2
Related Standards: ENTRYLVL OPT2014: 1, 1.01, 1.04, 1.07, 1.08

Assessment: Business Plan

You will work in a small team to create a business plan for a new optometry practice.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 40
Length: 4000 words maximum
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3
Related Standards: ENTRYLVL OPT2014: 1, 1.01, 1.07, 1.08

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Electronic copies of relevant codes, guidelines, schedules, policies, legislation and vision science articles, and lecture notes and recordings, as advised by the Unit Coordinator and academic staff.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry 2014

1: Professional Responsibilities


  1. Relates to: Examination (non-invigilated), Professionalism, Ethics and Cultural Safety Case Study, Business Plan

  2. Relates to: Examination (non-invigilated), Professionalism, Ethics and Cultural Safety Case Study

  3. Relates to: Examination (non-invigilated), Professionalism, Ethics and Cultural Safety Case Study, Business Plan

  4. Relates to: Examination (non-invigilated), Professionalism, Ethics and Cultural Safety Case Study, Business Plan

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

OP85 Master of Optometry

  1. Synthesise complex optometric knowledge, cognitive, clinical and technical skills and research methodology in vision science.
    Relates to: Examination (non-invigilated)
  2. Practice as an inclusive, collaborative and reflective healthcare professional with capacity to adapt and develop resilience, and commitment to sustainable health care delivery within ethical, legal and professional frameworks.
    Relates to: Examination (non-invigilated), Professionalism, Ethics and Cultural Safety Case Study, Business Plan