Contact lenses are a common alternative to glasses, worn by everyone from teenagers to adults. When patients get their contacts, contact lens technicians like Emily Tate are some of the first people to help them navigate their new visual world.What do contact lens technicians do?First, a patient sees their doctor and gets their glasses prescription. If they want contact lenses instead of glasses, they then talk to Ms. Tate or one of her colleagues. The technicians will discuss with the patient their different lens options and the patients’ expectations. They then order the patients’ lenses, teach them how to put them in, and schedule follow-up appointments with the patients to make sure everything is going smoothly.Because glasses and contact lenses have different prescriptions, the contact lens technicians have to convert glasses prescriptions to contact prescriptions and make necessary adjustments to compensate for the differences between glasses and contacts.Helping patients seeThe most rewarding part about Ms. Tate's job is helping a patient who is struggling with their vision and getting them into contact lenses.I’ve helped some young patients who have been wearing glasses since they were two, who don’t remember a time when they didn’t wear glasses,” Ms. Tate said. “Learning to wear contacts is a new and exciting experience for the patient, as well as for me. In teaching them, I'm able to give them an opportunity to just be a kid without the challenge of wearing glasses.”Ms. Tate worked as an ophthalmic technician before joining CEENTA and focusing on contact lenses.While she enjoyed being an ophthalmic technician, Ms. Tate enjoys being a contact lens technician because the work is more specialized and hands-on."I get to follow through on a patient’s care,” she said. “With contact lenses you feel like you make more of an impact.”CEENTA is looking for new contact lens technicians to join their great team. If you think helping fit people with their lenses could be the right career for you, consider becoming a CEENTA contact lens technician today.Visit our Careers page for a complete list of our open positions or to join CEENTA’s Talent Community.
