Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM
Title 172 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE
Chapter 120 - LICENSURE OF OPTOMETRISTS
Section 172-120-011 - DELEGATION TO OPTOMETRIC ASSISTANTS

Universal Citation: 172 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 120 ยง 011

Current through September 17, 2024

Under Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-2607 and 38-2618, any licensed optometrist may employ optometric assistants and may delegate the performance of certain duties to optometric assistants under supervision. A licensed optometrist who chooses to delegate duties to optometric assistants must:

(A) Ensure that optometric assistants have received the appropriate level of training necessary to satisfactorily complete the delegated duties;

(B) Conduct the qualitative assessment of the data collected by the optometric assistant and make any appropriate diagnosis;

(C) Accept legal responsibility and liability for the accuracy of the results, as well as any consequences of the testing procedure; and

(D) Authenticate and direct, by full signature, the entire examination and treatment provided to the patient.

011.01 AUTHORIZED DUTIES. Optometric assistants, under the supervision or direct supervision of a licensed optometrist, may perform the following duties:

011.01(A) UNDER SUPERVISION. These services can be done under supervision of a licensed optometrist:
(i) Gather clinical information, which includes subjective and objective data (example - initial refraction and visual field testing); and

(ii) Provide educational information as instructed by the supervising optometrist.

011.01(B) UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION. These services can be done under direct supervision of a licensed optometrist: 120-013.03B Under Direct Supervision
(i) Perform Goldmann contact tonometry; and

(ii) Instill medication as instructed by the supervising optometrist.

Each optometric assistant involved in the data collection must sign the chart indicating their participation.

011.02 PROHIBITED DUTIES. 120-013.04 Prohibited Duties: A licensed optometrist may not delegate the following:

(A) Ophthalmoscopy;

(B) Gonioscopy;

(C) Biomicroscopy for the purpose of ocular health assessment;

(D) Final refraction;

(E) Final nervous system assessment;

(F) Determination of any prescription, education or treatment plans;

(G) Removal of superficial eyelid, conjunctival, and corneal foreign bodies; and

(H) Ordering procedures and laboratory tests rational to the diagnosis of conditions or diseases of the human eye, ocular adnexa, or visual system.

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