New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 13 - LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Chapter 44K - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ADVISORY COUNCIL
Subchapter 5 - SCOPE OF PRACTICE
Section 13:44K-5.5 - Use of physical agent modalities by a licensed occupational therapy assistant; supervisor responsibilities

Universal Citation: NJ Admin Code 13:44K-5.5

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024

(a) A licensed occupational therapy assistant may use the superficial thermal agent and mechanical device modalities set forth in 13:44K-5.4(b) under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist consistent with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:44K-5.4.

(b) A licensed occupational therapy assistant may use the advanced physical agent modalities set forth in 13:44K-5.4(c) under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist consistent with the requirements of this section.

(c) Prior to using advanced physical agent modalities, a licensed occupational therapy assistant shall have completed a training course that meets the requirements set forth in 13:44K-5.4(e).

(d) A licensed occupational therapy assistant shall use advanced physical agent modalities only under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist who has:

1. Met the experience requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:44K-6.2(a); and

2. Completed a training course that meets the requirements of 13:44K-5.4(e) or who holds a current certification from the Hand Therapy Certification Commission or any other national organization that utilizes substantially similar certification standards consistent with the requirements of 13:44K-5.4(f).

(e) A licensed occupational therapist shall supervise the use of advanced physical agent modalities by a licensed occupational therapy assistant consistent with the following:

1. The supervising occupational therapist shall provide close supervision, as defined in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-1.2, of the licensed occupational therapy assistant, during which time the occupational therapist shall directly observe the occupational therapy assistant's application of each type of modality in a patient treatment setting no fewer than five times. Documentation of such supervision shall be maintained by the supervising occupational therapist consistent with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:44K-6.2(e) and by the licensed occupational therapy assistant consistent with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:44K-6.5(c);

2. Following the five instances of direct observation of the licensed occupational therapy assistant's application of a particular type of modality, the supervising occupational therapist shall determine the level of supervision required of the occupational therapy assistant, consistent with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:44K-6.3(b).
i. Notwithstanding (e)2 above, the occupational therapist shall continue to provide close supervision for any occupational therapy assistant who has been engaged in the practice of occupational therapy services for less than one year on a full-time basis, consistent with the requirements of NJ.A.C. 13:44K-6.3(b); and

3. The supervising occupational therapist shall satisfy all supervisor responsibilities set forth in NJ.A.C. 13:44K-6.2 and 6.3 and/or 6.4, as applicable.

(f) A supervising occupational therapist shall not delegate the close supervision of an occupational therapy assistant's use of advanced physical agent modalities, including the direct observation of the occupational therapy assistant's application of the modalities, to anyone other than a licensed occupational therapist who has met the requirements of (d) and (e) above.

(g) A licensed occupational therapy assistant shall retain documentation relating to his or her completion of the training course and shall make such documentation available to the Council upon request. The documentation shall include, if applicable:

1. The name and address of the person or organization presenting the course;

2. The name and address of the facility where the course was presented;

3. A copy of the course syllabus, which includes a detailed description of the learning objectives and teaching methods employed in the course and the qualifications of the instructor(s); and

4. A certificate of completion from the course sponsor.

(h) A licensed occupational therapy assistant may apply to the Council for approval of a course in the use of advanced physical agent modalities that has not been pre-approved by the Council. The licensee shall submit the documentation set forth in (g) above to the Council for review.

(i) A licensed occupational therapy assistant who uses advanced physical agent modalities without having satisfied the requirements of this section shall be deemed to have engaged in professional misconduct and may be subject to the penalties set forth in 45:1-21 et seq.

(j) Notwithstanding the fact that a licensed occupational therapy assistant is permitted to use advanced physical agent modalities because he or she has satisfied the training requirements of this section, a licensed occupational therapy assistant shall not use a specific advanced physical agent modality that he or she has not been trained to use until he or she is familiar with the device's proper use and contraindications, and until he or she has been directly observed under close supervision by a supervising occupational therapist in the application of the modality at least five times in a patient treatment setting. Following such direct observation, the licensed occupational therapy assistant may use the modality under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist consistent with the requirements of (e)2 above. Failure to comply with this section shall be deemed professional misconduct and may subject a licensed occupational therapy assistant to the penalties set forth in 45:1-21 et seq.

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