Section 172-120-011 - DELEGATION TO OPTOMETRIC ASSISTANTSUnder 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. 011.01AUTHORIZED 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.
011.02PROHIBITED DUTIES. 120-013.04 Prohibited Duties: A licensed optometrist may not delegate the following: (C) Biomicroscopy for the purpose of ocular health assessment;(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.172 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 120, § 011
Amended effective 3/21/2022