NAC640.592. Supervision of physical therapist’s assistant.

     1. A physical therapist who supervises a physical therapist’s assistant who provides treatment to a patient:

     (a) Shall contact the patient initially to evaluate the patient and write a plan of care for that patient.

     (b) Shall formulate and document, on the medical record of the patient, the treatment goals and plan of care for the patient based upon the evaluation. This information must be communicated verbally or in writing by the supervising physical therapist to the physical therapist’s assistant before initiation of treatment by the physical therapist’s assistant.

     (c) Must be accessible for communication by telephone during the time that the physical therapist’s assistant is treating the patient, if the physical therapist’s assistant has at least 2,000 hours of experience as a physical therapist’s assistant.

     (d) Shall provide the required treatment and reevaluate the patient not less than every seventh day of treatment or within 21 days, whichever occurs first.

     (e) Shall provide an evaluation before the patient is discharged, based upon the availability of the patient.

     2. A physical therapist who supervises a physical therapist’s assistant pursuant to subsection 1 shall make a record of each reevaluation of the patient conducted by the physical therapist in accordance with paragraph (d) of subsection 1. The record must include, but not be limited to:

     (a) A functional assessment of the patient;

     (b) A review of the daily activities performed by the patient;

     (c) A reassessment of the plan of care, including short-term and long-term goals; and

     (d) A reassessment of the resources used by the physical therapist’s assistant.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Phys. Therapy Exam’rs, eff. 12-27-93; A 3-28-95; R153-98, 12-18-98; R111-02, 1-24-2003; R059-06, 9-18-2006)