Nebraska Physical Therapy Statutes and Regulations
What the domain tests
This domain covers the Nebraska Physical Therapy Practice Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-1801 et seq., and the regulations in 172 NAC 137. Questions test who must be licensed, what PTs and PTAs may do, how supervision and delegation work, when a referral is required, and what conduct supports discipline. The Board of Physical Therapy advises the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers licensure, renewal, and discipline.
Core rules
- Licensure is required to practice as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant in Nebraska. The PTA credential is a license, not a certificate; unlicensed aides may perform only non-clinical support tasks.
- The PT scope includes examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and consultation. The initial evaluation and plan of care are PT-only. A PTA may implement delegated interventions and report changes but may not evaluate, establish or modify the plan, or discharge.
- The PT must supervise the PTA. Supervision must be adequate for patient safety and the complexity of care; Nebraska regulations specify when on-site supervision is required for higher-risk interventions.
- Nebraska permits limited direct access. A PT may evaluate and treat without a referral, but must refer the patient to an appropriate provider when the condition fails to progress or red flags appear. It is not unlimited access.
- Unprofessional conduct includes practicing beyond scope, failing to supervise, falsifying records, aiding unlicensed practice, and breaching confidentiality.
Worked example
A PTA is alone in a satellite clinic when a new patient arrives with neck pain. The PTA evaluates the patient and writes a plan of care. This is wrong twice: the initial evaluation and plan are PT-only, and the PTA’s delegated treatment must be supervised by a PT. The PTA should not evaluate; the PT must perform the evaluation before the PTA implements care.
Traps that cost marks
Do not treat PTA certification as licensure. Do not let a PTA perform initial evaluation or discharge. Do not read direct access as never needing a referral. Do not import another state’s CE or supervision rules; Nebraska’s are in 172 NAC 137.