Child Abuse and Infection Control Certificates from Another Health Program
Elena is a foreign-trained optometrist who completed a US OD program and passed NBEO Parts I, II, and III. She also has a prior associate degree in dental hygiene. In 2017 she completed a 2-hour online Child Abuse Identification and Reporting course from a national dental CE company, and in 2018 she completed a Bloodborne Pathogens and Infection Control course as part of her dental hygiene employment. She submits these certificates with her optometry application. The child abuse course certificate does not list NYSED approval; the infection control certificate lists OSHA bloodborne pathogens, not the NYSED infection control and barrier precautions curriculum. The examiner must decide whether these satisfy the additional requirements. Elena's employer wants her to start next month.
1. Explain the standards for the child abuse identification and reporting requirement and whether Elena's 2017 online course likely qualifies.
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NY requires training in child abuse identification and reporting for licensure in optometry. The training must cover recognition of abuse and neglect, legal reporting duties, and related topics, and it must be from a provider approved by NYSED. A national dental CE certificate that does not show NYSED approval is weak evidence. Online format is not automatically disqualifying if the provider is approved and the content matches. The 2017 date may also be an issue if the Department requires recent training, but the main defect is approval and content. The examiner should request the course outline and provider approval number; without them, the course should likely be rejected and an approved course required.
2. Does the infection control course satisfy the NY infection control and barrier precautions requirement?
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Probably not as submitted. NY requires training in infection control and barrier precautions with specific content: standard precautions, transmission, hand hygiene, PPE, safe injection practices, and environmental control. An OSHA bloodborne pathogens certificate from a dental employer may overlap but does not show the NYSED-approved curriculum. The fact that it was for dental hygiene does not automatically disqualify it if the content and provider meet the standard. Elena should submit the syllabus and certificate; if they do not show the required elements, she needs an approved course.
3. What should Elena do to avoid delay?
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Take both approved courses from a NYSED-approved provider, even if that means repeating topics. Submit certificates with hours, topics, and provider approval. Keep the originals. She should not assume that her dental hygiene training or foreign optometry training satisfies NY-specific requirements. If she believes a prior course qualifies, request a written determination before the application deadline.