State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Nebraska > Chapter38 > 38-2047

38-2047. Physician assistants;services performed; supervision requirements.(1) A physician assistant may perform medicalservices that (a) are delegated by and provided under the supervision of alicensed physician, (b) are appropriate to the level of competence of thephysician assistant, (c) form a component of the supervising physician's scopeof practice, and (d) are not otherwise prohibited by law.(2) A physicianassistant shall be considered an agent of his or her supervising physicianin the performance of practice-related activities delegated by the supervisingphysician, including, but not limited to, ordering diagnostic, therapeutic,and other medical services.(3) Each physician assistant and his orher supervising physician shall be responsible to ensure that (a) the scopeof practice of the physician assistant is identified, (b) the delegation ofmedical tasks is appropriate to the level of competence of the physician assistant,(c) the relationship of and access to the supervising physician is defined,and (d) a process for evaluation of the performance of the physician assistantis established.(4) A physician assistant may pronounce death and may completeand sign death certificates and any other forms if such acts are within thescope of practice of the physician assistant, are delegated by his or hersupervising physician, and are not otherwise prohibited by law.(5) In orderfor a physician assistant to practice in a hospital, (a) his or her supervisingphysician shall be a member of the medical staff of the hospital, (b) thephysician assistant shall be approved by the governing board of the hospital,and (c) the physician assistant shall comply with applicable hospital policies,including, but not limited to, reasonable requirements that the physicianassistant and the supervising physician maintain professional liability insurancewith such coverage and limits as established by the governing board of thehospital.(6)For physician assistants with less than two years of experience, the department,with the recommendation of the board, shall adopt and promulgate rules andregulations establishing minimum requirements for the personal presence ofthe supervising physician, stated in hours or percentage of practice time, and may provide different minimum requirementsfor the personal presence of the supervising physician based on the geographiclocation of the supervising physician's primary and other practice sites andother factors the board deems relevant.(7) A physicianassistant may render services in a setting geographically remote from thesupervising physician, except that a physician assistant with less than twoyears of experience shall comply with standards of supervision establishedin rules and regulations adopted and promulgated under the Medicine and SurgeryPractice Act. The board may consider an application for waiver of the standardsand may waive the standards upon a showing of good cause by the supervisingphysician. The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations establishingminimum requirements for such waivers. SourceLaws 1973, LB 101, § 3; R.S.Supp.,1973, § 85-179.06; Laws 1985, LB 132, § 3; Laws 1993, LB 316, § 2; Laws 1996, LB 1108, § 9; R.S.1943, (2003), § 71-1,107.17; Laws 2007, LB463, § 705; Laws 2009, LB195, § 43. Cross ReferencesLiability limitations:Malpractice, Nebraska Hospital-Medical Liability Act, see section 44-2801 et seq.Rendering emergency aid, see section 25-21,186.