062-7 Wyo. Code R. §§ 7-6 - Physical therapy aides
(a) Definitions
that apply to this section:
(i) "Physical
therapy aide" or "aide" means a person who is not licensed as a physical
therapist or certified as a physical therapist assistant, who aids a physical
therapist or physical therapist assistant by performing treatment-related tasks
or by performing nontreatment, patient-related tasks. Although they may be
providing services to a patient pursuant to direction or instruction from a
physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, the following persons are
not considered physical therapy aides:
(A)
Educational or instructional aides or assistants working in a school setting;
or
(B) Nurses aides, restorative
aides or personal care assistants, persons performing facility maintenance,
equipment assembly and maintenance, housekeeping, clerical, or other similar
tasks.
(ii)
"Treatment-related task" means a physical therapy service rendered directly to
a patient.
(iii) "Non-treatment,
patient-related task" means a task related to preparation of treatment areas,
transport of patients, preparation of patients for treatment, and clerical
tasks.
(iv) "Supervise" means to
provide the amount of personal direction, assistance, advice and instruction
necessary to reasonably assure that the supervisee provides the patient
competent physical therapy services given the supervisor's actual knowledge of
the supervisee's ability, training and experiences. Additionally, supervision
of:
(A) A treatment-related task requires that
the supervising physical therapist or physical therapist assistant be in the
same building within sight or earshot of the aide who is performing the
treatment-related task. The supervising physical therapist or physical
therapist assistant shall be immediately available at all times to provide
in-person direction, assistance, advice, or instruction to the aide or the
patient. A physical therapist may delegate supervision of an aide to a physical
therapist assistant.
(B) A
non-treatment patient-related task requires that the supervising physical
therapist or physical therapist assistant be within the building where the aide
is performing the task.
(b) Supervision; Delegation of Supervision;
Professional Responsibility of Supervisors and Supervisees:
(i) The physical therapist shall supervise
the physical therapy aide in each treatment task and each non-treatment
patient-related task assigned to the aide. The supervising physical therapist
may delegate to a physical therapist assistant supervision of the
aide.
(ii) A physical therapist or
physical therapist assistant is responsible for the competent performance of
tasks assigned to an aide whom the physical therapist or physical therapist
assistant is supervising.
(iii)
When a treatment-related task is performed by an aide, the supervising physical
therapist or physical therapist assistant shall, at some point during each
treatment, provide direct service to the patient to assess and monitor the
patient's progress, and so document in the patient's record.
(c) Prohibited treatment-related
tasks. A physical therapist or physical therapist assistant shall not permit an
aide to perform any of the following treatment-related tasks:
(i) Administer mechanized or manual
traction;
(ii) Perform manual
stretching with the goal of increasing range of motion, neuro-facilitation, or
cardiac therapeutic exercise;
(iii)
Wound debridement;
(iv) Administer
tilt table or standing frame.
(v)
Joint mobilization or manipulation;
(vi) Determine or modify a plan of
care;
(vii) Instruct a patient or a
patient's caregiver in the application of any treatment.
(viii) Except as required to respond to an
inquiry by the Board or other person authorized to receive the information,
answer or discuss any questions regarding a patient's status or treatment with
anyone other than the physical therapist or physical therapist
assistant.
(d) Limited
Treatment Related Tasks.
(i) The physical
therapist or physical therapist assistant shall not delegate the following
tasks to an aide unless specific treatment protocol and parameters have been
defined by the physical therapist;
(A)
Administer iontophoresis;
(B)
Administer phonophoresis;
(C)
Administer electrotherapy; and
(D)
Administer ultrasound.
(ii) No physical therapy aide shall
independently make entries in a patient record, except for objective
information about the treatment provided by the aide. A physical therapist or
physical therapist assistant may dictate information to an aide for entry into
a patient medical record. The physical therapist or physical therapist
assistant shall authenticate these entries;
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.