Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 71. Public Health and Welfare § 71-6725. Minimum standards for competencies

(1) The minimum competencies for a medication aide, a person licensed to operate a child care facility or a staff member of a child care facility, or a staff member of a school shall include (a) maintaining confidentiality, (b) complying with a recipient's right to refuse to take medication, (c) maintaining hygiene and current accepted standards for infection control, (d) documenting accurately and completely, (e) providing medications according to the five rights, (f) having the ability to understand and follow instructions, (g) practicing safety in application of medication procedures, (h) complying with limitations and conditions under which a medication aide may provide medications, and (i) having an awareness of abuse and neglect reporting requirements and any other areas as shall be determined by rules or regulations.

(2) The Department of Health and Human Services shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations setting minimum standards for competencies listed in subsection (1) of this section and methods for competency assessment of medication aides. The Department of Health and Human Services shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations setting methods for competency assessment of the person licensed to operate a child care facility or staff of child care facilities. The State Department of Education shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations setting methods for competency assessment of the school staff member.

(3) A medication aide, except one who is employed by a nursing home, an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities, or an assisted-living facility, a person licensed to operate a child care facility or a staff member of a child care facility, or a staff member of a school shall not be required to take a course. The medication aide shall be assessed to determine that the medication aide has the competencies listed in subsection (1) of this section.

(4) A medication aide providing services in an assisted-living facility as defined in section 71-5903, a nursing home, or an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities shall be required to have completed a forty-hour course on the competencies listed in subsection (1) of this section and competency standards established through rules and regulations as provided for in subsection (2) of this section, except that a medication aide who has, prior to January 1, 2003, completed a twenty-hour course and passed an examination developed and administered by the Department of Health and Human Services may complete a second twenty-hour course supplemental to the first twenty-hour course in lieu of completing the forty-hour course. The department shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations regarding the procedures and criteria for curriculum. Competency assessment shall include passing an examination developed and administered by the department. Criteria for establishing a passing standard for the examination shall be established in rules and regulations.

(5) Medication aides providing services in nursing homes or intermediate care facilities for persons with developmental disabilities shall also meet the requirements set forth in section 71-6039.