Section 638.053 - Licensed veterinary technician: Prohibited tasks; tasks requiring immediate, direct or indirect supervision1. A licensed veterinary technician may not perform the following tasks of animal health care:(b) Diagnosis and prognosis of animal diseases.(c) Except as authorized by a veterinarian, administer, prepare to dispense or dispense drugs, medicines or appliances.(d) Any other activity which represents the practice of veterinary medicine or which requires the knowledge, skill and training of a licensed veterinarian.2. A licensed veterinary technician may perform the following tasks under the immediate supervision of a supervising veterinarian:(a) Application of casts or splints for the immobilization of fractures.(b) Removal of: (1) Teeth that have extreme mobility and stage 4 periodontal disease; and(2) Retained deciduous teeth other than retained deciduous canine teeth.(c) Assisting a licensed veterinarian in surgery.(d) Fluid aspiration from a body cavity.(e) Suturing an existing surgical skin incision or gingival incision.(f) Placement of external drainage.3. A licensed veterinary technician may perform the following tasks under the immediate or direct supervision of a supervising veterinarian: (a) Induction of anesthesia.(b) Endotracheal intubation.(c) Blood administration.(d) Application of casts and splints.(e) Tasks listed in subsection 4, if the animal is anesthetized.(f) External noninvasive ultrasonography and ultrasonography for the purpose described in paragraph (g).(g) Cystocentesis to obtain a urine specimen, performed with or without the aid of ultrasonography.(i) Regional anesthesia, paravertebral blocks and local blocks.(j) Placement of intraosseous and nasal catheters.4. A licensed veterinary technician may perform the following tasks under the immediate, direct or indirect supervision of a supervising veterinarian:(a) Administration of enemas.(b) Administration of an electrocardiogram.(c) Application of bandages.(d) Catheterization of an unobstructed bladder.(e) nasoesophageal, nasogastric, oroesophageal or orogastric tube.(f) Ear flushing with pressure or suction.(g) Positioning of animals for radiographs or other diagnostic images.(h) Operation of radiographic or other diagnostic imaging machines.(i) Administration of oral and rectal radio-opaque materials.(j) Administration of oral and topical medications, including controlled substances.(k) Starting and restarting of intravenous fluids.(l) Collection of a laboratory specimen for analysis, including, but not limited to, blood, urine, skin, parasites and microorganisms.(m) Collection of tissue during or after a postmortem examination by a licensed veterinarian.(n) Administration of intramuscular, subcutaneous or intravenous injections.(o) Placement of an intravenous catheter.(p) Implantation of a subcutaneous identification microchip into the animal.(q) Monitoring of vital signs.(r) External anal gland expression.(s) Administration of a therapeutic laser.(t) Animal physical therapy.(u) Internal anal gland expression. No examination within the previous 12 hours is required for the collection of laboratory specimens.
5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, a licensed veterinary technician may perform the following tasks outside of a veterinary facility under the off-site supervision of a supervising veterinarian if a veterinarian-client-patient relationship has been established by the supervising veterinarian and a diagnosis has been made for the specific treatment of an animal:(a) Application and changing of bandages and removal of sutures or staples.(b) Administration of oral and topical medications.(c) Starting and administering of intravenous or subcutaneous fluids.(d) Collection of a laboratory specimen for analysis, including, but not limited to, blood, urine, skin, parasites and microorganisms.(e) Administration of intramuscular, subcutaneous or intravenous injections, except for vaccinations.(f) Appropriate implantation of an identification microchip into an animal other than a horse.(g) Monitoring of vital signs.(h) External anal gland expressions.(i) Administration of a therapeutic laser.(j) Animal physical therapy. No examination within the previous 12 hours is required for the collection of laboratory specimens.
6. A licensed veterinary technician may not perform any act under the off-site supervision of a supervising veterinarian without first taking the animal's temperature, pulse and respiration rate. A veterinary technician in training shall not perform any act under the off-site supervision of a supervising veterinarian unless supervised by a licensed veterinary technician.7. As used in this section: (a) "Off-site supervision" means the supervising veterinarian is not at the same physical location as the animal and the person treating the animal, but has given written or oral instructions for treatment of the animal and is available by telephone to immediately respond to any inquiry or concern from the person treating the animal during the course of treating the animal.(b) "Other diagnostic image" has the meaning ascribed to it in NAC 638.0475.Nev. Admin. Code § 638.053
Added to NAC by Bd. of Veterinary Med. Exam'rs, eff. 3-19-86; A 7-7-94; 11-26-96; R069-01, 10-12-2001; R041-02, 8-7-2003; R130-04, 1-26-2005; R074-06, 6-28-2006; R075-06, 11-13-2006; R088-07, 4-17-2008; R072-09, 4-20-2010; R116-10, 12-30-2011, eff. 1-1-2012; A by R063-13, eff. 6/23/2014; A by R116-23A, eff. 2/13/2024