This government regulatory agency is a division of the state Health and Human Services Department. It licenses practitioners who meet educational and examination standards, and enforces license renewal and continuing education requirements.
The board establishes criteria for curricula at massage therapy schools, and requires postsecondary institutions to have affiliations with licensed physicians. It also mandates certain recordkeeping protocols and other policies. Officials inspect school facilities annually to ensure they comply with safety and hygiene rules.
Another duty is to investigate complaints of alleged illegal or unethical behavior. Practitioners who violate regulations are subject to disciplinary action, including the temporary or permanent loss of their licences.
The board is made up three professional members and two state residents who represent the public.
Minimum Education Requirements for Massage Therapy Programs in Nebraska
To become a massage therapist in Nebraska, students must begin by securing high school diplomas or GEDs. They then need to win acceptance to accredited massage therapy schools with programs that comply with state requirements..
The board mandates that a curriculum provide 1,000 or more clock hours of instruction and training. This is to include at least 100 hours of classes in each of the following: anatomy, physiology, pathology, hygiene, health services management, massage theory and practice, and hydrotherapy.
Individual schools determine the content of the remaining 300 hours. A program may teach a wide variety of massage techniques, require multiple business courses, or include general education classes in the core curriculum. Fifteen clock hours are comparable to one semester hour.
Students have to pass a final practical exam assessing their knowledge of sanitation, draping, effleurage, and petrissage. They can then apply for licensure. An applicant must be at least 19 years old and a graduate of an approved education program. The board also requires CPR certification, a criminal background check, and a 75 percent score on a jurisprudence exam.
In addition, prospective practitioners need to post an acceptable score on the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx). On online exam application is available from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. Testing sessions take place at Pearson VUE centers.
Practitioners here have to get new licenses every second year. They must receive 24 hours of continuing education, including three hours of ethics and 14 “hands-on” hours in workshops.