Continuing education: Subjects; approval of and credit for courses; minimum hours; credit for community service.

1. Subjects for continuing education in ophthalmic dispensing include: (a) Mechanical and geometric optics; (b) The measurement, fitting and adapting of eyeglasses, contact lenses and optical prosthetics; (c) Optical materials and their design and uses as visual aids; (d) The nature and properties of light and its refraction by lenses; (e) The anatomy and physiology of the eye and its appendages; (f) The principles of management relating to ophthalmic dispensing; (g) The principles of ophthalmic dispensing and the wearing of contact lenses related to ophthalmology and optometry; (h) Refractometry; (i) Anatomy, physiology and health of the eye; (j) Ethics in ophthalmic dispensing; (k) Ophthalmic products; (l) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training; and (m) The provisions of this chapter and chapter 637 of NRS. 2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, the Board will approve each course of continuing education and determine the number of credits to be given for each course. A sponsor of a course shall submit to the Board an outline of the course, and any other related materials that the Board may require, for approval of the course before the course is offered. 3. The Board may deem approved those courses of continuing education: (a) Approved for credit by an accrediting organization recognized and approved by the Board; or (b) Provided by a sponsor or organization that has been approved by the Board. 4. A licensee is not entitled to receive credit for a course of continuing education unless the course is approved by the Board. A licensee may seek approval of a course before attending the course to receive credit towards his or her hours of continuing education by submitting to the Board an outline of the course and any other related materials that the Board may require. 5. A licensee may not receive credit towards his or her hours of continuing education for a specific course of continuing education more than once every 3 years. 6. A dispensing optician or dispensing optician with a limited license may satisfy the requirements for continuing education through any combination of live courses, self-study courses and courses offered over the Internet. 7. A dispensing optician with a limited license shall complete at least 12 hours of continuing education by not later than December 31 of each year. The dispensing optician with a limited license is entitled to receive credit for not more than 6 additional hours of continuing education completed during a year and may apply those hours of continuing education to the requirement for continuing education for the following year. 8. A dispensing optician shall complete at least 14 hours of continuing education not later than December 31 of each year, including 7 hours of instruction related to the practice and theory of fitting contact lenses. The dispensing optician is entitled to receive credit for not more than 7 additional hours of continuing education completed during a year and may apply those hours of continuing education to the requirement for continuing education for the following year. 9. A dispensing optician or dispensing optician with a limited license who completes additional hours of continuing education pursuant to subsection 7 or 8, as applicable, may not submit to the Board the certificate of completion for each course in which those additional hours of continuing education were completed unless he or she is required to do so pursuant to NAC 637.190 . 10. A dispensing optician or dispensing optician with a limited license may receive credit for not more than 4 hours of continuing education each year for community service time spent providing dispensing optician services. Such credit: (a) Must be evidenced on a form provided by and submitted to the Board; and (b) Subject to the limit of 4 hours, will be credited on an hour-for-hour basis if approved by the Board.