Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has signed an executive order letting drug counselors, physical therapists, and other health professionals practice in their field even if they aren’t licensed in Nebraska.
The order signed Wednesday is aimed at addressing staffing shortages that have grown worse during the coronavirus pandemic, and it will remain in effect through the end of the year.
Ricketts declared a “hospital staffing emergency” in August created by the surge in COVID-19 cases and a backlog of largely non-virus patients who put off getting medical treatment earlier in the pandemic