Section 1300.200  Application for Examination or Licensure

a)         Each applicant shall file with the Division or the testing service designated by the Division a completed, signed application, on forms supplied by the Division, that includes:

1)         Proof of graduation from a licensed practical nursing education program that meets the requirements of Section 1300.230;

2)         Verification of fingerprint processing from ISP or its designated agent.  (Practical nurses licensed in Illinois are not required to be fingerprinted when applying for a license as a registered professional nurse.)  Applicants shall contact an Illinois-licensed fingerprint vendor for fingerprint processing.  Out-of-state residents may have their fingerprints taken by an out-of-state vendor but the fingerprints must be processed by an Illinois Livescan Vendor.  Fingerprints shall be taken within the 60 days prior to application;

3)         The required fees set forth in Section 1300.30(a)(1);

4)         For applicants educated outside the United States or its territories, the following:

A)        A credentials evaluation report of the applicant's foreign nursing education from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), Credentials Evaluation Service (CES), the Educational Records Evaluation Service (ERES), or another credentialing service approved by the Division.  However, the Division shall not accept a credential report that does not evaluate the educational program of the applicant based upon receipt and review of official transcripts from the nursing education program bearing the school seal. In order to be accepted by the Division, credential reports shall be in a form and manner acceptable to the Division.

B)        If the applicant's first language is not English, certification of passage of either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Module.  For TOEFL, the minimum passing score on the paper-based test is 560, computer-based test is 220, and internet-based test is 83.  For the IELTS General Training Module, the minimum passing score shall be 6.0 (overall score) and 7.0 (spoken band).  The Division may, upon recommendation from an approved credentials evaluation service, waive the requirement that the applicant pass the TOEFL or IELTS examination if the applicant submits verification of the successful completion of a nursing education program conducted in English or the passage of an approved licensing examination given in English;

5)         Official transcripts of theory and clinical education prepared by an official of the military for a practical nurse applicant who has received practical nursing education in the military service.  This education must meet the standards set forth in Section 1300.230; and

6)         Verification from the jurisdictions in which the applicant was originally licensed, current state of licensure and any other jurisdiction in which the applicant has been actively practicing within the last 5 years, if applicable, stating:

A)        The time during which the applicant was licensed in that jurisdiction, including the date of original issuance of the license; and

B)        Whether the file on the applicant contains any record of disciplinary actions taken or pending.

b)         Any applicant who fails to demonstrate fulfillment of the education requirements shall be notified in writing and must satisfy the deficiency before being granted temporary authority to practice nursing, as permitted by Section 60-10 of the Act, or being admitted to the examination.  Deficiencies in nursing theory and/or clinical practice may be removed by taking the required courses in an approved nursing education program.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 228, effective January 4, 2021)