SB1842 Enrolled LRB094 11425 RAS 42335 b

1     AN ACT concerning nursing.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act is
5 amended by adding Section 10-37 as follows:
 
6     (225 ILCS 65/10-37 new)
7     (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2008)
8     Sec. 10-37. Nurse externship permit.
9     (a) The Department shall establish a 2-year program under
10 which the Department may issue a nurse externship permit to a
11 registered nurse who is licensed under the laws of another
12 state or territory of the United States and who has not taken
13 the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). A nurse who
14 is issued a permit shall be allowed to practice as a nurse
15 extern under the direct, on-site supervision of a registered
16 professional nurse licensed under this Act. There shall be one
17 supervising registered professional nurse for every one nurse
18 extern.
19     (b) An applicant shall be qualified to receive a nurse
20 externship permit if that applicant:
21         (1) Has submitted a completed written application to
22     the Department, on forms provided by the Department, and
23     paid any fees established by the Department.
24         (2) Has graduated from a professional nursing
25     education program approved by the Department.
26         (3) Is licensed as a professional nurse in another
27     state or territory of the United States and has submitted a
28     verification of active and unencumbered licensure in all of
29     the states and territories in which the applicant is
30     licensed.
31         (4) Has submitted verification of an offer of
32     employment in Illinois as a nurse extern. The Department

 

 

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1     may prescribe the information necessary to determine if
2     this employment meets the requirements of the permit
3     program. This information shall include a copy of the
4     written employment offer.
5         (5) Has submitted a written statement from the
6     applicant's prospective employer stating that the
7     prospective employer agrees to pay the full tuition for the
8     Bilingual Nurse Consortium course or other course approved
9     by rule.
10         (6) Has submitted proof of taking the Test of English
11     as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score as set
12     by rule. Applicants with the highest TOEFL scores shall be
13     given first consideration to entrance into an extern
14     program.
15         (7) Has submitted written verification that the
16     applicant has been enrolled in the Bilingual Nurse
17     Consortium course or other course approved by rule. This
18     verification must state that the applicant shall be able to
19     complete the course within the year for which the permit is
20     issued.
21         (8) Has agreed to submit to the Department a mid-year
22     exam as determined by rule that demonstrates proficiency
23     towards passing the NCLEX.
24         (9) Has not violated the provisions of Section 10-45 of
25     this Act. The Department may take into consideration any
26     felony conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction
27     shall not operate as an absolute bar to licensure.
28         (10) Has met all other requirements established by
29     rule.
30     (c) A nurse extern shall be issued no more than one permit
31 in a lifetime. The permit shall expire one calendar year after
32 it is issued. Before being issued a license under this Act, the
33 nurse extern must submit proof of the successful completion of
34 the Bilingual Nurse Consortium course or other course approved
35 by rule and successful passage of the NCLEX. The nurse extern
36 shall not practice autonomous, professional nursing until he or

 

 

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1 she is licensed under this Act. The nurse extern shall carry
2 out progressive nursing skills under the direct supervision of
3 a registered nurse licensed under this Act and shall not be
4 employed in a supervisory capacity. The nurse extern shall work
5 only in the sponsoring facility. A nurse extern may work for a
6 period not to exceed one calendar year from the date of
7 issuance of the permit or until he or she fails the NCLEX.
8 While working as a nurse extern, the nurse extern is subject to
9 the provisions of this Act and all rules adopted by the
10 Department for the administration of this Act.
11     (d) The Secretary shall convene a task force within 2
12 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
13 94th General Assembly to establish clinical guidelines that
14 allow for the gradual progression of nursing skills in
15 culturally diverse practice settings. The Nursing Act
16 Coordinator or his or her designee shall serve as chairperson
17 of the task force. The task force shall include, but not be
18 limited to, 2 representatives of the Illinois Nurses
19 Association, 2 representatives of the Illinois Hispanic Nurses
20 Association, a nurse engaged in nursing education who possesses
21 a master's degree or higher, one representative from the
22 Humboldt Park Vocational Educational Center, 2 registered
23 nurses from United States territories who each hold a current
24 State nursing license, one representative from the Chicago
25 Bilingual Nurse Consortium, and one member of the Illinois
26 Hospital Association. The task force shall complete this work
27 no longer than 4 months after convening. After the nurse
28 externship permit program has been in effect for 2 years, the
29 task force shall evaluate the effectiveness of the program and
30 make appropriate recommendations to the Secretary.
 
31     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
32 becoming law.