Registration and Regulation Committee

Adopted in House Comm. on May 19, 2005

 

 


 

 


 
09400SB1842ham001 LRB094 11425 RAS 45614 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1842

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1842 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act
5 is 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7     (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2008)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

 

 

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1     education program approved by the Department.
2         (3) Is licensed as a professional nurse in another
3     state or territory of the United States and has submitted a
4     verification of active and unencumbered licensure in all of
5     the states and territories in which the applicant is
6     licensed.
7         (4) Has submitted verification of an offer of
8     employment in Illinois as a nurse extern. The Department
9     may prescribe the information necessary to determine if
10     this employment meets the requirements of the permit
11     program. This information shall include a copy of the
12     written employment offer.
13         (5) Has submitted a written statement from the
14     applicant's prospective employer stating that the
15     prospective employer agrees to pay the full tuition for the
16     Bilingual Nurse Consortium course or other course approved
17     by rule.
18         (6) Has submitted proof of taking the Test of English
19     as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score as set
20     by rule. Applicants with the highest TOEFL scores shall be
21     given first consideration to entrance into an extern
22     program.
23         (7) Has submitted written verification that the
24     applicant has been enrolled in the Bilingual Nurse
25     Consortium course or other course approved by rule. This
26     verification must state that the applicant shall be able to
27     complete the course within the year for which the permit is
28     issued.
29         (8) Has agreed to submit to the Department a mid-year
30     exam as determined by rule that demonstrates proficiency
31     towards passing the NCLEX.
32         (9) Has not violated the provisions of Section 10-45 of
33     this Act. The Department may take into consideration any
34     felony conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction

 

 

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1     shall not operate as an absolute bar to licensure.
2         (10) Has met all other requirements established by
3     rule.
4     (c) A nurse extern shall be issued no more than one permit
5 in a lifetime. The permit shall expire one calendar year after
6 it is issued. Before being issued a license under this Act, the
7 nurse extern must submit proof of the successful completion of
8 the Bilingual Nurse Consortium course or other course approved
9 by rule and successful passage of the NCLEX. The nurse extern
10 shall not practice autonomous, professional nursing until he or
11 she is licensed under this Act. The nurse extern shall carry
12 out progressive nursing skills under the direct supervision of
13 a registered nurse licensed under this Act and shall not be
14 employed in a supervisory capacity. The nurse extern shall work
15 only in the sponsoring facility. A nurse extern may work for a
16 period not to exceed one calendar year from the date of
17 issuance of the permit or until he or she fails the NCLEX.
18 While working as a nurse extern, the nurse extern is subject to
19 the provisions of this Act and all rules adopted by the
20 Department for the administration of this Act.
21     (d) The Secretary shall convene a task force within 2
22 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
23 94th General Assembly to establish clinical guidelines that
24 allow for the gradual progression of nursing skills in
25 culturally diverse practice settings. The Nursing Act
26 Coordinator or his or her designee shall serve as chairperson
27 of the task force. The task force shall include, but not be
28 limited to, 2 representatives of the Illinois Nurses
29 Association, 2 representatives of the Illinois Hispanic Nurses
30 Association, a nurse engaged in nursing education who possesses
31 a master's degree or higher, one representative from the
32 Humboldt Park Vocational Educational Center, 2 registered
33 nurses from United States territories who each hold a current
34 State nursing license, one representative from the Chicago

 

 

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1 Bilingual Nurse Consortium, and one member of the Illinois
2 Hospital Association. The task force shall complete this work
3 no longer than 4 months after convening. After the nurse
4 externship permit program has been in effect for 2 years, the
5 task force shall evaluate the effectiveness of the program and
6 make appropriate recommendations to the Secretary.
 
7     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.".