Public Act 094-0351
 
SB1842 Enrolled LRB094 11425 RAS 42335 b

    AN ACT concerning nursing.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act is
amended by adding Section 10-37 as follows:
 
    (225 ILCS 65/10-37 new)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2008)
    Sec. 10-37. Nurse externship permit.
    (a) The Department shall establish a 2-year program under
which the Department may issue a nurse externship permit to a
registered nurse who is licensed under the laws of another
state or territory of the United States and who has not taken
the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). A nurse who
is issued a permit shall be allowed to practice as a nurse
extern under the direct, on-site supervision of a registered
professional nurse licensed under this Act. There shall be one
supervising registered professional nurse for every one nurse
extern.
    (b) An applicant shall be qualified to receive a nurse
externship permit if that applicant:
        (1) Has submitted a completed written application to
    the Department, on forms provided by the Department, and
    paid any fees established by the Department.
        (2) Has graduated from a professional nursing
    education program approved by the Department.
        (3) Is licensed as a professional nurse in another
    state or territory of the United States and has submitted a
    verification of active and unencumbered licensure in all of
    the states and territories in which the applicant is
    licensed.
        (4) Has submitted verification of an offer of
    employment in Illinois as a nurse extern. The Department
    may prescribe the information necessary to determine if
    this employment meets the requirements of the permit
    program. This information shall include a copy of the
    written employment offer.
        (5) Has submitted a written statement from the
    applicant's prospective employer stating that the
    prospective employer agrees to pay the full tuition for the
    Bilingual Nurse Consortium course or other course approved
    by rule.
        (6) Has submitted proof of taking the Test of English
    as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score as set
    by rule. Applicants with the highest TOEFL scores shall be
    given first consideration to entrance into an extern
    program.
        (7) Has submitted written verification that the
    applicant has been enrolled in the Bilingual Nurse
    Consortium course or other course approved by rule. This
    verification must state that the applicant shall be able to
    complete the course within the year for which the permit is
    issued.
        (8) Has agreed to submit to the Department a mid-year
    exam as determined by rule that demonstrates proficiency
    towards passing the NCLEX.
        (9) Has not violated the provisions of Section 10-45 of
    this Act. The Department may take into consideration any
    felony conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction
    shall not operate as an absolute bar to licensure.
        (10) Has met all other requirements established by
    rule.
    (c) A nurse extern shall be issued no more than one permit
in a lifetime. The permit shall expire one calendar year after
it is issued. Before being issued a license under this Act, the
nurse extern must submit proof of the successful completion of
the Bilingual Nurse Consortium course or other course approved
by rule and successful passage of the NCLEX. The nurse extern
shall not practice autonomous, professional nursing until he or
she is licensed under this Act. The nurse extern shall carry
out progressive nursing skills under the direct supervision of
a registered nurse licensed under this Act and shall not be
employed in a supervisory capacity. The nurse extern shall work
only in the sponsoring facility. A nurse extern may work for a
period not to exceed one calendar year from the date of
issuance of the permit or until he or she fails the NCLEX.
While working as a nurse extern, the nurse extern is subject to
the provisions of this Act and all rules adopted by the
Department for the administration of this Act.
    (d) The Secretary shall convene a task force within 2
months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
94th General Assembly to establish clinical guidelines that
allow for the gradual progression of nursing skills in
culturally diverse practice settings. The Nursing Act
Coordinator or his or her designee shall serve as chairperson
of the task force. The task force shall include, but not be
limited to, 2 representatives of the Illinois Nurses
Association, 2 representatives of the Illinois Hispanic Nurses
Association, a nurse engaged in nursing education who possesses
a master's degree or higher, one representative from the
Humboldt Park Vocational Educational Center, 2 registered
nurses from United States territories who each hold a current
State nursing license, one representative from the Chicago
Bilingual Nurse Consortium, and one member of the Illinois
Hospital Association. The task force shall complete this work
no longer than 4 months after convening. After the nurse
externship permit program has been in effect for 2 years, the
task force shall evaluate the effectiveness of the program and
make appropriate recommendations to the Secretary.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.