(210 ILCS 86/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. For the purpose of this Act:
"Average daily census" means the average number of inpatients
receiving
service on any given 24-hour period beginning at midnight in each clinical
service area of the
hospital.
"Clinical service area" means a grouping of clinical services by a generic
class of
various types or levels of support functions, equipment, care, or treatment
provided to
inpatients. Hospitals may have, but are not required to have, the following
categories of
service: behavioral health, critical care, maternal-child care,
medical-surgical, pediatrics,
perioperative services, and telemetry.
"Department" means the Department of Public Health.
"Direct-care nurse" and "direct-care nursing staff" includes any registered
nurse,
licensed practical nurse, or assistive nursing personnel with direct
responsibility to oversee or
carry out medical regimens or nursing care for one or more patient.
"Hospital" means a health care facility licensed under the Hospital Licensing
Act.
"Nursing care" means care that falls within the scope of practice set
forth in the
Nurse Practice Act or is otherwise encompassed within
recognized
professional standards of nursing practice, including assessment, nursing
diagnosis, planning,
intervention, evaluation, and patient advocacy.
"Retaliate" means to discipline, discharge, suspend, demote,
harass, deny
employment or promotion, lay off, or take any other adverse action against
direct-care
nursing staff as a result of that nursing staff taking any action described in
this
Act.
"Skill mix" means the differences in licensing, specialty, and experiences
among direct-care nurses.
"Staffing levels" means the numerical nurse to patient ratio by licensed
nurse
classification within a nursing department or unit.
"Unit" means a functional division or area of a hospital in which nursing
care is
provided.
(Source: P.A. 95-639, eff. 10-5-07.)
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