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    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2008)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.