In 2017, Illinois passed legislation allowing advanced practice registered nurses (“APRNs”) to apply for full practice authority. Nurses who qualify for full practice authority are able to practice independently without the collaboration or oversight of a physician in both their nursing and prescriptive practices. Although Governor Bruce Rauner signed the bill in late 2017 and the law went into effect on January 1, 2018, until now there has been no corresponding administrative rules on the process to obtain the independent practice license. This missing link has left APRNs unable to obtain full practice authority and caused great confusion within the nursing community in Illinois. But that just changed. Late last month, Illinois published proposed amendments to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) administrative code to address APRN independent practice authority.
Under the proposed rules, current APRN license-holders in good standing may apply for full practice authority by submitting an application fee of $125 along with notarized attestations of completion of (1) 250 hours of continuing education and training in their area of certification and (2) at least 4,000 hours of clinical experience in their area of certification attained in collaboration with and certified by a physician(s). Following independent licensure, all APRNs will need to complete 80 hours of continuing medical education for their license renewal every two years. APRNs with full practice authority may practice without a collaboration agreement within the full scope of advanced practice registered nursing. APRNs with full practice authority may also prescribe legend II through V drugs provided they first obtain an Illinois controlled substance license and a federal Drug Enforcement Administration number. The full practice authority license does not permit APRNs to perform surgery or any other procedures that are required by law to be performed by a physician.
You can read the current version of the statute here and read the Proposed amendments to the IDFPR administrative code here (beginning on page 206).
If you have questions regarding legal or regulatory matters concerning the new proposed amendments for APRNs in Illinois, please email us at info@byrdadatto.com.
