§ 50-10

(was 225 ILCS 65/5-10) (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028) Sec. 50-10. Definitions. Each of the following terms, when used in this Act, shall have the meaning ascribed to it in this Section, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Academic year" means the customary annual schedule of courses at a college, university, or approved school, customarily regarded as the school year as distinguished from the calendar year. "Address of record" means the designated address recorded by the Department in the applicant's or licensee's application file or license file as maintained by the Department's licensure maintenance unit. "Advanced practice registered nurse" or "APRN" means a person who has met the qualifications for a (i) certified nurse midwife (CNM); (ii) certified nurse practitioner (CNP); (iii) certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA); or (iv) clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and has been licensed by the Department. All advanced practice registered nurses licensed and practicing in the State of Illinois shall use the title APRN and may use specialty credentials CNM, CNP, CRNA, or CNS after their name. All advanced practice registered nurses may only practice in accordance with national certification and this Act. "Advisory Board" means the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center Advisory Board. "Approved program of professional nursing education" and "approved program of practical nursing education" are programs of professional or practical nursing, respectively, approved by the Department under the provisions of this Act. "Board" means the Board of Nursing appointed by the Secretary. "Center" means the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. "Collaboration" means a process involving 2 or more health care professionals working together, each contributing one's respective area of expertise to provide more comprehensive patient care. "Competence" means an expected and measurable level of performance that integrates knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment based on established scientific knowledge and expectations for nursing practice. "Comprehensive nursing assessment" means the gathering of information about the patient's physiological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual status on an ongoing basis by a registered professional nurse and is the first step in implementing and guiding the nursing plan of care. "Consultation" means the process whereby an advanced practice registered nurse seeks the advice or opinion of another health care professional. "Credentialed" means the process of assessing and validating the qualifications of a health care professional. "Dentist" means a person licensed to practice dentistry under the Illinois Dental Practice Act. "Department" means the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. "Email address of record" means the designated email address recorded by the Department in the applicant's application file or the licensee's license file, as maintained by the Department's licensure maintenance unit. "Focused nursing assessment" means an appraisal of an individual's status and current situation, contributing to the comprehensive nursing assessment performed by the registered professional nurse or advanced practice registered nurse or the assessment by the physician assistant, physician, dentist, podiatric physician, or other licensed health care professional, as determined by the Department, supporting ongoing data collection, and deciding who needs to be informed of the information and when to inform. "Full practice authority" means the authority of an advanced practice registered nurse licensed in Illinois and certified as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse midwife to practice without a written collaborative agreement and: (1) to be fully accountable to patients for the quality of advanced nursing care rendered; (2) to be fully accountable for recognizing limits of knowledge and experience and for planning for the management of situations beyond the advanced practice registered nurse's expertise; the full practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses includes accepting referrals from, consulting with, collaborating with, or referring to other health care professionals as warranted by the needs of the patient; and (3) to possess the authority to prescribe medications, including Schedule II through V controlled substances, as provided in Section 65-43. "Full practice authority-pending advanced practice registered nurse" means an advanced practice registered nurse licensed in Illinois and certified as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse midwife who has provided a notarized attestation of completion of at least 250 hours of continuing education or training in the advanced practice registered nurse's area of certification and at least 4,000 hours of clinical experience after first attaining national certification and who has submitted an application to the Department to be granted full practice authority. "Hospital affiliate" means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or similar organization, other than a hospital, that is devoted primarily to the provision, management, or support of health care services and that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control of the hospital. For the purposes of this definition, "control" means having at least an equal or a majority ownership or membership interest. A hospital affiliate shall be 100% owned or controlled by any combination of hospitals, their parent corporations, or physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in Illinois. "Hospital affiliate" does not include a health maintenance organization regulated under the Health Maintenance Organization Act. "Impaired nurse" means a nurse licensed under this Act who is unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety because of a physical or mental disability as evidenced by a written determination or written consent based on clinical evidence, including loss of motor skills, abuse of drugs or alcohol, or a psychiatric disorder, of sufficient degree to diminish his or her ability to deliver competent patient care. "License-pending advanced practice registered nurse" means a registered professional nurse who has completed all requirements for licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse except the certification examination and has applied to take the next available certification exam and received a temporary permit from the Department. "License-pending registered nurse" means a person who has passed the Department-approved registered nurse licensure exam and has applied for a license from the Department. A license-pending registered nurse shall use the title "RN lic pend" on all documentation related to nursing practice. "Maternity care desert" means a county without any hospital, any birth center, or any licensed health care professional offering obstetric care. "Nursing intervention" means any treatment based on clinical nursing judgment or knowledge that a nurse performs. An individual or entity shall not mandate that a registered professional nurse delegate nursing interventions if the registered professional nurse determines it is inappropriate to do so. A nurse shall not be subject to disciplinary or any other adverse action for refusing to delegate a nursing intervention based on patient safety. "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine in all its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987. "Podiatric physician" means a person licensed to practice podiatry under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987. "Practical nurse" or "licensed practical nurse" means a person who is licensed as a practical nurse under this Act and practices practical nursing as defined in this Act. Only a practical nurse licensed under this Act is entitled to use the title "licensed practical nurse" and the abbreviation "L.P.N.". "Practical nursing" means the performance of nursing interventions requiring the nursing knowledge, judgment, and skill acquired by means of completion of an approved practical nursing education program. Practical nursing includes assisting in the nursing process under the guidance of a registered professional nurse or an advanced practice registered nurse. The practical nurse may work under the direction of a licensed physician, dentist, podiatric physician, or other health care professional determined by the Department. "Privileged" means the authorization granted by the governing body of a healthcare facility, agency, or organization to provide specific patient care services within well-defined limits, based on qualifications reviewed in the credentialing process. "Registered Nurse" or "Registered Professional Nurse" means a person who is licensed as a professional nurse under this Act and practices nursing as defined in this Act. Only a registered nurse licensed under this Act is entitled to use the titles "registered nurse" and "registered professional nurse" and the abbreviation, "R.N.". "Registered professional nursing practice" means a scientific process founded on a professional body of knowledge that includes, but is not limited to, the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, development and implementation of the nursing plan of care, facilitation of nursing interventions to alleviate suffering, care coordination, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. "Registered professional nursing practice" does not include the act of medical diagnosis or prescription of medical therapeutic or corrective measures. "Professional assistance program for nurses" means a professional assistance program that meets criteria established by the Board of Nursing and approved by the Secretary, which provides a non-disciplinary treatment approach for nurses licensed under this Act whose ability to practice is compromised by alcohol or chemical substance addiction. "Secretary" means the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation. "Unencumbered license" means a license issued in good standing. "Written collaborative agreement" means a written agreement between an advanced practice registered nurse and a collaborating physician, dentist, or podiatric physician pursuant to Section 65-35.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-686, eff. 1-1-25; 104-244, eff. 1-1-26 .)