Nursing
Nurse Practice Act
Governor Blagojevich signed the updated Nurse Practice Act into law on Oct. 5, 2007. The new law, due to sunset in 2018, recognizes nurses' larger role in providing health care, and clarifies APN, RN and LPN responsibilities and requirements.
Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity
In 2007, Governor Blagojevich signed SB867 into law. The legislation was strongly supported by IHA to address hospital staffing based on patient acuity. The Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity law addresses hospitals' staffing plans based on each hospital's patient acuity model, incorporating recommendations from a nursing care committee comprised of 50% direct care nurses.