Before 2017, advanced practice nurses (APNs) could not work independently from physicians. However, in 2017, the Illinois Governor signed a law allowing individual nurses to provide services without being dependent on physicians (Korte, 2017). The law amends the Nurse Practice Act to enable APNs and other nurses to work without a written agreement with doctors (“Full practice authority,” 2019). One has to obtain a Full Practice Authority (FPA) license to attain this possibility.
One of the restrictions related to NP practice is as follows: a certified nurse-midwife cannot provide the services of a clinical nurse specialist without attaining a suitable license (“Full practice authority,” 2019). There is a variety of FPA licenses, and certain geographic restrictions are in place as well since a nurse may work independently only in a region in which she is certified (“Full practice authority,” 2019). Another restriction for NPs in the state of Illinois is linked to drug prescription. APNs are not allowed to offer services reserved for physicians and cannot prescribe certain drugs. Another restriction is associated with the delegation of clinical tasks and procedures. APNs are prohibited from delegating drug administration to unlicensed personnel, and delegating care plan development or care evaluation to both licensed and unlicensed staff.
A written collaborative agreement with a physician or a doctor was required for APNs to be able to provide their services. However, the aforementioned law passed in 2017 alleviated this requirement (Korte, 2017). The objective of the legislation is to fill the gaps in the availability of healthcare services. The government of Illinois seeks to maximize the number of professionals and increase the affordability of patient care.
To attain an FPA license, one has to have a national certification document and must have completed 250 hours of additional education (“Full practice authority,” 2019). In terms of residency hours, a candidate must have at least 4000 hours of clinical experience (“Full practice authority,” 2019). New nursing practitioners acquire invaluable experience during their residency hours programs, which equips them with the necessary knowledge and skills. I support this requirement because this period serves as a background for further empowerment of ANPs. A new APN can learn more about the organizational peculiarities and become more confident as well, which will lead to a higher level of job satisfaction. I also think that this requirement is instrumental in decreasing the turnover rate and minimizing the risk of APN’s leaving the hospital or nursing practice.
References
Full practice authority licenses available for Illinois advanced practice nurses. (2019). Web.
Korte, A. (2017). Rauner signs bill expanding practice authority for certain nurses. Web.