Back to All NewsIllinois Adopts Rules for Full Practice Authority for APRNs
Posted By American Med Spa Association, Monday, June 17, 2019
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After what must have felt like an eternity, Illinois has finally adopted administrative rules that will allow Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to apply for “full practice authority.” These rules give effect to legislation passed in 2017. Click here to read the current version of the statute.
Although the law went into effect on January 1, 2018, there had been no corresponding administrative rules on the process to obtain this license, so APRNs have effectively been unable to obtain full practice authority. In late 2018, the Illinois Register published proposed rules that would give effect to this new law (click here, beginning on p. 206). Now, in the June 14, 2019 issue of the Illinois Register, we learn that these rules have been formally adopted. Click here to read this issue of the Illinois Register; the adopted nursing rules begin on p. 48.
To briefly recap, nurses who qualify for “full practice authority” are able to practice independently without the collaboration or oversight of a physician; this can include both independent nursing practice and independent prescription of medication. Under the adopted rules, current APRN license holders in good standing may apply for full practice authority by submitting a $125 application fee along with notarized attestations of the completion of:
Following 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. They also may prescribe legend schedule II through V drugs, provided they first obtain an Illinois controlled substance license and a federal Drug Enforcement Administration number. However, the full practice authority license does not permit the APRN to perform surgery or any other procedures that are required by law to be performed by a physician.
With the formal adoption of these rules, Illinois APRNs should now be able to apply for full practice authority. However, as of the morning of June 17, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website for nurses still lists the old forms and applications for “APNs,” so at least as of this writing, you cannot start working on an application quite yet. Hopefully, updated documents and applications are already complete and simply need to be uploaded to the website. We will be reaching out to IDFPR to inquire about the new process and forms.
Although the law went into effect on January 1, 2018, there had been no corresponding administrative rules on the process to obtain this license, so APRNs have effectively been unable to obtain full practice authority. In late 2018, the Illinois Register published proposed rules that would give effect to this new law (click here, beginning on p. 206). Now, in the June 14, 2019 issue of the Illinois Register, we learn that these rules have been formally adopted. Click here to read this issue of the Illinois Register; the adopted nursing rules begin on p. 48.
To briefly recap, nurses who qualify for “full practice authority” are able to practice independently without the collaboration or oversight of a physician; this can include both independent nursing practice and independent prescription of medication. Under the adopted rules, current APRN license holders in good standing may apply for full practice authority by submitting a $125 application fee along with notarized attestations of the completion of:
Following 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. They also may prescribe legend schedule II through V drugs, provided they first obtain an Illinois controlled substance license and a federal Drug Enforcement Administration number. However, the full practice authority license does not permit the APRN to perform surgery or any other procedures that are required by law to be performed by a physician.
With the formal adoption of these rules, Illinois APRNs should now be able to apply for full practice authority. However, as of the morning of June 17, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website for nurses still lists the old forms and applications for “APNs,” so at least as of this writing, you cannot start working on an application quite yet. Hopefully, updated documents and applications are already complete and simply need to be uploaded to the website. We will be reaching out to IDFPR to inquire about the new process and forms.
