New law gives Illinois advanced practice registered nurses more autonomy to help patients

Gov. Bruce Rauner said a bill he signed Wednesday breaks down the barriers for certain nurses to practice their skills fully. (Photo courtesy Facebook/BruceRauner)

By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network

CHICAGO – Certain nurses in Illinois soon will be able to have more flexibility to independently help patients, something proponents say will make health care more accessible and affordable where it’s needed most.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed an extension to the soon-to-sunset Nurse Practice Acts, found in House Bill 313.

Along with the extension are updates to the law that Susan Campbell with Advocate Health Care said will give certain nurses more flexibility to help patients “by affording Advanced Practice Registered Nurses additional autonomy to accept and treat patients, make referrals and enable them to prescribe necessary medications to help patients.”

Illinois Society of Advance Practice Nurses President Ricki Loar said the new law expands the role of more than 1,000 nurses in Illinois who continue their training and education “to be able to practice without a written collaborative agreement [with a physician].”

“So truly practicing at the full extent of our education and experience,” Loar said.

The move will help underserved areas “especially in rural areas where there may not be physicians within a couple hundred miles,” Loar said.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Report of all U.S. counties found rural counties have the highest premature death rates and those rates are increasing.

Rauner said the measure is good news for Illinois.

“This can enhance the availability of services,” Rauner said, “and it can keep health care more affordable while also increase the quality of health care.”

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