Bill > SB2048

This bill amends the Nurse Practice Act to provide a more comprehensive definition and framework for nursing delegation and professional nursing practice. The bill expands the definition of registered professional nursing practice as a scientific process founded on professional knowledge, emphasizing that it is a learned profession based on understanding human conditions across the life span and environment. It allows registered professional nurses to delegate nursing interventions and tasks to other registered nurses and licensed practical nurses based on a comprehensive nursing assessment that considers factors such as patient stability, potential harm, complexity of the task, predictability of outcomes, and the competency of the person receiving the delegation. The bill explicitly prohibits nurses from being mandated to delegate interventions if they determine it is inappropriate for patient safety. Importantly, the bill restricts registered professional nurses from delegating work that requires nursing knowledge, assessment, judgment, decision-making (including medication administration), developing or evaluating care plans to unlicensed personnel. The legislation aims to clarify the scope of nursing practice, ensure patient safety, and provide clear guidelines for task delegation in healthcare settings, with the changes set to take effect on August 1, 2025.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2048&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104