State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes advanced a measure to modernize nursing program requirements, setting up standards to be consistent across the country. Since Dec. 31, 2022, registered nurses across the United States need to be licensed by a national nursing accrediting body and maintain their license once they have it. Cervantes’ measure would standardize this process by bringing all of Illinois’ nursing education programs under the oversight of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Board of Nursing, which would include the establishment of new programs, curriculum and the use of simulation in education. The legislation would also add evidence-based standards to measure nursing education programs’ evaluations and approvals. Further, it would change the process for monitoring programs’ compliance, including regular site visits, focusing more on programs showing signs of non-compliance and providing clear paths to remediation. House Bill 1807 passed the Senate Tuesday.
