103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3338

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Theresa Mah

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
210 ILCS 85/10.10
210 ILCS 85/50-15.15 new

    Creates the Safe Patient Limits Act. Provides the maximum number of patients that may be assigned to a registered nurse in specified situations. Provides that nothing shall preclude a facility from assigning fewer patients to a registered nurse than the limits provided in Act. Provides that nothing in the Act precludes the use of patient acuity systems consistent with the Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act; however, the maximum patient assignments in the Act may not be exceeded, regardless of the use and application of any patient acuity system. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules governing the implementation and operation of the Act. Provides that all facilities shall adopt written policies and procedures for training and orientation of nursing staff and that no registered nurse shall be assigned to a nursing unit or clinical area unless that nurse has, among other things, demonstrated competence in providing care in that area. Provides specified requirements for the Act's implementation by a facility. Establishes recordkeeping requirements. Provides that the written policies and procedures for the training and orientation of nursing staff shall require that all temporary personnel receive the same amount and type of training and orientation that is required for permanent staff. Provides specified nurse rights and protections. Provides that the Act's provisions are severable. Contains other provisions. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital shall not mandate that a registered professional nurse delegate nursing interventions. Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that the exercise of professional judgment by a direct care registered professional nurse in the performance of his or her scope of practice shall be provided in the exclusive interests of the patient.


LRB103 30963 CPF 57543 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3338LRB103 30963 CPF 57543 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Safe
5Patient Limits Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Couplet" means one postpartum patient and one baby.
8    "Critical trauma patient" means a patient who has an
9injury to an anatomic area that (i) requires life-saving
10interventions, or (ii) in conjunction with unstable vital
11signs, poses an immediate threat to life or limb.
12    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
13    "Direct care registered professional nurse" means a
14registered professional nurse who has accepted a hands-on,
15in-person patient care assignment and whose primary role is to
16provide hands-on, in-person patient care.
17    "Facility" means a hospital licensed under the Hospital
18Licensing Act or organized under the University of Illinois
19Hospital Act, a private or State-owned and State-operated
20general acute care hospital, an LTAC hospital as defined in
21Section 10 of the Long Term Acute Care Hospital Quality
22Improvement Transfer Program Act, an ambulatory surgical
23treatment center as defined in Section 3 of the Ambulatory

 

 

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1Surgical Treatment Center Act, a freestanding emergency center
2licensed under the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act, a
3birth center licensed under the Birth Center Licensing Act, an
4acute psychiatric hospital, an acute care specialty hospital,
5or an acute care unit within a health care facility.
6    "Health care emergency" means an emergency that is
7declared by an authorized person within federal, state or
8local government and is related to circumstances that are
9unpredictable and unavoidable and that affect the delivery of
10medical care and require an immediate or exceptional level of
11emergency or other medical services at the specific facility.
12The term does not include a state of emergency that results
13from a labor dispute in the health care industry or consistent
14understaffing.
15    "Health care workforce" means personnel employed by or
16contracted to work at a facility that have an effect upon the
17delivery of quality care to patients, including, but not
18limited to, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses,
19unlicensed assistive personnel, service, maintenance,
20clerical, professional, and technical workers, and other
21health care workers.
22    "Immediate postpartum patients" means those patients who
23have given birth within the previous 2 hours.
24    "Nursing care" means care that falls within the scope of
25practice as described in Section 55-30 or 60-35 of the Nurse
26Practice Act or is otherwise encompassed within recognized

 

 

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1standards of nursing practice.
2    "Rapid response team" means a team of health care
3providers that provide care to patients with early signs of
4deterioration to prevent respiratory or cardiac arrest.
5    "Registered nurse" or "registered professional nurse"
6means a person who is licensed as a registered professional
7nurse under the Nurse Practice Act and practices nursing as
8described in Section 60-35 of the Nurse Practice Act.
9    "Specialty care unit" means a unit which is organized,
10operated, and maintained to provide care for a specific
11medical condition or a specific patient population.
12    For the purposes of this Act, a patient is considered
13assigned to a registered nurse if the registered nurse accepts
14responsibility for the patient's nursing care.
 
15    Section 10. Maximum patient assignments for registered
16nurses.
17    (a) The maximum number of patients assigned to a
18registered nurse in a facility shall not exceed the limits
19provided in this Section. However, nothing shall preclude a
20facility from assigning fewer patients to a registered nurse
21than the limits provided in this Section. The requirements of
22this Section apply at all times during each shift within each
23clinical unit and each patient care area.
24    (b) In all units with critical care or intensive care
25patients, including, but not limited to, coronary care, acute

 

 

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1respiratory care, medical, burn, pediatric, or neonatal
2intensive care patients, the maximum patient assignment of
3critical care patients to a registered nurse is 1.
4    (c) In all units with step-down or intermediate intensive
5care patients, the maximum patient assignment of step-down or
6intermediate intensive care patients to a registered nurse is
73.
8    (d) In all units with post-anesthesia care patients,
9regardless of the type of anesthesia administered, the maximum
10patient assignment of post-anesthesia care patients or
11patients being monitored for the effects of any anesthetizing
12agent to a registered nurse is 1.
13    (e) In all units with operating room patients, the maximum
14patient assignment of operating room patients to a registered
15nurse is one, provided that a minimum of one additional person
16serves as a scrub assistant for each patient.
17    (f) In the emergency department:
18        (1) In a unit providing basic emergency services or
19    comprehensive emergency services, the maximum patient
20    assignment at any time to a registered nurse is 3.
21        (2) The maximum assignment of critical care emergency
22    patients to a registered nurse is 1. A patient in the
23    emergency department shall be considered a critical care
24    patient when the patient meets the criteria for admission
25    to a critical care service area within the facility.
26        (3) The maximum assignment of critical trauma patients

 

 

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1    in an emergency unit to a registered nurse is one.
2        (4) At least one direct care registered professional
3    nurse shall be assigned to triage patients. The direct
4    care registered professional nurse assigned to triage
5    patients shall be immediately available at all times to
6    triage patients when they arrive in the emergency
7    department. The direct care registered professional nurse
8    assigned to triage patients shall perform triage functions
9    only and may not be assigned the responsibility of the
10    base radio. Triage, radio, or flight registered nurses
11    shall not be counted in the calculation of direct care
12    registered nurse staffing levels.
13    (g) In all units with maternal child care patients:
14        (1) The maximum patient assignment to a registered
15    nurse of antepartum patients requiring continuous fetal
16    monitoring is 2.
17        (2) The maximum patient assignment of other antepartum
18    patients who are not in active labor to a registered nurse
19    is 3.
20        (3) The maximum patient assignment of active labor
21    patients to a registered nurse is one.
22        (4) The maximum patient assignment of patients with
23    medical or obstetrical complications, during the
24    initiation of epidural anesthesia, or during circulation
25    for a caesarean section delivery to a registered nurse is
26    one.

 

 

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1        (5) The maximum patient assignment during birth is one
2    registered nurse responsible for the patient in labor and,
3    for each newborn, one registered nurse whose sole
4    responsibility is that newborn patient.
5        (6) The maximum patient assignment of postpartum
6    patients when the parent has given birth within the
7    previous two hours is one couplet to one registered nurse,
8    and in the case of multiple births, one registered nurse
9    for each additional newborn.
10        (7) The maximum patient assignment of couplets to a
11    registered nurse is 2.
12        (8) The maximum patient assignment of patients
13    receiving postpartum or postoperative gynecological care
14    to a registered nurse is 4 when the registered nurse has
15    been assigned only to patients receiving postpartum or
16    postoperative gynecological care.
17        (9) The maximum patient assignment of newborn patients
18    when the patient is unstable, as assessed by a direct care
19    registered professional nurse, to a registered nurse is
20    one.
21        (10) The maximum patient assignment of newborn
22    patients to a registered nurse is 2 when the patients are
23    receiving intermediate care or the nurse has been assigned
24    to a patient care unit that receives newborn patients
25    requiring intermediate care, including, but not limited
26    to, an intermediate care nursery.

 

 

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1    (h) In all units with pediatric patients, the maximum
2patient assignment of pediatric patients to a registered nurse
3is 3.
4    (i) In all units with psychiatric patients, the maximum
5patient assignment of psychiatric patients to a registered
6nurse is 4.
7    (j) In all units with medical and surgical patients, the
8maximum patient assignment of medical or surgical patients to
9a registered nurse is 4.
10    (k) In all units with telemetry patients, the maximum
11patient assignment of telemetry patients to a registered nurse
12is 3.
13    (l) In all units with observational patients, the maximum
14patient assignment of observational patients to a registered
15nurse is 3.
16    (m) In all units with acute rehabilitation patients, the
17maximum patient assignment of acute rehabilitation patients to
18a registered nurse is 4.
19    (n) In all units with conscious sedation patients, the
20maximum patient assignment of conscious sedation patients to a
21registered nurse is one.
22    (o) In any unit not otherwise listed in this Section,
23including all specialty care units not otherwise listed in
24this Section, the maximum patient assignment to a registered
25nurse is 4.
 

 

 

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1    Section 15. Use of rapid response teams as first
2responders prohibited. A rapid response team registered nurse
3shall not be given direct care patient assignments while
4assigned as a registered nurse responsible for responding to a
5rapid response team request.
 
6    Section 20. Implementation by a facility.
7    (a) A facility shall implement the patient limits
8established by Section 10 without diminishing the staffing
9levels of the facility's health care workforce, as defined in
10Section 5. A facility may not lay off licensed practical
11nurses, licensed psychiatric technicians, certified nursing
12assistants, or other ancillary support staff to meet the
13patient limits under Section 10.
14    (b) Each patient shall be assigned to a direct care
15registered professional nurse who shall directly provide the
16comprehensive patient assessment, development of a plan of
17care, supervision, implementation, and evaluation of the
18nursing care provided to the patient at least every shift and
19who has the responsibility for the provision of care to a
20particular patient within the registered nurse's scope of
21practice.
22    (c) There shall be no averaging of the number of patients
23and the total number of registered nurses in each clinical
24unit or patient care area in order to meet the patient limits
25under Section 10.

 

 

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1    (d) Only registered nurses providing direct patient care
2shall be considered when evaluating compliance with the
3patient limits under Section 10. Ancillary staff and
4unlicensed personnel shall not be considered when evaluating
5compliance with the patient limits under Section 10.
6    (e) The hours in which a nurse administrator, nurse
7supervisor, nurse manager, charge nurse, and other licensed
8nurse provides patient care shall not be considered when
9evaluating compliance with the patient limits under Section 10
10and with the patient assignment requirement under subsection
11(b) of Section 20 unless the registered nurse:
12        (1) has a current and active direct patient care
13    assignment;
14        (2) provides direct patient care in compliance with
15    the requirements of this section and Section 45;
16        (3) has demonstrated to the facility current
17    competence in providing care on the particular unit; and
18        (4) has the principal responsibility of providing
19    direct patient care and has no additional job duties
20    during the time period during which the nurse has a
21    patient assignment.
22    (f) The hours in which a nurse administrator, nurse
23supervisor, nurse manager, charge nurse, and other licensed
24nurse provides direct patient care may be considered when
25evaluating compliance with the patient limits under Section 10
26and with the patient assignment requirement under subsection

 

 

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1(b) of Section 20 only if the nurse is providing relief for a
2direct care registered professional nurse during breaks,
3meals, and other routine and expected absences from the unit.
4    (g) At all times during each shift within a facility unit,
5clinical unit, or patient care area of a facility, and with the
6full complement of ancillary support staff, at least two
7direct care registered nurses shall be physically present in
8each facility unit, clinical unit, or patient care area where
9there are patients present.
10    (h) Identifying a clinical unit or patient care area by a
11name or term other than those listed in this Act does not
12affect a facility's requirement to staff the unit consistent
13with the patient limits identified for the level of intensity
14or type of care described in this Act.
15    (i) A registered nurse providing direct care to a patient
16has the authority to determine if a change in the patient's
17status places the patient in a different category requiring a
18different patient limit under Section 10.
19    (j) A facility shall assign direct care professional
20registered nurses in a patient care unit in accordance with
21subsection 10 in order to meet the highest level of intensity
22and type of care provided in the patient care unit. If multiple
23paragraphs of subsection 10 apply to a patient, a facility
24shall assign a direct care professional registered nurse in
25accordance with the lowest numerical patient assignment.
26    (k) A facility shall provide additional staffing of direct

 

 

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1care registered professional nurses, above the number of
2direct care registered professional nurses required to comply
3with the patient levels under Section 10, or additional
4staffing of licensed practical nurses, certified nursing
5assistants, or other licensed or unlicensed ancillary support
6staff based on the direct care registered professional nurse's
7assessment of each assigned individual patient, the individual
8patient's nursing care requirements, and the individual
9patient's nursing care plan.
10    (l) A facility shall not employ video monitors, remote
11patient monitoring, or any form of electronic visualization of
12a patient as a substitute for the direct in-person observation
13required for patient assessment by the registered nurse or for
14patient protection. Video monitors or any form of electronic
15visualization of a patient shall not constitute compliance
16with the patient limits under Section 10.
17    (m) A facility must provide relief by a direct care
18registered professional nurse with unit-specific education,
19training, and competence during another direct care registered
20professional nurse's meal periods, breaks, and routine
21absences as part of the facility's obligation to meet the
22patient limits under Section 10 at all times.
 
23    Section 25. Changes in patient census.
24    (a) A facility shall plan for routine fluctuations in its
25patient census, including, but not limited to, admissions,

 

 

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1discharges, and transfers.
2    (b) If a health care emergency causes a change in the
3number of patients in a clinical care unit or patient care
4area, a facility must be able to demonstrate that immediate
5and diligent efforts were made to maintain required staffing
6levels under this Act.
7    (c) A facility shall immediately notify the Department if
8a health care emergency under Section (b) causes a change in
9the number of patients in a clinical care unit or patient care
10area and shall report to the Department efforts made to
11maintain required staffing levels under this Act.
 
12    Section 30. Record of staff assignments.
13    (a) A facility shall keep a record of the actual direct
14care registered professional nurse, licensed practical nurse,
15certified nursing assistant, and other ancillary staff
16assignments to individual patients documented on a day-to-day,
17shift-by-shift basis and shall submit copies of its records to
18the Department quarterly and keep copies of its staff
19assignments on file for a period of 7 years.
20    (b) The documentation required by subsection (a) shall be
21submitted to the Department as a mandatory condition of
22licensure, with a certification by the chief nursing officer
23of the facility that the documentation completely and
24accurately reflects registered nurse staffing levels by the
25facility for each shift in each facility unit, clinical unit,

 

 

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1and patient care area in which patients receive care. The
2chief nursing officer shall execute the certification under
3penalty of perjury, and the certification must contain an
4expressed acknowledgment that any false statement constitutes
5fraud and is subject to criminal and civil prosecution and
6penalties.
 
7    Section 35. Implementation by the Department. The
8Department shall adopt rules governing the implementation and
9operation of this Act, including methods for facility staff,
10facility staff's collective bargaining representatives, and
11the public to file complaints regarding violations of this Act
12with the Department. The Department shall conduct periodic
13audits to ensure implementation of this Act.
 
14    Section 40. Education.
15    (a) All facilities shall adopt written policies including:
16(1) procedures for the education, training, and orientation of
17nursing staff to each clinical area where the staff will work;
18and (2) criteria for the facility to use in determining if a
19registered nurse has demonstrated current competence in
20providing care in a clinical area.
21    (b) No registered nurse shall be assigned to a facility
22unit, clinical unit, or patient care area unless that
23registered nurse has first received education, training, and
24orientation in that clinical area that is sufficient to

 

 

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1provide safe, therapeutic, and competent care to patients in
2that clinical area and has demonstrated competence in
3providing care in that clinical area.
4    (c) No registered nurse shall be assigned to relieve a
5direct care professional registered nurse during breaks,
6meals, and routine absences from a facility unit, clinical
7unit, or patient care area unless that registered nurse has
8first received education, training, and orientation in that
9clinical area that is sufficient to provide safe, therapeutic,
10and competent care to patients in that clinical area and has
11demonstrated competence in providing care in that clinical
12area.
13    (d) A health care facility may not assign any nursing
14personnel from temporary nursing agencies to a facility unit,
15clinical unit, or patient care area unless the nursing
16personnel have first received education, training, and
17orientation in that clinical area that is sufficient to
18provide safe, therapeutic, and competent care to patients in
19that clinical area and have demonstrated competence in
20providing care in that clinical area.
 
21    Section 45. Enforcement.
22    (a) In addition to any other penalty prescribed by law,
23the Department may impose a civil penalty against a facility
24that violates this Act of up to $25,000 for each violation,
25except that the Department shall impose a civil penalty of at

 

 

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1least $25,000 for each violation if the Department determines
2that the health care facility has a pattern of such violation.
3A separate and distinct violation shall be deemed to have been
4committed on each day during which any violation continues
5after receipt of written notice of the violation from the
6Department by the facility.
7    (b) The Department shall post on its website the names of
8facilities against which civil penalties have been imposed
9under this Act, the violation for which such penalty was
10imposed, and such additional information as the Department
11deems necessary.
12    (c) A facility's failure to adhere to the limits set by
13Section 10, any other violation of this Act, or any violation
14of Section 10.10 of the Hospital Licensing Act shall be
15reported by the Department to the Attorney General for
16enforcement, for which the Attorney General may bring action
17in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking injunctive relief
18and civil penalties.
19    (d) It is a defense to an enforcement action under this Act
20if the facility demonstrates that a health care emergency was
21in force at the time of the alleged violation and that the
22facility made immediate and diligent efforts to maintain
23required staffing levels under this Act.
 
24    Section 50. Nurse rights and protections.
25    (a) A registered professional nurse may object to or

 

 

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1refuse to participate in any activity, practice, assignment,
2or task if:
3        (1) in good faith, the registered nurse reasonably
4    believes it to be a violation of the direct care
5    registered professional nurse maximum patient assignments
6    or other provision established under this Act or a rule
7    adopted by the Department implementing this Act; or
8        (2) the registered nurse, based on the registered
9    nurse's nursing judgment, reasonably believes the
10    registered nurse is not prepared by education, training,
11    or experience to fulfill the assignment without
12    compromising the safety of any patient or jeopardizing the
13    license of the registered nurse.
14        (3) in the registered nurse's nursing judgment, the
15    activity, policy, practice, assignment or task would be
16    outside the registered nurse's scope of practice or would
17    otherwise compromise the safety of any patient or the
18    registered nurse.
19    (b) A facility shall not retaliate, discriminate, or
20otherwise take adverse action in any manner with respect to
21any aspect of a nurse's employment, including discharge,
22promotion, compensation, or terms, conditions, or privileges
23of employment, based on the nurse's refusal to complete an
24assignment under subsection (a).
25    (c) A facility shall not file a complaint against a
26registered professional nurse with the Board of Nursing based

 

 

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1on the nurse's refusal to complete an assignment under
2subsection (a).
3    (d) A facility shall not retaliate, discriminate, or
4otherwise take adverse action in any manner against any person
5or with respect to any aspect of a nurse's employment,
6including discharge, promotion, compensation, or terms,
7conditions, or privileges of employment, based on that nurse's
8or that person's opposition to any facility policy, practice,
9or action that the nurse in good faith believes violates this
10Act.
11    (e) A facility shall not retaliate, discriminate, or
12otherwise take adverse action against any patient or employee
13of the facility or any other individual on the basis that the
14patient, employee, or individual, in good faith, individually
15or in conjunction with another person or persons, has
16presented a grievance or complaint, or has initiated or
17cooperated in any investigation or proceeding of any
18governmental entity, regulatory agency, or private
19accreditation body, made a civil claim or demand, or filed an
20action relating to the care, services, or conditions of the
21facility or of any affiliated or related facilities.
22    (f) A facility shall not do either of the following:
23        (1) Interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of,
24    or attempt to deny the exercise of, a right conferred
25    under this Act.
26        (2) Coerce or intimidate any individual regarding the

 

 

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1    exercise of, or an attempt to exercise, a right conferred
2    by this Act.
 
3    Section 55. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
4severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
 
5    Section 60. The Hospital Licensing Act is amended by
6changing Section 10.10 and by adding Section 50-15.15 as
7follows:
 
8    (210 ILCS 85/10.10)
9    Sec. 10.10. Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity.
10    (a) Findings. The Legislature finds and declares all of
11the following:
12        (1) The State of Illinois has a substantial interest
13    in promoting quality care and improving the delivery of
14    health care services.
15        (2) Evidence-based studies have shown that the basic
16    principles of staffing in the acute care setting should be
17    based on the complexity of patients' care needs aligned
18    with available nursing skills to promote quality patient
19    care consistent with professional nursing standards.
20        (3) Compliance with this Section promotes an
21    organizational climate that values registered nurses'
22    input in meeting the health care needs of hospital
23    patients.

 

 

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1    (b) Definitions. As used in this Section:
2    "Acuity model" means an assessment tool selected and
3implemented by a hospital, as recommended by a nursing care
4committee, that assesses the complexity of patient care needs
5requiring professional nursing care and skills and aligns
6patient care needs and nursing skills consistent with
7professional nursing standards.
8    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
9    "Direct patient care" means care provided by a registered
10professional nurse with direct responsibility to oversee or
11carry out medical regimens or nursing care for one or more
12patients.
13    "Nursing care committee" means a hospital-wide committee
14or committees of nurses whose functions, in part or in whole,
15contribute to the development, recommendation, and review of
16the hospital's nurse staffing plan established pursuant to
17subsection (d).
18    "Registered professional nurse" means a person licensed as
19a Registered Nurse under the Nurse Practice Act.
20    "Written staffing plan for nursing care services" means a
21written plan for the assignment of patient care nursing staff
22based on multiple nurse and patient considerations that yield
23minimum staffing levels for inpatient care units and the
24adopted acuity model aligning patient care needs with nursing
25skills required for quality patient care consistent with
26professional nursing standards.

 

 

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1    (c) Written staffing plan.
2        (1) Every hospital shall implement a written
3    hospital-wide staffing plan, prepared by a nursing care
4    committee or committees, that provides for minimum direct
5    care professional registered nurse-to-patient staffing
6    needs for each inpatient care unit, including inpatient
7    emergency departments. If the staffing plan prepared by
8    the nursing care committee is not adopted by the hospital,
9    or if substantial changes are proposed to it, the chief
10    nursing officer shall either: (i) provide a written
11    explanation to the committee of the reasons the plan was
12    not adopted; or (ii) provide a written explanation of any
13    substantial changes made to the proposed plan prior to it
14    being adopted by the hospital. The written hospital-wide
15    staffing plan shall include, but need not be limited to,
16    the following considerations:
17            (A) The complexity of complete care, assessment on
18        patient admission, volume of patient admissions,
19        discharges and transfers, evaluation of the progress
20        of a patient's problems, ongoing physical assessments,
21        planning for a patient's discharge, assessment after a
22        change in patient condition, and assessment of the
23        need for patient referrals.
24            (B) The complexity of clinical professional
25        nursing judgment needed to design and implement a
26        patient's nursing care plan, the need for specialized

 

 

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1        equipment and technology, the skill mix of other
2        personnel providing or supporting direct patient care,
3        and involvement in quality improvement activities,
4        professional preparation, and experience.
5            (C) Patient acuity and the number of patients for
6        whom care is being provided.
7            (D) The ongoing assessments of a unit's patient
8        acuity levels and nursing staff needed shall be
9        routinely made by the unit nurse manager or his or her
10        designee.
11            (E) The identification of additional registered
12        nurses available for direct patient care when
13        patients' unexpected needs exceed the planned workload
14        for direct care staff.
15        (2) In order to provide staffing flexibility to meet
16    patient needs, every hospital shall identify an acuity
17    model for adjusting the staffing plan for each inpatient
18    care unit.
19        (2.5) Each hospital shall implement the staffing plan
20    and assign nursing personnel to each inpatient care unit,
21    including inpatient emergency departments, in accordance
22    with the staffing plan.
23            (A) A registered nurse may report to the nursing
24        care committee any variations where the nurse
25        personnel assignment in an inpatient care unit is not
26        in accordance with the adopted staffing plan and may

 

 

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1        make a written report to the nursing care committee
2        based on the variations.
3            (B) Shift-to-shift adjustments in staffing levels
4        required by the staffing plan may be made by the
5        appropriate hospital personnel overseeing inpatient
6        care operations. If a registered nurse in an inpatient
7        care unit objects to a shift-to-shift adjustment, the
8        registered nurse may submit a written report to the
9        nursing care committee.
10            (C) The nursing care committee shall develop a
11        process to examine and respond to written reports
12        submitted under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this
13        paragraph (2.5), including the ability to determine if
14        a specific written report is resolved or should be
15        dismissed.
16        (3) The written staffing plan shall be posted, either
17    by physical or electronic means, in a conspicuous and
18    accessible location for both patients and direct care
19    staff, as required under the Hospital Report Card Act. A
20    copy of the written staffing plan shall be provided to any
21    member of the general public upon request.
22    (d) Nursing care committee.
23        (1) Every hospital shall have a nursing care committee
24    that meets at least 6 times per year. A hospital shall
25    appoint members of a committee whereby at least 55% of the
26    members are registered professional nurses providing

 

 

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1    direct inpatient care, one of whom shall be selected
2    annually by the direct inpatient care nurses to serve as
3    co-chair of the committee.
4        (2) (Blank).
5        (2.5) A nursing care committee shall prepare and
6    recommend to hospital administration the hospital's
7    written hospital-wide staffing plan. If the staffing plan
8    is not adopted by the hospital, the chief nursing officer
9    shall provide a written statement to the committee prior
10    to a staffing plan being adopted by the hospital that: (A)
11    explains the reasons the committee's proposed staffing
12    plan was not adopted; and (B) describes the changes to the
13    committee's proposed staffing or any alternative to the
14    committee's proposed staffing plan.
15        (3) A nursing care committee's or committees' written
16    staffing plan for the hospital shall be based on the
17    principles from the staffing components set forth in
18    subsection (c). In particular, a committee or committees
19    shall provide input and feedback on the following:
20            (A) Selection, implementation, and evaluation of
21        minimum staffing levels for inpatient care units.
22            (B) Selection, implementation, and evaluation of
23        an acuity model to provide staffing flexibility that
24        aligns changing patient acuity with nursing skills
25        required.
26            (C) Selection, implementation, and evaluation of a

 

 

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1        written staffing plan incorporating the items
2        described in subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this
3        Section.
4            (D) Review the nurse staffing plans for all
5        inpatient areas and current acuity tools and measures
6        in use. The nursing care committee's review shall
7        consider:
8                (i) patient outcomes;
9                (ii) complaints regarding staffing, including
10            complaints about a delay in direct care nursing or
11            an absence of direct care nursing;
12                (iii) the number of hours of nursing care
13            provided through an inpatient hospital unit
14            compared with the number of inpatients served by
15            the hospital unit during a 24-hour period;
16                (iv) the aggregate hours of overtime worked by
17            the nursing staff;
18                (v) the extent to which actual nurse staffing
19            for each hospital inpatient unit differs from the
20            staffing specified by the staffing plan; and
21                (vi) any other matter or change to the
22            staffing plan determined by the committee to
23            ensure that the hospital is staffed to meet the
24            health care needs of patients.
25        (4) A nursing care committee must issue a written
26    report addressing the items described in subparagraphs (A)

 

 

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1    through (D) of paragraph (3) semi-annually. A written copy
2    of this report shall be made available to direct inpatient
3    care nurses by making available a paper copy of the
4    report, distributing it electronically, or posting it on
5    the hospital's website.
6        (5) A nursing care committee must issue a written
7    report at least annually to the hospital governing board
8    that addresses items including, but not limited to: the
9    items described in paragraph (3); changes made based on
10    committee recommendations and the impact of such changes;
11    and recommendations for future changes related to nurse
12    staffing.
13    (e) Nothing in this Section 10.10 shall be construed to
14limit, alter, or modify any of the terms, conditions, or
15provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into
16by the hospital.
17    (f) No hospital may discipline, discharge, or take any
18other adverse employment action against an employee solely
19because the employee expresses a concern or complaint
20regarding an alleged violation of this Section or concerns
21related to nurse staffing.
22    (g) Any employee of a hospital may file a complaint with
23the Department regarding an alleged violation of this Section.
24The Department must forward notification of the alleged
25violation to the hospital in question within 10 business days
26after the complaint is filed. Upon receiving a complaint of a

 

 

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1violation of this Section, the Department may take any action
2authorized under Sections 7 or 9 of this Act.
3    (h) Delegation of nursing interventions by a registered
4professional nurse must be in accordance with the Nurse
5Practice Act.
6    (i) A hospital shall not mandate that a registered
7professional nurse delegate any element of the nursing
8process, including, but not limited to: nursing interventions,
9medication administration, nursing judgment, comprehensive
10patient assessment, development of the plan of care, or
11evaluation of care. A delegation of a nursing intervention
12granted by a registered professional nurse shall not be
13re-delegated to another.
14    (j) The Department shall establish procedures to ensure
15that the documentation submitted under this Section is
16available for public inspection in its entirety.
17    (k) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to limit,
18alter, or modify the requirements of the Safe Patient Limits
19Act.
20(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21; 102-641, eff. 8-27-21;
21102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
 
22    (210 ILCS 85/50-15.15 new)
23    Sec. 50-15.15. Nursing judgment.
24    (a) Performance of the scope of practice of a direct care
25registered professional nurse requires the exercise of nursing

 

 

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1judgment in the exclusive interests of the patient. The
2exercise of such nursing judgment, unencumbered by the
3commercial or revenue-generation priorities of a hospital,
4long term acute care hospital, or ambulatory surgical
5treatment center or other employing entity of a direct care
6registered professional nurse, is necessary to ensure safe,
7therapeutic, effective, and competent treatment of patients
8and is essential to protect the health and safety of the people
9of Illinois.
10    (b) The exercise of nursing judgment by a direct care
11registered professional nurse in the performance of the scope
12of practice of the registered professional nurse under Section
1360-35 or the scope of practice of the advanced practice
14registered nurse under Section 65-30 shall be provided in the
15exclusive interests of the patient and shall not, for any
16purpose, be considered, relied upon, or represented as a job
17function, authority, responsibility, or activity undertaken in
18any respect for the purpose of serving the business,
19commercial, operational, or other institutional interests of
20the employer.
21    (c) No hospital, long term acute care hospital, ambulatory
22surgical treatment center, or other health care facility shall
23adopt policies that:
24        (1) limit a direct care registered professional nurse
25    in performing duties that are part of the nursing process,
26    including full exercise of nursing judgment in assessment,

 

 

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1    planning, implementation and evaluation of care;
2        (2) Substitute recommendations, decisions, or outputs
3    of health information technology, algorithms used to a
4    achieve a medical or nursing care objective at a facility,
5    systems based on artificial intelligence or machine
6    learning, or clinical practice guidelines for the
7    independent nursing judgment of a direct care registered
8    professional nurse or penalize a direct care registered
9    professional nurse for overriding such technology or
10    guidelines if, in that registered nurse's judgment, and in
11    accordance with that registered nurse's scope of practice,
12    it is in the best interest of the patient to do so; or
13        (3) limit a direct care registered professional nurse
14    in acting as a patient advocate in the exclusive interests
15    of the patient.