Email Us Now info@ilspan.org
Governmental Affairs Committee Chair:  Sylvia Baker MSN RN CPAN
January 24, 2012
“Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) have put out a call for health care providers to collaborate to develop innovative approaches to coordinating care for Illinois’ Medicaid recipients, focusing on improved preventive and follow-up treatments.” … “Through the ‘Innovations Project,’ Illinois is breaking new ground,” Governor Quinn said. “We are working collaboratively with health care providers across the state to harness technology to do a better job of keeping residents healthy, and a better job of treating them when they do become sick.” For more information about the Care Coordination Innovations Projects go to: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/PublicInvolvement/cc/Pages/default.aspx.
Access @: http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=9986

Copyright © 2011 Illinois Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. All Rights Reserved.
December 2011
At the beginning of December, I attended an INA Summit. This all-day summit was called to help put perspective on the “BSN in Ten” initiative. I have not attended any of the previous summits and this experience proved to be very enlightening and informative. Here are the highlights that I gained by attending:
1.“BSN in Ten” is the initiative to ensure that all RNs entering practice in Illinois will obtain their BSN within ten years after passing their Board exam. After some discussion, it was determined that this may be a very cumbersome system to police and enforce.
2.All nurses, currently in practice and those in school when this legislation in enacted will be “grand-fathered” into practice.
3.This is a state-wide discussion with moderate amount of discussion regarding the final impact on places throughout the State who currently are in need of RNs and with limited view that this situation will correct itself any time soon.
4.Feedback from break-out groups, representing all areas of the state include:
a.The need to begin educating early (in high schools, with counselors) on the work of nursing
b.Public education regarding: What IS a nurse? (Johnson & Johnson ads)
c.Articulation agreements between Community Colleges and Universities to promote a smooth transition between these two levels of education.
d.Discussion regarding “dual enrollment” for qualifying students.
e.Improved communication/collaboration between Community Colleges and Universities.

This initiative will be accomplished via legislation. Each of us needs to pay attention to this legislation, even though it does not, and will not affect those in practice at this time. This change will, I believe, provide patients throughout the state with well-rounded patient care.” BSN in Ten” is a very complex issue that requires each of us to communicate with our local communities about the job of nursing. It requires each of us to communicate with our Legislators about what will provide the best care to those who ultimately hire us: The tax-paying residents of Illinois.  This initiative has been a very long time in coming; with the previous sunsetting great strides were accomplished for the Advanced Practice nurse. When the Illinois Nurse Practice Act sunsets in 2018, I anticipate that this will be the major change that will be enacted.


The links below will take you to governmental web sites for the United States Government,  the State of Illinois and the State of Missouri.

ASPAN Governmanetal Affairs

Federal Government | State of Missouri | State Of Illinois

Serving Perianesthesia Nurses in Illinois and Eastern Missouri
since 1976