Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed the Nurse Practice Act into law Sept. 20, enabling advanced practice registered nurses who meet certain requirements to practice without a written collaborative agreement with a physician. This new law makes Illinois the 26th state to offer APRNs greater authority to address patients’ needs and help improve access to care. “It [Nurse Practice Act] increases regulatory efficiency, improves licensing processing times, and most importantly it helps us retain the best and brightest nurses here in Illinois," said Illinois State Representative David Olsen in a press release on passage of the bill. “In rural areas especially, this new law should improve access to quality healthcare.” Check out the TV news story on the Illinois APRN law here: http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/282278135-video#/