In the state of Illinois, Advanced Practice Nurses may request prescriptive authority for
controlled substances, through their collaborative agreement. In order to make this request, the
APN must have had 45 hours of contact in pharmacology included in their graduate program. In
order to maintain this authority, the APN must additionally complete 5 contact hours at graduate
level, each year following. In the states of Illinois, APNs do not practice independently, but
within a collaborative agreement made with a physician. According to the IDPFR, a
collaborating physician who delegates prescriptive authority to the APN, should include that
delegation in the written collaborative agreement. According to the state of Illinois, any licensed
health professional, including APNs, who wish to prescribe controlled substances must have the
following to do so: (1) a professional license authorizing him or her to do so, (2) an Illinois
Controlled Substance License (CSL), issued from IDFPR, and (3) a federal Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) number. (IDFPR, 2016)
There are a number of areas in which an APN may work in Illinois. Over the last 4 years I
have worked with APNs in the emergency room setting; I have also seen the work of APNs
APN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
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within a clinic, primary care, family health, and various hospital settings. Illinois is a state of
reduced practice meaning, state practice and licensure law reduces the ability of the nurse
practitioners to engage in at least one element of NP practice. “State law requires a regulated
collaborative agreement with an outside health discipline in order for the NP to provide patient
care or limits the setting or scope of one or more elements of NP practice.” (AANP, 2017) That
being said, there is a well-known shortage not only for registered nurses in the state of Illinois,
but for primary care providers as well, research has shown that APNs as primary care providers
can assist in reducing the current national shortage for primary care providers as well as helping
to assist in economic burdens of increased health care expenses.
Personal Assessment
Since making the decision to further my education, I have begun thinking and growing as
a health professional. I believe one of the biggest areas for advancement as an APN is to
continuously grown in knowledge and never fully feel that I cannot learn anymore. Healthcare is
continuously changing and developing further. As I move forward towards becoming an APN, I
must continue to grow and change along with the health care environment. We are taught through
our master’s level courses the importance of evidence based research. This is one example to
how health care is continuously growing and changing.
One of my biggest goals I set when becoming a registered nurse was to become the at
most, a well-rounded, holistic nurse. As I continue to advance my professional goals and step
into the APN world, I still hold this as a goal for myself. I strive to become and practice as a
well-rounded APN. I hope to someday work within my own professional practice, and at this
