Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) TNS
Education Sites
1) TNS courses shall be
conducted only at hospitals that have been designated by the Department as TNS
education sites.
2) The Department
shall designate TNS education sites based upon regional needs, the educational
capabilities of interested hospitals to provide advanced trauma education to
nurses, and participation in an EMS System.
3) The TNS Program Plan (see Section
515.760
) shall serve as a standard TNS program plan. The Department will approve
program plans based on compliance with Section 515.760.
4) The Chief Executive Officer of the
hospital designated as a TNS education site shall appoint, and endorse in
writing to the Department, a TNSCC to plan, coordinate, implement and evaluate
the TNS course and TNS program activities, who meets the following
requirements:
A) Is an RN with an
unencumbered license in the state in which he or she practices;
B) Is employed by the TNS education
site;
C) Has at least three years
of experience as an RN in an emergency department or critical care setting in a
trauma center;
D) Holds a
certificate of TNS course completion issued by the Department as provided in
this Section; and
E) Has a minimum
of 50 hours of teaching experience in emergency/critical care nursing
courses.
b)
The TNSCC shall admit to the TNS course only those individuals who have met the
following requirements:
1) Are currently
licensed as an RN in the state in which they are practicing, as verified by the
submission of a photocopy of the official license showing the license number
and expiration date; and
2) Have at
least 1500 hours of clinical care experience in an emergency department or
critical care unit (preferred) as an RN, with successful completion of a unit
orientation.
c) The TNS
course shall reflect evidence-based content as created by the TNSCC and
approved by the Department as being in compliance with the TNS program (see
Section 515.760).
d) Testing
1) A standardized practical examination shall
be administered. The practical examination shall include an assessment station
at which the student will evaluate and stabilize a simulated critically injured
trauma patient.
A) The student shall have a
maximum of 10 minutes to evaluate and stabilize the patient.
B) The TNSCC shall develop the passing
criteria, which shall be included in the program plan developed in accordance
with Section 515.760.
C) A student
shall be given three attempts to successfully complete the practical
examination.
2) A
student who has successfully completed course requirements per procedure and
paid all fees shall be eligible to take the final written examination. The
TNSCC shall develop the final examination and shall provide the examination to
the Department. The TNSCC shall develop passing criteria, which shall be
included in the Program Plan developed in accordance with Section 515.760.
A) A student shall be given three attempts to
successfully complete the final written examination.
B) The candidate shall successfully achieve a
passing score on the State examination within 12 months after completing the
education program.
3)
Examination Application
A) Candidates for the
TNS examination shall apply to take the examination using the Department form.
Information is available on the Department's website:
http://www.continentaltesting.net/ProfDetail.aspx?Entity=5&ProfID=73.
B) A roster of examination candidates from
each TNS education site is created by the TNSCC who approves the candidate's
application and is submitted to the Department.
C) The candidate shall submit a fee for each
written examination attempt (see Section
515.460 ).
e) Failure to appear
for the examination on the scheduled date, at the time and place specified,
shall result in forfeiture of the examination fee.
f) If a candidate does not achieve a passing
grade on the written examination, the fee for the re-test is the same as for
initial examination.
g) All fees
submitted for licensure examination are nonrefundable.
h) Testing Option - Challenge
Any individual who has met the admission requirements
provided in subsection (b) has the option of taking the TNS practical
examination and final examination without having completed the didactic
sessions (referred to as "challenging" the examination). The individual shall
file a request to challenge the examination with the TNS education site at
least 30 days prior to the scheduled practical examination. Candidates who
elect to challenge the examination will have only one attempt to successfully
complete the written and practical examinations to demonstrate
proficiency.
i) Licensure
as a TNS
1) The Department will license a
student or candidate after the student or candidate has achieved a passing
score on the final written and practical examinations and has paid any required
fees (see Section 515.460).
2)
Licensure is effective for four years.
j) TNS Relicensure
1) A TNS may be relicensed by either
submitting approved trauma-specific CE or taking the current TNS final written
examination as provided in this Section.
2) A TNS may apply for relicensure by
submitting the following to a TNSCC at least 40 days, but no more than 90 days,
prior to license expiration:
A) Documentation
of 64 hours of approved trauma-specific CE/activities for nursing or CME
acquired over four years, using the TNS CE Summary Submission form. CE approval
will be granted, provided that the application is complete and the content of
the program educational activity is based on topics listed in the TNS program
in place at the time the CE is acquired;
B) Completed Child Support form supplied by
the Department; and
C) Relicensure
fee (see Section 515.460).
3) The TNS final written examination is an
alternative option for relicensure. A total of three attempts are allowed for
the relicensure candidate to achieve a successful examination score prior to
the lapse date. The process used in subsection (d)(3) is used for the
application, assignment to an examination site, and fee submission.
4) The candidate applying for license renewal
is responsible for his/her record keeping and timely submission of CE
documentation.
5) The license of a
TNS who has failed to file an application for recertification or an application
for an extension prior to the lapse date shall terminate on the day following
the expiration date shown on the certificate.
k) Inactive Status
1) Prior to the expiration of the current
license, a TNS may request to be placed on inactive status. The request shall
be in writing, on a form prescribed by the Department, and shall contain the
following information:
A) Name of
individual;
B) Date of
certification;
C) Circumstances
requiring inactive status; and
D) A
statement that relicensure requirements have been met by the date of the
application for inactive status. CE hours shall be current at the prorated rate
of
1.3 hours per month for
the current licensure period.
2) The Department will review requests for
inactive status. The Department will notify the individual TNS in writing of
its decision based on subsection (k)(1).
3) To return to active status, the TNS shall
apply in writing within 36 months after being placed on inactive status. The
application shall include a current unencumbered RN license and a fee (see
Section 515.460).
4) Inactive
status is valid for only 36 months. If status is not reactivated, the
individual shall successfully complete the examination or retake the course
(see subsection (h)).
5) During
inactive status, the individual shall not function as a TNS.
l) A TNS whose license has expired
may, within 60 days after expiration, submit all relicensure material required
by this Section and a fee (see Section 515.460), in the form of an
organization's payment, a certified check, or a money order (cash or personal
check will not be accepted). If the application for license renewal meets the
requirements of this Section and there is no disciplinary action pending
against the TNS, the Department will renew the TNS license.
m) A TNS shall notify the Department within
30 days after any change in name or address. Notification may be in person or
by mail, phone, fax or electronic mail. Addresses may be changed through the
Department's online system:
https://emslicensing.dph.illinois.gov/Clients/ILDOHEMS/Private/AddressChange/AddressLogin.aspx.
Name and gender changes require legal documents, i.e., marriage licenses or
court documents.
n)
The
Department shall have the authority and responsibility to suspend, revoke or
renew the license of a TNS, after an opportunity for hearing by the Department,
if findings show that the TNS has failed to maintain proficiency in the level
of skills for which the TNS is licensed or has failed to comply with
relicensure requirements. (Section 3.75(b)(8) of the Act) Hearings
shall be conducted in accordance with Practice and Procedure in Administrative
Hearings.