As of January 2008, Illinois law now requires hospitals in the state make their nurse staffing plans public, and it is hoped that such a measure will allow nurses a greater role in future staffing plan development. According to the Rockford Register Star, the amendment to the Illinois Hospital Licensing Act instructs hospitals to establish a nursing-care committee for developing staffing plans based on an acuity model that considers the number of patients, the severity of their conditions, and the nursing skill level necessary to treat them.

The law is the result of intense debate in the state between nursing unions and hospital administrators over the issue of safe staffing levels. Although the General Assembly in Illinois opted not to require nursing level minimums for every hospital as are currently required in California, the new law will force hospitals to follow the acuity model when determining their staffing needs.

Sources: Rockford Register Star, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation