By AP/KWMU
Chicago – Nurses in Illinois will no longer have to work mandatory overtime under a bill Governor Rod Blagojevich signed into law Thursday.
The bill is one of six that are designed to reduce Illinois' nursing shortage and improve the quality of health care.
Another bill would let nurses from Puerto Rico work with registered nurses in Illinois while they prepare for the state licensing exam.
A pre-test exam foreign nurses must take would be eliminated under another bill meant to help nurses trained outside the U.S. enter the work force here faster.
Two other bills will let advanced practice nurses perform school health exams and be licensed in more than one specialty without having multiple graduate degrees.
A sixth bill requires a pilot program to implement a violence protection plan at some facilities.