Nursing in Illinois in in high demand. In 2011, There were 77, 530 Registered Nurses in Chicago - Joliet - Naperville area in 2011, second highest in the nation where New York City topped the chart. According to government data (source:; http://www.bls.gov/home.htm ), out of Illinois’ 12 metropolitan areas, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville was the only area to have wages notably above the national average for both registered nurses and for licensed practical nurses. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville was the only metropolitan area in the state with significantly higher wages for registered nurses ($70,120 per year) compared to the U.S. average of $67,930.
Who is the regulatory body in Illinois State to govern Nursing Education?
Illinois state established Illinois Center for Nursing (ICN)http://nursing.illinois.gov/default.asp in 2006 in order to create more highly-skilled nursing professionals to meet the health care needs in Illinois. The ICN is located within the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Where Can I find all the nursing schools in Illinois which are approved by the state?
Answer is very simple. However many times I find students don’t know how to check if the school is approved by state or not, instead students rely on information from bogus source. Please click the link below which will take you to the list Illinois State approved schools for Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) and Advanced Practice Nurse(APN) program.
Many of my readers are trying to find more information on RN program. Remember, you can become a RN with an associate or a bachelor's degree. There are also online option to complete your degree. There are private as well as public (run by state government, usually low tuition but competitive enrollment) schools offering nursing programs. Below are all the links:
RN Associate Degree Program:
RN Baccalaureate Program
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Nursing School/Program
Illinois Approved Nursing Education Programs On Probation
It is very important to know which schools are on probation. Last thing you want is to enroll into a school which is on probation by state. Schools goes on probation because unacceptable outcome of learning which is measured by annual NCLEX (https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm ) pass rate.
Here is the link to find out what schools are currently on probation in state of Illinois.:
Illinois Approved Nursing Education Program Pass Rates - Last 5 Years
Why NLN or CCNE accreditation is important?
It is important to understand that all nursing schools are accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, only accredits bachelor or master program in nursing). Otherwise you will have hard time finding your desired employment. E.g. Veteran Affairs (VA) is the largest employers of nurses in the nation, with more than 80,000 RN, LPN / LVN and nursing assistants. One of their requirement is that the nursing school must be state approved and CCNE accredited. Source: http://www.vacareers.va.gov/assets/common/print/Nursing_Brochure.pdf
Below is a link where you find the search by state option for CCNE accredited schools offer BSN or MSN programs:
Here is link for CCNE Accreditation page:
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