77 Ill. Adm. Code 5970.2749.330
Deferment of Nursing Employment Obligation or Nurse Educator Employment Obligation
Section 597
Section 2749.330 Deferment
of Nursing Employment Obligation or Nurse Educator Employment Obligation
A request to defer the
recipient's nursing employment obligation or nurse educator employment
obligation shall be submitted in writing to the Department. The request shall
detail the reasons for the deferment and shall be accompanied and supported by
documentation as described in this Section.
a) Deferment
of the nursing employment obligation may include the recipient:
1) Spending
up to four years in military service before or
after graduation.
The
recipient shall notify
the Department
within
30 days
after enlisting in military service. (Section 6 of the Law)
2) Being called to active duty (for
recipients who are military reservists) by the armed forces of the United
States. The recipient shall submit a copy of the order to active duty with the
written request for deferment. The duration of the deferment shall equal the
recipient's period of active military duty.
3) Enrolling in
an academic program leading to
a higher
degree or
a graduate degree in nursing.
If the
recipient receives
funding through the Nursing Education Scholarship Program for a higher degree,
the nursing employment obligation shall be deferred until
the recipient
is no longer enrolled or has graduated.
The
recipient shall notify
the
Department
within 30 days if
the recipient
is enrolled in an academic
program leading to a graduate degree in nursing.
(Section 6 of the Law)
4) Failing
to fulfill the nursing employment obligation
by
involuntarily leaving the profession due to a decrease in the number of
nurses employed in the State.
When requesting a deferral, the recipient
shall provide documentation to the Department demonstrating that nursing
positions do not exist in the recipient's area. The following website shall be
used to provide documentation:
https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/ada/r/job_seeker. If a deferment is
granted, it will be
re-evaluated every 6 months
. (Section 6 of the Law)
5) Providing documentation of a physical or mental health
disability that results in the recipient's temporary inability to fulfill the
obligation. Documentation shall include an explanation from a licensed health
care professional attesting to the recipient's temporary inability to fulfill
the obligation. This deferment may be granted for up to one year.
6) Requesting up to 12 weeks leave for maternity,
paternity or adoption leave. If the recipient's leave will exceed 12 weeks, a deferment
may be granted based on documented medical need.
7)
The recipient must begin meeting the
required nursing employment obligations no later than 6 months after the end of
the deferments.
(Section 6 of the Law)
b) Deferment
of the nurse educator employment obligation may include the recipient:
1) Spending
up to four years in military
service before or after graduation.
The
recipient shall receive a
deferment if he or she notifies the Department, within 30 days after enlisting,
that he or she is spending up to 4 years in military service.
(Section
6.5(d) of the Law)
2) Being called to active duty (for recipients who are military
reservists) by the armed forces of the United States. The recipient shall
submit a copy of the order to active duty with the written request for
deferment. The duration of the deferment shall equal the recipient's period of
active military duty.
3) Enrolling
in an academic program leading to
a graduate degree in nursing.
A
recipient shall receive a deferment if
he or she notifies the Department, within 30 days after enrolling, that he or
she is enrolled in an academic program leading to a graduate degree in nursing.
(Section 6.5(d) of the Law)
4) Providing documentation of a physical or mental
health disability that results in the recipient's temporary inability to
fulfill the recipient nurse educator employment obligation. Documentation
shall include an explanation from a licensed health care professional attesting
to the recipient's temporary inability to fulfill the nurse educator employment
obligation. This deferment may be granted for up to one year.
5) Requesting up to 12 weeks for maternity,
paternity or adoption leave. If the recipient's leave will exceed 12 weeks, a
deferment may be granted based on documented medical need.
6) The nurse educator employment obligation
may
be deferred and re-evaluated every 6 months when the failure to fulfill the nurse
educator employment obligation results from involuntarily leaving the
profession due to a decrease in the number of nurses employed in this State.
(Section
6.5(d) of the Law) When requesting this deferral, the recipient shall provide
documentation to the Department that nurse educator positions do not exist in the
recipients' area. The following website will be used to provide
documentation: http://nursing.illinois.gov/ads.asp.
7)
The Department may allow a nurse educator
employment obligation fulfillment alternative if the nurse educator scholarship
recipient is unsuccessful in finding work as a nurse educator.
(Section
6.5(d) of the Law) Prior to the Department approving an alternative to the nurse
educator employment obligation, the recipient shall provide documentation that
nurse educator positions do not exist in the recipient area. The following
website will be used to provide documentation: http://nursing.illinois.gov/ads.asp.
If the recipient demonstrates that no nurse educator positions exists, the
Department will allow the recipient to fulfill the service obligation by
working as a nurse in a medical facility in Illinois providing direct patient
care.
8)
The recipient must begin meeting the
required nurse educator employment obligation no later than 6 months after the
end of the deferment or deferments.
(Section 6.5(d) of the Law)
c) Recipients
who receive a deferment shall have their nursing employment obligation or nurse
educator employment obligation tolled. The tolling of these requirements shall
equal the recipient's period of deferment.