The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) along with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is working with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to wish a thank you to Nurses in recognition of the start of National Nurses Week. There are currently more than 230,000 nurses who hold Illinois Licenses. 

Nurses have been fighting at the front lines of COVID-19 and have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the IDPH says that the pandemic would have been very different without the hard work put forth by nurses all over the state. Illinois has taken proactive steps to increase the number of health care professionals in the workforce. In March IDFPR issued a variance allowing Illinois nurses whose licenses were inactive or expired to meet a set of criteria to restore their licenses temporarily during the pandemic.

IDFPR also allowed out-of-state nurses to provide care to Illinois residents affected by the pandemic and almost 9,500 additional nurses are now allowed to provide care in Illinois. National Nurses Week was first observed in 1954 and the week continues in 2021 with celebrating our nurses. You can help nurses in the battle against COVID by taking preventative steps like washing your hands and staying home when you’re sick, following state guidance regarding COVID-19 including face coverings, and schedule and receive your vaccine.

For more information on COVID-19 visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/. The Vaccine Appointment Call Center's phone number is 1-833-621-1284.