Illinois Nursing Home
Administrators Association
PO Box 272, Rochester, IL 62563 . P: (708) 800-6161 . F: (708) 248-8078 . vwiltsie@inhaa.org
IDFPR Licensing Information
If you have specific questions related to licensure, please call IDFPR at 888-473-4858 or visit their website: www.idfpr.com. The website will contain information needed to obtain a NHA license. INHAA will not be able to provide information about licensing requirements and testing. Please call IDFPR directly.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT TESTING, PLEASE CONTACT KATHY MCSHANE AT CONTINENTAL TESTING SERVICES: Kathy McShane; kmcshane@continentaltesting.net; 708-354-9911 ext. 107
Illinois 044 Nursing Home Administrator Testing Information for 2020-2021
This profession requires two (2) exams.
- The National Examination (NAB) and the Illinois Supplemental Jurisdictional Examination.
- The NAB Exam requires the candidate to register with NAB Board at NAB Board and pay the appropriate fee.
The fee and schedule for the Illinois Supplemental Jurisdictional Examination is listed below.
Study Guide: Illinois Nursing Home Study Guide
Exam Information:
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Exam Contact:
| Name: | Kathy McShane |
| Email: | kmcshane@continentaltesting.net |
| Email Us | |
| Phone: | (708) 354-9911 |
| Ext: | 107 |
Administrative Code
Section 1310.20 Temporary License
Section 1310.30 Application for Examination
Section 1310.40 Approved Nursing Home Administration Courses
Section 1310.50 Qualifying Experience
Section 1310.60 Examination
Section 1310.65 Fees
Section 1310.70 Endorsement
Section 1310.75 Renewals
Section 1310.80 Restoration
Section 1310.85 Continuing Education
Section 1310.90 Granting Variances
Section 1310.100 Professional Conduct Standards
TITLE 68: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS CHAPTER VII: DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL REGULATION SUBCHAPTER b: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS PART 1310 NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATORS LICENSING AND DISCIPLINARY ACT
Contacting IDFPR about Licensure Questions
The starting point for contacting the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is going to their website at www.idfpr.com. Click on “For Professionals,” then “Division of Professional Regulation,” then “Select a Profession,” until you get to “Nursing Home Administrator.”
This section contains the Act (law) governing Nursing Home Administrator requirements, as well as the regulations, the license application, testing information, a brief guide to the Illinois portion of the administrator examination (including sample questions), the opportunity to renew your license on-line, and continuing education information (found in Section 1310.85 of the regulations). The regulations also address what to do if you are an administrator from another state (section 1310.79 on reciprocity and endorsement), if you let your license lapse in the past five years (section 1310.80a-b), and if you have let your license lapse longer than five years (section 1310.80c). Do not let your license lapse longer than 5 years; you are then essentially starting over.
To talk to a live person at IDFPR call 800-560-6420. When prompted, press “1” for English, “4” for health professions, and “9” for “all other” health licenses (including nursing home administrator).
Administrator License Requirements
License requirements can be found at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation website (www.idfpr.com) under Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Regulation Section 1310. To obtain a Nursing Home Administrators License, you need a combination of education and/or qualifying experience, and to pass a national and a state licensing examination.
- Education (according to Section 1310.30): An individual filing a nursing home administrators license application to take the licensure exam needs to meet one of the four education requirements: A Baccalaureate Degree (in any discipline). Graduation from three-year diploma nurse program (RN or above) plus two years of qualifying experience An associate degree or a minimum of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of college credit plus two years of qualifying experience High school Diploma or GED and completion of four approved college courses in Nursing Home Administration, Personnel Management, Accounting and Financial Management, and Social Gerontology and/or Geriatrics (as detailed in Section 1310.40).
- Qualifying Experience (according to Section 1310.50): Two years of full-time employment as an assistant administrator or director of nursing in an Illinois nursing home. Two years of management experience in a corporation that owns and operates licensed nursing facilities. This experience shall include direct contact with the nursing home administrator in implementing, coordinating, supervising, and evaluating the daily operations of the nursing homes under his or her charge and ensuring that the laws, regulations, policies and procedures for nursing facilities or related facility were implemented and followed.
- Licensure Examination (according to Section 1310.60): If an individual meets the combination of educational and/or qualifying experience requirements, he or she may file an application found on the IDFPR website at least 60 days prior to an examination date, along with $100 for the licensure application and exam fees. The 2020 exams dates can be found above. There are two exams involved: The first portion is the national examination of the National Association of Boards (NAB) of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators, with passing scale score of 113. The second portion of the exam is based on the Illinois Department of Public Health Regulations for Nursing Homes and the Illinois Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act and Rules (Section 1310), with a passing scale score of 75. An applicant who fails either portion of the exam is required to retake only that portion in which a passing score was not achieved. The applicant shall have 3 years from the date of application to pass both portions of the exam. If an applicant fails to pass both portions of the exam within three years, a new application is required, and the applicant will be required to retake and pass both portions of the exam. INHAA strongly recommends the licensure exam review course provided through the Illinois Health Care Association prior to taking the exams. The dates and contact information can be found on the INHAA website in the “IDFPR” section.
- Endorsement of an Administrators License from Another State(according to Section 1310.70): A licensed administrator from another state must at least meet the minimum educational and/or qualifying experience requirements of an Illinois administrator, have passed the NAB national exam in the original state, and, then after submitting the licensure application for Illinois and a fee of $150, pass the Illinois portion of the licensure exam.
- Restoration of an Expired or Inactive License (in accordance with Section 1310.80): Expired License Less than 5 Years: A person whose license has expired (not renewed or requested inactive status) less than five years may reactivate his or her license upon payment of all lapsed renewal fees ($50 a year for each year of non-renewal), plus $20 processing fee and proof of 36 hours of continuing education or three semester hours of college in the two years prior to re-activation. Inactive License Less than 5 Years: A person whose license has gone inactive (upon request to the Department at renewal time) less than five years may reactivate his or her license upon payment of the current renewal fees ($100) and proof of 36 hours of continuing education or three semester hours of college in the two years prior to re-activation. There is no fee to place a license on inactive status and no additional processing fee to re-activate. You are basically paying the renewal fee you would have paid had you renewed rather than place the license on inactive status. Expired or Inactive License More than 5 Years: A person whose license has expired or been inactive for more than five years must pay the required fees ($50 for each year of inactivity) and meet one of the following four requirements: Active practice as an administrator in another state for 3 of the 5 years prior to application; or Submit an affidavit attesting to military service; or Have 36 hours of continuing education or 3 college semester credits in the two years prior to the restoration application; or Pass both portions of the licensure examination.
- Temporary Administrator’s License (in accordance with Section 1310.20): An individual may apply for a one-year temporary license to serve as administrator without yet taking the licensure exams if they meet all the educational and/or qualifying experience requirements of an administrator mentioned above. Once the application for a temporary administrator’s license is submitted (along with a $75 fee), a person may start serving immediately as a nursing home administrator for up to 60 days, until the temporary license application is reviewed and approved by IDFPR. The administrator may only serve at the one facility indicated on the temporary license and only for 12 months. This allows a person to serve actively as a nursing home administrator in the designated facility for up to one year, giving him or her the opportunity to take and pass both exams. The one-year license may be extended upon request to be able to pass the next available exam, but only until the results of that next available exam are received. The temporary license may also be extended upon request for an additional year if the first year of the temporary license was interrupted because of military service, incapacitating illness or hospitalization or unanticipated change of residence.
How Can I Get CEUs?
Every licensed administrator needs 36 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) during the previous full two years of licensure. The current two-year licensure period is December 1, 2019, to November 30, 2021. Licensed administrators who have been licensed less than two years (i.e., their first renewal) do not need the 36 CEUs to renew. 36 CEUs may be obtained by:
- Attending Illinois conferences or seminars from an approved Illinois CEU sponsor (INHAA is an approved sponsor).
- Attending a NAB approved program anywhere in the country.
- Obtaining CEUs used to satisfy the CE requirements for a nursing home administrator’s license in another state.
- Participating in programs relevant to nursing home administration given in another state (but not NAB approved) based on a program approval request submitted to the IDFPR Nursing Home Administrator’s Licensing Board (information on how to do that is found in Section 1310.85d)
- Completing a college course (in the previous two years) is worth 12 CEUs per college credit hour.
- Presenting at an approved conference, with two hours of preparation time allowed for each hour of presentation, up to 9 hours.
- Up to 12 CEUs per two-year period for the following:
- Papers prepared or delivered before recognized nursing home organizations.
- Papers published in nationally recognized nursing home administration journals.
- A chapter in a book on nursing home administration.
- Self-study courses are taken through an accredited college or an approved sponsor; or
- Teleconferences with a live moderator through a college or approved sponsor.