Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) provide proven, high quality care to patients in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, clinics and group practices.

• An APN is a registered nurse who has completed additional masters or doctoral education and training and is nationally certified.
• The APN is accountable to the public and the State Board of Nursing. They meet educational and continuing education requirements for licensure and national specialty certification.

• APNs practice in a variety of settings including primary care in family, pediatrics, women’s health, psychiatric mental health, nurse anesthesia, acute care and other roles. All Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in New Jersey are APNs.
• APNs diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions, order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests. They refer their patients to specialists, seek consultation and provide team-based care whenever it is appropriate to quality, cost effective health care. They prescribe medications including controlled substances without supervision or oversight.
• APNs in NJ are not required to have their work supervised by a physician. Physician proximity, meeting with a physician or on-site or in-person oversight is not required.
• APN practice does require the APN to have a joint protocol collaborative agreement (JP) in order to prescribe medications including controlled substances.
• The Joint Protocol collaborative agreement (JP) is an outdated, mandatory practice agreement legislated in 1992 when APNs gained prescriptive authority.
• APNs have been caring for patients and prescribing medications including controlled substances without supervision or oversight.
• The JP agreement requires an annual review of one patient chart or at the discretion of the physician and APN.
• The JP is a barrier to access of care for patients.

• It will keep APNs in NJ.
• It will expand access to high quality, affordable health care and save money.
• The APN already diagnoses and treats patients without supervision in NJ.
• Does not expand the APN’s current scope of practice.
• Eliminates an outdated, mandatory practice agreement between the APN and physician.