ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES (APNS) CARE FOR PATIENTS IN NEW JERSEY

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

What is an APN?

  • 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.

What does the APN do?

  • 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  • The Joint Protocol collaborative agreement (JP) is an outdated, mandatory practice agreement legislated in 1992 when APNs gained prescriptive authority.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.

What is Full Practice Authority?

  • 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  • Eliminates an outdated, mandatory practice agreement between the APN and physician.
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