IMPORTANT: Prescriptive authority and Collaborative Agreements in NJ required as of Feb. 16th, 2026
Posted 7 days ago by Victoria Eftychiou in Professional
APN-NJ, in coordination with our coalition partner organizations, is writing to share an important update affecting advanced practice nursing in New Jersey.
As Governor Phil Murphy concludes his term, he has signed an executive order formally ending several long-standing States of Emergency, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency declarations allowed for temporary regulatory flexibilities that affected how Advanced Practice Nurses practiced during the public health crisis.
With the formal conclusion of these States of Emergency, any practice allowances that existed solely under emergency authority have now sunset. APNs must ensure their practice is fully compliant with current New Jersey statutes and Board of Nursing regulations.
What This Means for New Jersey APNs
- Emergency-based practice flexibilities are no longer in effect. Prescriptive authority and collaborative arrangements must meet non-emergency statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Employers, credentialing bodies, pharmacies and insurers will expect full regulatory compliance going forward.
- Murphy, under EO103 has given APNs an extension until February 16, 2026 to comply with the cessation of EO 112.
Support for NJ APNs
APN-NJ and our coalition partners recognize that securing and maintaining compliant collaborative arrangements can be challenging. To support members during this transition, we are:
- Expanding guidance on regulatory compliance and scope-of-practice question
- Exploring additional coalition-based resources to help APNs identify appropriate collaborators when required under current law.
Why This Matters
This moment reinforces what APN-NJ and our partners have long emphasized: temporary executive actions are not a substitute for permanent statutory reform. The pandemic demonstrated that APNs can practice safely and effectively to the full extent of their education and training. Without legislative change, however, those gains remain vulnerable.
Moving Forward
The conclusion of the emergency does not diminish the essential role APNs play in New Jersey’s healthcare system. Instead, it underscores the urgency of securing durable, evidence-based policies that reflect our expertise, training, and contributions—and that protect patient access to care.
APN-NJ, together with our coalition partners, remains fully committed to advancing permanent Full Practice Authority in New Jersey. We will continue to keep you informed and supported during this transition.
Thank you for your continued professionalism, leadership and commitment to advanced practice nursing in New Jersey.
Respectfully,
APN-NJ Executive Board
FROM AANP:
The waiver exempting NPs from the requirement of joint protocols is winding down. NPs who prescribe will be required to have an active joint protocol with a collaborative physician in place no later than February 16, 2026. NPs must ensure they are fully compliant with the joint protocol requirements of New Jersey law and regulations, and NPs will need to have protocol agreements in place to continue to prescribe. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) encourages NPs to make contingency plans for their patients' prescription needs if agreements will not be in place by February 16, 2026.
AANP’s commitment to retire this outdated barrier to your practice and access to care for patients. We are working with our partners and lobby team in the state to secure full practice and address this issue.
- The bill for Full Practice Authority has already been reintroduced by Senators Vitale and Singleton and has two dozen co-sponsors. As introduced, S2996, would remove the requirements for advanced practice nurses to maintain protocols with a collaborative physician after 24 months or 2,400 hours of practice. The bill was referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
- Your ongoing engagement and sharing stories of the impact of these protocol requirements on patients and your practice will be needed more than ever. We know that many of you are already connecting with your state legislators to share how this impacts your patients. We also want to hear from you. Help us collect impact stories by clicking the button below to share how the end of the waiver is impacting you and your patients. Once you select NJ, specific impact questions will be available.
Posted by: V. Eftychiou, APN