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URGENT: NJ to require joint protocol starting 2/16/2026

Posted by New Jersey Palliative Care Advanced Practice Nurse Consortium on
New Jersey
New Jersey Palliative Care Advanced Practice Nurse Consortium

Dear Members,

The requirement to maintain a joint protocol with a collaborating physician was waived during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us who work for a hospital organization or large medical groups still had to maintain an agreement due to their regulating body even though it was not mandated by the state. If you are one of the APNs who does not have one, note that executive order that waived the joint protocol is expiring. Please see the following information from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). As a non-profit member, we will be working closely with AANP to advocate for full practice authority.

The New Jersey Palliative Care APN Consortium Board of Directors

Late last week, outgoing New Jersey Governor Murphy closed out several longstanding executive orders related to the state’s declared COVID-19 and public health emergencies as he prepared to leave office. Unfortunately, the executive order that waived the joint protocol with a collaborating physician for nurse practitioners (NPs) linked to the public health emergency, was included.
 
What This Means for New Jersey NPs and Their Patients?

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.
 
What Doesn’t Change?

AANP’s commitment to retire this outdated barrier to your practice and access to care for patients.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.
WAIVER IMPACT REPORT
Stay Tuned! Your ongoing engagement in advocacy alerts and policymaker education is critical. Keep an eye on your inbox for future opportunities to make your voice heard alongside AANP. We'll use the subject line of “ACT NOW” and provide details when timely advocacy actions are needed and the subject line “UPDATE” to help you easily distinguish quick action items from routine news.
 
Sincerely,

AANP Board of Directors
AANP Office of State Government Affairs