New Jersey expands nurse freedom, improving patient access to care

Trenton, New Jersey; March 31, 2026: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a law yesterday increasing experienced nurses’ freedom to treat patients without mandatory physician oversight agreements. The law exempts advanced practice nurses with more than 5,000 hours of experience from joint protocol requirements when providing primary or behavioral health care, expanding access to care for patients across the state.

“When you trust qualified nurses to do their jobs, patients win,” said Jaimie Cavanaugh, Senior State Policy Counsel with Pacific Legal Foundation. “Nurses shouldn’t have to pay a physician to serve patients they are also qualified to provide care for. Today, New Jersey joins a growing number of states recognizing that nurse freedom and patient access go hand in hand.”

New Jersey’s law is part of a national movement to tear down barriers that prevent skilled nurses from practicing independently. Advocacy group APN-NJ has been instrumental in bringing this legislation to fruition. Across the country, so-called collaborative practice agreements have forced experienced nurses to pay physicians for oversight of care they are already qualified to provide as a condition of their licensure — a restriction that drains resources and limits care, especially in rural and underserved communities.

Pacific Legal Foundation fights nationwide for advanced practice nurses’ right to practice independently—free from government mandates that drive up costs, limit competition, and leave patients with fewer choices.