DEMAND Full Practice Authority for ALL Nurse Practitioners in New Jersey

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YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OR PROVIDE A TESTIMONIAL ABOUT HOW THIS CHANGE WILL EFFECT YOU OR A LOVED ONES HEALTHCARE.

Dear Governor Sherrill, Senators and Assembly Members. 

I write on behalf of IVs By The Seas, hundreds of small, local healthcare practices, and patients across New Jersey who are being profoundly affected by ongoing statutory restrictions placed on Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs).

Recent amendments to New Jersey legislation S2996 and A4052 raise significant concerns regarding transparency, consistency, and fairness in the regulation of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs). The introduction of a 5,000-hour requirement for autonomous practice is viewed as an excessive barrier that may discourage entry into the profession and limit access to care, particularly in underserved areas.

The amendments appear inconsistent in allowing full practice authority in some APN fields (such as primary care and mental health) while excluding others (including anesthesia, obstetrics, and aesthetic/medical spa practice), raising discrimination concerns about equitable treatment across specialties. Stakeholders also question the lack of clear pathways to recognize autonomous practice under EO 103 and why APN's who have been practicing autonomously are not being grandfathered in for full practice authority. 

Additional concerns include uncertainty around the financial responsibility for mandatory collaborative agreements and whether such costs may ultimately be passed on to providers or taxpayers. There are also broader concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the legislative process and the absence of meaningful stakeholder input during late-stage amendments.

This is particularly concerning for Nurse Practitioners in New Jersey, the vast majority of whom are women—nationally, approximately 85–90% of NPs are female—and especially in excluded fields such as aesthetics and medical spas, where the provider base is also overwhelmingly women-owned and women-led, with industry surveys consistently showing women comprise well over 80% of aesthetic practice owners and clinicians, raising significant concerns that these restrictions disproportionately impact women providers and women-led small businesses.

Further, in reviewing the circumstances surrounding these amendments, serious concern has been raised regarding the role of Nicholas Scutari, who serves as both a Senator and President of the Senate, and whether there may be a personal financial interest in the outcome of these changes. This concern is amplified by his repeated actions to block or stall full practice authority legislation in the past, as well as his role in advancing the most recent amendments to these bills, which were introduced at the last minute under his influence.

These amendments are particularly concerning in light of the continued requirement for APNs to maintain physician collaboration agreements in order to prescribe medical marijuana—an area of care that falls under legislation he has actively championed. Reports and legislative history indicate that similar efforts toward full practice authority have been repeatedly stalled or effectively “killed” under his leadership, raising further questions about consistency in policy direction.

Overall, the proposed changes are viewed as potentially limiting professional autonomy, increasing administrative and financial burdens, and disproportionately impacting a workforce that is predominantly female, particularly in privately owned and small business practice settings.

I urge lawmakers to reevaluate these amendments, ensure transparency in the legislative process, and apply consistent, evidence-based standards that prioritize both patient safety and equitable treatment of all qualified providers.

I strongly encourage Governor Sherill to stand by her word and prevent any action that would compromise the public health, safety, welfare, or security, and to ensure that the regulatory processes of state government do not have the effect of impeding the creation, growth, or expansion of business enterprises, hindering job creation, or undermining this Administration’s commitment to making government effective, accountable, transparent, and user-friendly- after all- I am merely repeating your words in Executive Order 7. 

I look forward to seeing how New Jersey will advocate for APNs- after all, nurses truly are the heart of healthcare and they deserve a break too.

Thank You,

(insert your name)