New Jersey Could Fine Anyone Who Calls Themselves a ‘Nurse’ Without a License

Anyone in New Jersey who calls themselves a “nurse” without a nursing license could soon be fined, after an Assembly panel unanimously approved legislation that would close a long-standing loophole in the state’s nurse title protections.

The bill, A2474, would add the plain word “Nurse” to the titles that only licensed professionals can use. Under current law, lay people are already barred from calling themselves registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, or licensed practical nurses, including the abbreviations. The plain word ‘nurse,’ on its own, is not covered.

Nurse leaders who testified before the Assembly Regulated Professions Committee said the change is needed to protect patients and keep public trust in the profession. Some pushed lawmakers to go further, asking for higher fines and a ban on AI chatbots calling themselves nurses.

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A2474 would add the plain word “Nurse” to a list of titles that only licensed professionals can use. The existing list already protects:

• R.N. (registered nurse)
• L.P.N. (licensed practical nurse)
• A.P.N. (advanced practice nurse)

Under the amended law, anyone using any of those titles, or the plain word “Nurse,” without an active license as a professional nurse, practical nurse, or advanced practice nurse would face a $200 penalty for a first violation and $500 for each subsequent offense.

The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Tennille R. McCoy (D-14) and co-sponsored by:

• Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn (R-13)
• Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-13)
• Assemblywoman Maureen Rowan (D-2)

It was pre-filed for the 2026 session and has bipartisan support.

Margaret Farrell Daingerfield, president of the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA), told lawmakers that nurses meet strict regulatory requirements so they can assess patients, give treatments, and make critical decisions in high-stakes settings. “When individuals without this training use this title, it blurs the line between qualified professionals and unlicensed personnel,” she said.

Daingerfield said that confusion could put patients at risk and erode trust in the profession, because it lets unlicensed people present themselves as healthcare providers. This specific topic hits close to home for Daingerfield. She described a niece who hired a “baby nurse” and did not realize the person was not actually a licensed nurse until her mother, who is a nurse, came to visit.

Nurse Leaders Want Higher Fines and Limits on AI “Nurses”

Despite the fines and stipulations, not everyone thinks the bill goes far enough. Daria Waszak, executive director of the New Jersey Collaborative Center for Nursing, asked the committee to consider raising the existing $200 and $500 fines for people who pose as registered, advanced practice, or licensed practical nurses. A2474 applies those same penalty levels to the new “Nurse” prohibition, so raising the existing fines would raise the A2474 penalty along with them.

She also urged lawmakers to stop artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots from calling themselves nurses, so consumers know when they are actually talking to one.

“Regardless of where it is, any setting where health interactions take place, it is very important that it remains clear to a consumer when they are interacting with a licensed human nurse and they are not,” Waszak said.

The AI provision is not currently included in the bill. A2474 has no Senate companion, so it would need a matching Senate bill and votes in both chambers before it could reach the governor’s desk.

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The same committee also unanimously approved A5404, the “Midwifery Licensing Act.” It would move oversight of certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, and certified professional midwives from the State Board of Medical Examiners to a newly created, independent State Board of Midwifery.

Mia Leong, a midwife at Haledon-based Rowan Birth Services, said a dedicated board would be better able to judge midwives’ work. “The people responsible for setting standards for midwives should understand the work that midwives actually do and the specific needs of the communities that we serve,” she said.

A Senate companion cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in June, but the two versions are not identical, and it is unclear how the differences will be worked out.

In New Jersey, the plain word “nurse” currently has no legal protection, so nannies, caregivers, med spa staff, or online wellness influencers can use it without any nursing education. The word “nurse” is frequently seen in baby caregivers that advertise themselves as “baby nurses”. 

If A2474 becomes law, only licensed RNs, LPNs, and APNs could call themselves nurses, and anyone else who does could be fined. For working nurses, that means:

• Your credential carries more weight. Patients and families can trust that a “nurse” in New Jersey is actually licensed.
• Unlicensed caregivers would need new job titles. Roles like “baby nurse” or “night nurse” held by people without licenses would need to be renamed.
• AI is the next battleground. As health systems and apps roll out AI chatbots, nurse leaders want clear rules so no software can present itself as a nurse. The current bill doesn’t address that, so it’s worth watching whether lawmakers amend it.
• The bill isn’t law yet. It still needs a full Assembly vote and a Senate companion.

New Jersey nurses who want to weigh in can contact their state legislators or follow NJSNA’s pending bills tracker.

🤔 Have you ever seen someone without a license call themselves a nurse? Should AI chatbots be banned from using the title? Share your thoughts in the comments below.