Nurses' Degrees Deemed 'Not Professional' by Education Dept.

The U.S. Department of Education's decision to no longer classify nursing degrees as 'professional' has ignited widespread anger within the nursing community. This reclassification, implemented under recent administrative changes, directly impacts the financial aid available to nursing students by altering loan eligibility and caps.

Nurses and practitioners, like Jenn Plescia, describe the decision as insulting and dismissive, highlighting nursing's critical role in healthcare. They argue that overlooking its academic rigor and demanding nature jeopardizes patient care and could exacerbate the already critical nursing shortage nationwide. The classification excludes nursing from professional degree status afforded to fields like medicine and law.

This move has prompted significant backlash, with over 200,000 signatures on a petition by the American Nurses Association urging the department to reconsider. While some acknowledge the department's stated logic regarding loan borrowing habits, many believe this approach devalues the profession and undermines nurses who are essential to the healthcare system.