1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

In its continued attack on working people, the Trump Administration’s Department of Education is undermining the value of nursing degrees by seeking to define which degrees count as “professional,” and shockingly, “nursing” is not on that list. This is unacceptable. Our country cannot afford the costs of another bad healthcare policy from this Administration while our hospitals and nursing homes are facing a staffing crisis. This disrespect reveals how little some elected officials value nurses and the expertise and education it takes to do their jobs. It also reveals how little you and your party think of women. Nurses show up for our patients. We organize to improve safety, wages and benefits, and the quality of care our patients receive. Just as those of us working during the COVID-19 and/or HIV epidemics pulled together during the pandemic to save lives, Congress must pull together now to defend nurses’ recognition, respect, equity, and the future of care in our country. If nurses can't afford to go to school, healthcare short staffing, burnout and patient care will only get worse. Those are consequences we can’t afford — and nurses and patients deserve better. Ensure nurse education is designated as a Professional Degree under the DOE!