Oppose Trump Reclassification of Nursing Degrees - Protect Healthcare Workforce

Today I take pen in hand to write and to urge you to oppose the Trump Administration's reclassification of advanced practice nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other healthcare degrees as non-professional degrees. This policy change will eliminate programs like Grad PLUS, cap federal loan access for graduate healthcare students, and restrict reimbursement for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, making it dramatically harder for tens of thousands of students to afford the education required to finish their education and meet our community's healthcare needs. Every state is already experiencing a severe nursing crisis. In some parts of the country, a whopping 78% of practitioners and patients say health care has gotten worse, mostly owing to lack of qualified nurses and specialists. This damaging federal policy will deepen these shortages by slowing the education pipeline for the next generation of nurses and healthcare professionals. The workforce crisis is already driving nurses out of the profession. Thirty-six percent of registered nurses plan to leave nursing earlier than expected, and 50% of nurses with under five years of experience intend to leave early, citing unsafe staffing, poor working conditions, and burnout. Restricting educational access and burdening aspiring nurses with greater private-loan debt will only accelerate this exodus. Rural and underserved communities across the US rely heavily on APRNs and other healthcare professionals for high-quality, community-based care. This policy threatens access to care precisely where it is needed most. Nursing is the largest and most trusted healthcare profession in the nation. Stripping professional status from nursing degrees is an insult to every person who delivers lifesaving care. I urge you to publicly oppose this misguided federal reclassification and work to restore full professional degree recognition and federal loan access for nursing and healthcare professional education. Our healthcare system depends on it. Thank you.