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Nursing is no longer counted as a 'professional degree' by Trump admin
Newsweek ^ | November 20, 2025 | Jasmine Laws

Posted on 11/22/2025 11:59:37 AM PST by Whatever Works

The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a “professional degree” program as it sets about implementing various measures regarding student loans laid out in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The move has sparked significant uproar among nurses and nursing groups, with the American Nurses Association saying, as reported by Nursing World, that “limiting nurses’ access to funding for graduate education threatens the very foundation of patient care.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chat; fakenews; msm; newsweak; nursing
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As there is already a shortage (and growing) of nurses, this seems ridiculous. I'll bet they are still funding gender studies and teaching.
1 posted on 11/22/2025 11:59:37 AM PST by Whatever Works
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To: Whatever Works

Given they seem to be more interested in doing tiktok dance videos and sleeping with the doctors, ....


2 posted on 11/22/2025 12:02:00 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Whatever Works

It is not a professional degree.

Sorry. It never was.


3 posted on 11/22/2025 12:02:17 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Whatever Works

Yeah, on the face of it this doesn’t seem like a good idea. Perhaps it’s actually targeted at less than RN?

My sister was in the last class of nursing education in Oregon that granted a certificate for an RN. 1974, I think.


4 posted on 11/22/2025 12:03:47 PM PST by jimtorr
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To: jimtorr

This story is from Newsweak, so I do expect them to lie about whatever they think will hurt Orange Man.


5 posted on 11/22/2025 12:05:10 PM PST by jimtorr
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To: Whatever Works

All this means is nursing schools are going to have to lower their exorbitant tuitions if they want to remain in business because the students can’t bury themselves in student loan debt and hand the proceeds over to them anymore.


6 posted on 11/22/2025 12:06:11 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (I have no answers. Only questions.)
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To: Whatever Works
A nurse with a Master's or doctorate is either an administrator (DON of a ward or a hospital) or a de facto physician, handing patients with either minor medical issues (the flu, scrapes) or working under an MD with patients who have chronic issues (how my wife with MS was taken care of during her time). In either case, it is professional without question.
7 posted on 11/22/2025 12:11:31 PM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Whatever Works

There is a long graduation in the degree to which nursing is a profession as opposed to a clinical clerk or grunt. A the husband of an advanced practice Clinical Nurse Specialist, painting the label so broadly is politically-stupid, functionally-counterproductive, and a hazard to patients.


8 posted on 11/22/2025 12:11:49 PM PST by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: Whatever Works

NP or PA, yes. RN, no.


9 posted on 11/22/2025 12:14:30 PM PST by bigbob (We are all Charlie Kirk now,)
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To: Secret Agent Man

I remember the dance videos shared during the pandemic. They needed to get to work!


10 posted on 11/22/2025 12:15:50 PM PST by quilterdebbie (We will endeavor to persevere!)
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To: Whatever Works

My Mom was an RN, she didn’t finish her degree until us kids were old enough to more or less care for ourselves she wanted to achieve this, didn’t live long enough. Folks, we ain’t got enough of them.

An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is a registered nurse with a master’s or doctoral degree and advanced training.


11 posted on 11/22/2025 12:17:22 PM PST by kawhill (What is it you want of me? I can't hear you. )
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To: Whatever Works

There is a nurse shortage most especially:

In rural red state areas…


12 posted on 11/22/2025 12:18:43 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege ( )
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To: ConservativeMind

Kind of like teachers


13 posted on 11/22/2025 12:21:30 PM PST by Vaduz (?.)
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To: chajin

> In either case, it is professional without question. <

If “professional” is defined as a job where long and specialized training is required, then an RN degree is certainly a professional degree. You can’t just jump into the job after a week’s orientation.

An RN’s position does include some basic, mundane duties. But that would also be true in any profession. For example, I did specialized work in chemistry. I also washed my share of lab glassware.


14 posted on 11/22/2025 12:22:30 PM PST by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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To: Whatever Works

MSM: Waaahhh. Trump hates nurses! Be angry!


15 posted on 11/22/2025 12:23:24 PM PST by PGR88
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To: chajin
I believe a professional degree is an advanced degree that is specific to one profession.

A master’s degree in an engineering field, for example, is not a professional degree because it is a Bachelor of Science degree. This is the case even though an engineer must be licensed to practice through a state licensing board.

A lawyer or doctor, on the other hand, has an advanced degree that is specific to a particular profession: juris doctor (JD) or medical doctor (MD).

16 posted on 11/22/2025 12:24:48 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man.")
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To: Whatever Works

Only thing a degree does is shows you can follow instructions, generally show up on time...


17 posted on 11/22/2025 12:25:03 PM PST by dpetty121263
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
There is a nurse shortage most especially: In rural red state areas…

That's a consequence of population density and overall health; in many places there aren't enough sick people to keep medical practices open.

18 posted on 11/22/2025 12:26:42 PM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: jimtorr

RN requires 2 years of college, a “Professional Degree” generally requires 6 years (2 years post-graduate). Engineers seem to be in a bit of a gray zone: I’m one and have had many engineer friends — we all had “only” 4 year degrees. Maybe one needs the 2 years of post-graduate studies to put “PE” after your name. I never bothered to check, and no one ever bothered to ask - they only cared that I was reliable, knew my stuff / specialty, and did my job well.


19 posted on 11/22/2025 12:26:50 PM PST by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Whatever Works

I’m a nurse with a BSN and an English degree. Reading this jumbled article was a strain on my logic, a mess of fake and I’m exhausted

Here’s what I got from it:

It is from a 1965 ruling

It affects post graduate programs

And it is a department of education ruling

Trump is removed from the dept of educationn having abolished it. They just won’t listen to him

“With a cap on federal student loans, fewer nurses will be able to afford graduate nursing education, such as Master’s, [Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)], and Ph.D. degrees,” sinw lady from John’s Hopkins


20 posted on 11/22/2025 12:31:32 PM PST by stanne
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