Nurses Condemn Trump Plan To Downgrade The Profession

The news cycle is moving so fast that we aren’t always able to absorb important stories that fly past us on social media. But this one needs more attention. Please share my interview with Ashley Grieco, Nurse at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA as we discuss the absolute crisis the nursing profession faces brought on by the Trump regime and more cuts to the Department of Education.

I asked Ashley this during the interview, and I want to pose it here for your thoughts, too. What purpose do our taxes serve if not to invest in the health and wellbeing of our society?

The Trump administration’s Department of Education has proposed new rules that would exclude nurses from the “professional” category — a move that would sharply limit federal loans for advanced nursing degrees starting July 1, 2026. Nurses say the change would worsen an already dire staffing crisis and put patient care at risk.

Pennsylvania alone faces a shortage of 20,000 nurses, the worst in the nation. Nurses represented by ‪@SEIU‬ Healthcare PA, the state’s largest healthcare union, are calling the proposal dangerous, short-sighted, and deeply disrespectful to the profession.

“Nurses across Pennsylvania strongly condemn the Trump administration’s proposal to exclude nursing from the ‘professional’ category, which will worsen the nursing shortage crisis, reduce access to needed care and hurt our patients.”

The proposed rules would impose much lower federal loan limits on students pursuing advanced nursing degrees, including nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives—roles that are critical to care delivery, especially in rural and underserved communities.

“These changes will discourage nurses from pursuing advanced degrees, push more nurses out of the field, and deter many people from entering the profession in the first place.”

Nurses say the policy also threatens the pipeline of nurse educators needed to train future generations.

“The proposed rules are a symbolic slap in the face and devaluing of a majority-women workforce… This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, this is about the health and future of our entire nation.”

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ABOUT NATALIE
Natalie Bencivenga is a socially-conscious journalist working towards building equity in our communities through storytelling. Her goal is to inspire, educate and activate people to become catalysts for positive change. Join her for transformative conversations that uplift and challenge the ways in which we perceive the world. Let's turn this moment into a movement – together.