Our thanks to our former ECSNA Co-President, Laura Sacks, BA, BSN, MA, RN, CSN for sharing the important opportunity to make our voices heard:

ANA Petition background

The Department of Education is reviewing its definitions of "professional" and "graduate" degrees, and the current proposal excludes nursing from the professional degree list.

• If nursing is not recognized as a professional degree, it could significantly restrict access to federal loans for post-baccalaureate nursing students, which would worsen the ongoing nursing shortage.

• The ANA believes this exclusion undervalues the profession and creates new financial barriers to education for nurses, who are the largest segment of the U.S. healthcare workforce.

How to take action

• Sign the petition: Go to the ANA's Quorum page by clicking here and add your name to the petition to support nursing's professional status.

• Spread the word: Share the petition  with other nurses and colleagues to build a unified voice and ensure the message is heard, by clicking here to copy the hyperlink, and send it to your colleagues.

• Contact legislators: The ANA encourages members to contact their legislators to advocate for revising the definition to include nursing.