Nursing and professional degrees: Public comment period begins

Nurses have been talking about the federal government’s list of professional degrees for months, but now it’s critical for them to make their voices heard, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy says.

The president of the American Nurses Association is urging nurses to speak out in opposition to the federal government’s listing of professional degrees. The U.S. Department of Education’s list of professional degrees doesn’t include nursing programs.

Mensik Kennedy says the list is far more than academic. By leaving nursing off the list of professional degrees, it could deter some nurses from pursuing graduate degrees, which are required for teaching positions in nursing schools. If there are fewer teachers, then it could reduce the supply of nurses, she says.

The Department of Education has begun its 30-day period of public comment. Those wishing to submit comments to the department must do so by March 2. Mensik Kennedy is urging nurses to comment on the proposed rule.

She spoke about the potential ramification in an interview with Chief Healthcare Executive® this week.

“It’s really, really important that everyone puts their comments forward,” Mensik Kennedy says.

She also stresses that allies of nurses can offer comments as well.

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Under the proposal, those in graduate programs that aren’t designated as professional degrees are limited in how much they could borrow from federal loan programs: $20,500 annually and $100,000 over a lifetime. Mensik Kennedy says that could make it harder for nurses to pursue graduate degrees.

Nurses have gained more support in their fight for recognition. Nearly 150 members of Congress have signed a letter asking the Department of Education to include post-baccalaureate nursing degrees in its listing of professional degrees.

Mensik Kennedy faults the Education Department’s rationale for arguing against inclusion of nursing in its professional degrees. The department points to the need for those in nursing roles to be supervised.

“That right there tells me someone doesn't understand what nursing does, because nurses are not supervised by physicians,” Mensik Kennedy says. “This is a very different perspective.”

The Department of Education said most nurses wouldn’t be affected by the changes. But Mensik Kennedy points out the ceilings on borrowing would potentially lead to fewer instructors in nursing schools, which would limit the number of slots for applicants to pursue careers in nursing.

Mensik Kennedy also points out that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently recognized the importance of nursing in its first awards to states under the Rural Health Transformation Program. The program offered additional support to states with full practice authority (FPA) for nurse practitioners.

She says it’s ironic that one arm of the federal government is offering greater recognition and funding based on support for nursing, while another agency is taking steps that could reduce the pool of nurses.

“It doesn't all go together well,” she says. “It just adds to more confusion.”

Mensik Kennedy says she hopes nurses can spur the Department of Education to reconsider and to have a different conversation with nurses. And she hopes the department will revise its policy, but says nurses won’t relent even if the department won’t budge.

“The easiest hope is that we get the momentum again, get the department to reconsider,” she says. “Even if, for some reason they didn't … that's not going to be the end of what we do.”