TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The Florida Nurses Association is speaking out on a new U.S. Department of Education rule that excludes nursing from its list of professional degrees.
The move is set to take effect in July 2026 and could cut available student loans in half for those seeking graduate and advanced degrees in nursing.
The head of the Florida Nurses Association, Willa Fuller, calls it a "real blow" that could have ripple effects, potentially impacting the quality of patient care and making Florida's current nursing shortage even worse.
"I think with the nursing shortage the way it is, we need to do everything we can to shore up nursing education and to make sure it's more accessible to people who really want to do this as a position. It takes special people and we don't want to put barriers in front of them."
Fuller says the Florida Nurses Association, which represents 400,000 nurses, and other groups are pushing the DOE to reconsider its decision.
"It's a blow to people who have dedicated their lives to caring for people. I just can't understand this," Fuller said. "People don't understand the depth of nursing education and the depth of what nurses have to do in their daily lives to keep patients safe and to make patients well."
Both Florida State University and FAMU say it's too early to comment on how the change could impact enrollment and programs at their respective nursing colleges.