Email from National Association of School Nurses   NASN Statement on Federal Student-Loan Developments and the Professional Status of Nursing The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is closely monitoring the US Department of Education’s (ED) proposed changes to graduate and professional-student loan programs. As you may have seen in recent coverage, the Department’s draft language does not recognize nursing as a professional degree pathway, which could restrict access to the advanced education many school nurses rely on for licensure, certification, and leadership roles. We want to be absolutely clear with our members: school nursing is a profession, and NASN is actively working in national coalitions with like-minded nursing organizations to protect that recognition and ensure access to affordable graduate education for the school-health workforce. NASN has already joined: The Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) in strong, coordinated advocacy urging ED to explicitly include post-baccalaureate nursing programs in the definition of “professional degree program”; The Coalition of Providers and Programs, which is calling for consistent standards across all health-professional graduate programs so no discipline is disadvantaged by arbitrary loan-limit distinctions; and Ongoing advocacy supporting a robust nursing-education pipeline and future workforce stability. These coalition efforts ensure NASN’s voice is aligned with national nursing leadership while clearly elevating the school-nurse perspective. We also know these developments hit at something deeper than loan limits: They strike at professional identity. They risk sending a message that advanced nursing preparation is somehow “less than” — when in fact, school nursing requires sophisticated clinical judgment, public-health competency, care coordination, and systems leadership. This is what we want school nurses to hear from us today: You are professionals. Your preparation is professional. Your work in schools demands and deserves recognition as such. NASN will not allow federal policy to diminish this profession or limit future pathways into it. In the coming weeks, NASN will: Continue working with national coalitions submitting joint comments, Provide timely updates as the rulemaking process advances, Develop member-friendly advocacy resources, and Activate VoterVoice so you can share your stories with Congress and protect the professional pathways future school nurses depend on. Your expertise, education, and impact on students are essential to the nation’s health. NASN will defend that — loudly, visibly, and in partnership with the full nursing community. Lynn Nelson, MSN, RN, NCSN NASN President Terri Hinkley, EdD, MBA, BScN, RN, CAE NASN CEO View as Webpage National Association of School Nurses | 1100 Wayne Avenue Suite 925 | Silver Spring, MD 20910 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice