As of late November, the Department of Education (DOE) no longer considers nursing as a professional degree for federal student-loan limits. Programs such as Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice will lose access to the higher loan caps long granted to fields like medicine, dentistry and law.

Bernadette Knight is a registered nurse of more than 26 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. Knight currently works in the preoperative unit at Piedmont hospital in Atlanta and said this decision overlooks the responsibility required of nurses.

“Hearing about the DOE’s decision to exclude nursing from its list of professional degrees made me upset and very concerned,” Knight said. “It is confusing and frustrating. What is their rationale? If it isn’t a professional degree, what is it?”

Allie Shields, a nurse who earned her Master of Science in Nursing at Vanderbilt University in 2001, currently works in vascular surgery at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. Shields said the policy change is likely to disproportionately affect students who depend on federal financial aid to pursue nursing degrees.

“I assume that prospective nursing students from lower-income backgrounds, first-generation college students, and minorities will be most affected due to the fact that many rely heavily on federal student loans as opposed to family support and financial resources,” Shields said.

The changes in the nursing field have left many like junior Dabney Bond to have second thoughts on their career choice. Bond had wanted to become a nurse initially, but as she is applying for colleges next year, she said she has made some adjustments to her desired career.

“I love the idea of becoming a nurse,” Bond said. “But now without the ability to get more guaranteed financial support or recognition in the medical field, I am considering switching to become a dentist, which was my other plan.”

Shields said the impact of the policy change extends further than undergraduate nursing programs and could affect those seeking advanced degrees.

“Students pursuing advanced nursing degrees like Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and nursing PhDs will likely be impacted due to the lower federal loan limits now imposed on this group,” Shields said.

Shields said part of the issue of the misconception of nursing stems from how nursing is structured and understood compared to other healthcare professions.

“Medicine and dentistry have single, terminal degrees,” Shields said.“These degrees are tied to licensure, which is straightforward and easy to understand for most people. Nursing, in contrast, has multiple entry pathways and many degrees associated with the profession.”

Knight said nursing requires a level of education and training that is comparable to other licensed medical professions.

“The education, training and day-to-day practice is extremely rigorous and adding the stress and uncertainty of funding one’s education would dissuade many from bothering to go into the field,” Knight said.

Nurses perform critical procedures that directly impact patients. Knight said their work cannot be replaced by technology or untrained staff.

“We are a licensed profession and are literally responsible for people’s lives, alongside the doctors and other licensed professionals in the care team,” Knight said. “We cannot be replaced by AI or untrained technicians. We resuscitate people, transfuse blood, maintain life-saving devices like ventilators, various heart machines and countless other treatments.”

Shields warned that the potential decline in nursing enrollment could strain hospitals and clinics in coming years.

“I expect we will see fewer students choosing to pursue nursing and advanced nursing degrees in the coming months and years due to these lower loan limits,” Shields said. “This will directly affect patient care down the line as we have fewer nurses to care for our aging population.”

Even before the DOE’s decision, hospitals have struggled to maintain adequate staffing levels. Knight said limiting loans could worsen the existing shortages and questioned the future of patient care.

“We have had a nursing shortage since I was in school and continue to be affected by it,” Knight said. “Nurses are essential and limiting student loans will surely limit the already taxed pool of nurses. Who will take care of people when there are not enough nurses?”