11/28/2025
I think the biggest reason why nurses are so mad about the Department of Education removing us from the professional occupation list is because it feels like one more slap in the face after years of giving literally everything we have.
We spent years in school, taking some of the most impossible classes with clinical hours, exams, and boards that people outside of healthcare don’t even realize exist.
We’re responsible for medications, IV drips, critical decisions, emergencies, and real human lives….all while juggling impossible patient loads, short staffing, and emotional stress most people will never see.
We work 12-hour shifts that turn into 14. We skip meals. We miss holidays with our families. We deal with trauma, loss, and heartbreak… and then go home and try to act like everything is normal.
So when the Department of Education takes the word “professional” away from nursing it makes us mad because nurses have spent YEARS fighting to be seen, respected, and taken seriously in a system that runs on our backs. We advocate so hard not just for our patients but for ourselves too.
This isn’t about a label.
It’s about the message it sends.
If we’re removing “professional” from the people who literally keep the healthcare system functioning, what does that say about the priorities in this country?
Nurses aren’t angry for no reason…. they’re tired of being treated like they don’t matter. Because sooner than later enough will be enough and there wont be any of us left.
