December 2025

Advocacy & Engagement

Events & Meetings

• The Nursing Community Coalition held a virtual monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

NCC Connections

• The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has a resource hub highlighting their efforts to ensure that post-baccalaureate nursing programs are included in the Department of Education’s definition of “professional degree” programs. To view these resources, click here.
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has launched a new web page dedicated to supporting nursing as a professional degree. To view this page, click here.
• On December 1, the National League for Nursing (NLN) issued a statement strongly  opposing the Department of Education’s proposed definition of “professional degree” programs which does not include nursing. To read this statement, click here.
• Several national nursing organizations have led a petition urging the Department of Education to revise its proposed definition of “professional degrees” to explicitly include post-baccalaureate nursing. This petition currently has more than 239,000 signatures. To view and sign the petition, click here.

In Case You Missed It…

• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released a dashboard with data on its Health Workforce Programs. To view the dashboard, click here.
• Newly Introduced Legislation:
  • U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act (S.3329/H.R.6203). This bipartisan, biacmeral bill would honor the nearly 120,000 nurses who served in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during the Second World War.
  • Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (S.3435/H.R.6607). This bill would invest $1 billion into schools of nursing to enhance enrollment and recruitment of nursing students, hire and retain faculty, and support the modernization of nursing education infrastructure.
• The NCC Applauds the Bipartisan Support for Nursing as a “Professional Degree”:
  • Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chairs, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair and nurse, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), and House Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), along with more than 140 bipartisan members of Congress, sent a bipartisan and bicameral letter to the Department of Education. This letter outlines concerns with “the RISE Committee’s decision to omit post-baccalaureate nursing degrees from the regulatory definition of ‘professional degree’ in its recently released proposed framework.” This letter was also supported by nearly 70 national organizations. To read the press release, click here. To read the letter, click here. To see endorsing organizations, click here, and to read the story in the Associated Press, click here.
  • House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair and nurse, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), sent a letter to the Department of Education urging the inclusion of post-baccalaureate nursing programs in their definition of “professional degree” programs. To read this letter, click here.
  • House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) posted a video highlighting the impact of the Department of Education’s proposed federal loan caps and urging her constituents to write to the Department during its upcoming public comment period. To watch this video, click here.
  • Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) sent a letter to the Department of Education urging the inclusion of nursing, along with other health-related degrees, in the Department’s definition of “professional degree” programs. To read this letter, click here. 
  • Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02) issued a press release expressing support for nursing as a “professional degree.” To read the press release, click here. 
  • Congressman Tim Kennedy (D-NY-26) led a sign-on letter with sixty-nine of his Democratic colleagues expressing concerns with the Department of Education’s proposed restrictions on federal loan limits for several advanced health degree programs, including nursing. He also made a speech about this issue on the House floor. To read the letter, click here. To watch the speech, click here.
  • Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) made a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives expressing with the Department of Education’s proposed changes in this area. To watch this speech, click here.
  • Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) sent a letter to the Department of Education urging the inclusion of nursing, along with other health-related degrees, in the Department’s definition of “professional degree” programs. To read this letter, click here. 
  • Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) sent a letter to the Department of Education expressing concerns with its proposed changes that will impact a number of professions, including nursing. To read the letter, click here.

Post of the Month

Thank you to @RepUnderwood for underscoring the importance of protecting federal student loan access for our current and future nurses.

HPASC Purpose and Objectives

To promote awareness within the DNA of issues and concerns in the area of Health Policy and Advocacy that assists DNA and it’s members to achieve their strategic goal of effectively advocating for members, patients, and the general public by:

1. Increasing membership involvement and understanding in health policy and advocacy efforts.
2. Acting as a resource for information on issues related to health policy and advocacy.
3. Working with members to investigate, consider, report, and act on advocacy issues commensurate with DNA’s Strategic plan.
4. Facilitating membership awareness, discussions, and activities.

HPASC Projects

• Support nursing within the Nursing Community
• Support cancer research, prevention, and education with One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC)
• Support State  Legislation to  prohibit tanning bed use by Children with The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ACS CAN
• Support The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association SUNucate

Health Policy Advocacy Scanning Council

Elizabeth Jonas, LNP -Co-Chair
Karrie Fairbrother, BSN, CDE, DNC
Maura Flynn, MPP, RN, DNC
Gayle Peterson, RN-BC

HPASC Official Advocacy Toolkit

Advocacy is hard to describe because it’s so very personal. That is because advocacy just means your voice. Whether a local school board or your states senator in D.C., you are the voice that can affect change but if you remain silent, your voice will not be counted for.

The DNA wanted to create a toolkit for all dermatology healthcare providers to be able to affect change where they see fit. We encourage you to look for small wins, these realistic achievements snowball into bigger wins through collaboration and visibility.

We encourage you to find a way to start down a path for change today. Learn about the political process, send an email to a representative, download a calendar of events, volunteer for a committee, join a patient advocacy group. Together, we will have our voices and our patient’s voices heard.

DCAN’s Advocacy Toolkit – DCAN is excited to release its new advocacy toolkit. It’s an extensive guide on how patients and clinicians can overcome payer resistance.