The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA), representing thousands of nurses dedicated to preventing and managing cardiovascular disease, is strongly opposed to the Department of Education’s Proposed Rulemaking: Reimagining and Improving Student Education.

The proposed rulemaking seeks to eliminate post-baccalaureate nursing programs from the regulatory definition of “professional degree programs.” This change would have significant unintended consequences for the nursing workforce, access to care, and the quality of cardiovascular disease prevention and management nationwide.

Impact on the Nursing Workforce

Post-baccalaureate nursing programs – including accelerated BSN (ABSN) pathways and entry-level master’s programs – are essential pipelines that bring highly educated, diverse professionals into the nursing workforce. These programs produce thousands of nurses annually and have been instrumental in responding to ongoing shortages.

By removing post-baccalaureate nursing from its professional degree classification, the proposed rule would risk:

  • Reducing federal financial aid access for students in these programs;
  • Deterring individuals who rely on federal financial aid to pursue a career in nursing;
  • Shrinking the pipeline of an already strained workforce at a moment of record demand; and
  • Undermining national efforts to expand nursing capacity across acute, chronic, and community settings.

Nursing workforce shortages disproportionately affect cardiovascular care, where timely access to skilled nurses is essential for prevention, diagnosis, and disease management.

Implications for Cardiovascular Care

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) requires complex, continuous, and coordinated care. Nurses trained through post-baccalaureate programs play a critical role in:

  • Delivering primary and secondary prevention interventions;
  • Managing hypertension, lipid disorders, and diabetes;
  • Coordinating care that reduces hospitalizations and improves outcomes; and
  • Educating patients and families to support long-term adherence and behavior change.

A reduction in the nursing pipeline could contribute to already existing disparities in cardiovascular outcomes, particularly in rural and underserved communities where nurses are often the primary access point to preventive care. In a health system already facing rising CVD prevalence and an aging population, this rule would move the nation in the opposite direction of our public health goals.

The Need to Preserve Professional Degree Status for Post-Baccalaureate Nursing

The current professional degree designation appropriately reflects the rigor, clinical depth, and workforce value of post-baccalaureate nursing programs. It ensures equitable access to education financing and supports the nation’s capacity to educate practice-ready nurses.

Maintaining this classification is essential for:

  • Supporting a stable and sustainable cardiovascular nursing workforce;
  • Ensuring continuity of care for millions living with or at risk for CVD;
  • Advancing national priorities to reduce preventable death and disease; and
  • Preserving patient access to high quality, evidence based cardiovascular care.

PCNA recommends that post-baccalaureate nursing programs retain their regulatory definition as “professional degree programs.” and urges the Department of Education to withdraw or revise the proposed rule to preserve the professional degree designation for post-baccalaureate nursing programs. Protecting these pathways is necessary to maintain a robust nursing workforce and safeguard cardiovascular health outcomes for patients, families, and communities across the nation.