Nursing CE Central
Five national nursing organizations joined forces to push back on proposed cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services — going so far as to say the “ripple effects would impact the longevity of the population.”
The American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National League for Nursing, and the Oncology Nursing Society said in a statement last week that they were “deeply disturbed” by the proposition, which includes $40 billion in cuts.
“Our organizations call on the Trump Administration to recalibrate their thinking of federal budget cuts to HHS and recognize that the health of individuals and communities as well as the economic repercussions would be dire,” the organizations stated.
These more recent efforts build on stances from National Nurses United and other state-level nursing organizations.
The Washington Post reported in mid-April that the $40 billion proposed cuts for HHS are the equivalent of one-third of the department’s discretionary budget. Leaked documents that the outlet obtained showed rural programs would take a significant hit and the Head Start program would be eliminated.
Agency consolidations also are part of the proposal, which includes establishing the Administration for a Health America under which some current programs would fall.
Other programs or research areas slated for reductions or termination include:
The proposed cuts, according to the joint statement, would affect the healthcare workforce, public health infrastructure, community programs, research, rural health, and “every aspect of health in between.”
But a notable concern among these groups is the potential elimination of the National Institute of Nursing Research, a subsect of the National Institutes of Health. The NINR has been a staple of federal health for four decades.
“The potential elimination of NINR from NIH would stall important discoveries vital to symptom management for chronic diseases, cutting edge initiatives and interventions, and training programs for nurse scientists; only to name a few,” the groups stated. “Nursing practice is driven by our science — the science of care — which improves quality, saves lives, reduces costs, and never loses sight of the patients we serve.”
The American Nurses Association released its own statement opposing the end of the NINR, saying it’s vital the White House administration “ensures the uninterrupted continuation of the vital work of NINR.”
“As America’s most trusted profession for the past 20 years, nurses are concerned about the ability of a restructured HHS, without the NINR, to pursue nurse-specific approaches that answer the challenges and demanding needs of our healthcare system and the patients we serve,” ANA President Dr. Jennifer Mensik-Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, stated. “… We urge the administration to reconsider this elimination and safeguard funding for NINR when its FY2026 budget proposal is released, and we look forward to working with Congress to the same end.”
ANA and the Oregon Nurses Association called attention to the proposed elimination of Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs. The programs, according to ONA, help diversify the nursing workforce and place practitioners in “medically underserved and rural areas.”
“Eliminating them jeopardizes the future of a diverse nursing workforce precisely when Oregon and the nation face a chronic staffing shortage,” ONA stated.
Documents obtained by the Washington Post show that the White House administration aims to slash $40 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services budget, including programs and initiatives that directly impact the nursing industry. Myriad nursing organizations and advocacy groups at the state and federal levels have come out against the cuts, arguing they will not only hinder the nursing workforce, but have detrimental effects on public health as a whole.
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