There is no single famous individual historically quoted as saying, “Nursing is not a professional career.”

Recent policy context

• In late 2025, the U.S. Department of Education changed how it classifies certain degrees and stopped counting nursing as a “professional degree” for some federal student aid and loan rules.

• This bureaucratic reclassification led to headlines and social media posts paraphrasing the move as “the Department of Education says nursing is not a professional career,” but it reflects an administrative definition for loan programs, not a general statement that nursing is not a profession.

Actual stance on nursing

• Major organizations such as the American Nurses Association and American Association of Colleges of Nursing strongly rejected the change, emphasizing that nursing is a well‑established, licensed profession requiring rigorous education and specialized skills.

• Historically, nursing has been widely recognized as a profession, not merely a job, by professional bodies, universities, and health systems around the world.