Proposed HHS budget would close NINR, cut nursing programs
A proposed budget from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leaked to media outlets earlier this week included $40 billion in cuts to core services, with many nursing programs being eliminated entirely.
In the draft document, HHS proposed closing the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) entirely, along with eliminating all Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. The initiatives, offered through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provided grants for nurses seeking new and continuing education, with the end goal being to improve staffing nationwide.
Nurses of multiple specialties benefit from the programs, which provide avenues for subsidized education costs and career advancement. Further, the programs fund research into the work of nurses to better understand the role they play in various aspects of patient care.
In particular, the NINR studies and helps fund the training of nurses who work in specialties such as mental health, maternal care, end-of-life care, substance abuse and more, helping to develop best practices for care delivery and a workforce trained to administer care safely and effectively.
However, the status of nearly all the programs is in limbo, given the proposal to eliminate the NINR.
ANA concerned for public health
In response to the cuts, the American Nurses Association (ANA) released a statement, arguing the federal cuts to education assistance and research could negatively impact patient care and exacerbate the shortage of nursing staff.
“The ANA is deeply concerned about the recent reports surrounding the leaked draft FY 2026 proposed budget for HHS, specifically the elimination of NINR and deep cuts to Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs," ANA President Jennifer Mensik-Kennedy, PhD, RN, said in the statement. “ANA firmly believes that NINR plays a vital role in ensuring that research guided by nurses’ education, experiences, and clinical training continue to enable our overall health care system to improve and be driven by evidence.”
The group said that since its inception, the NINR has funded “groundbreaking research,” and support for “training the next generation of nurse scientists, and championing person-centered care,” adding that the “uninterrupted continuation” of its work is vital to the stability of the U.S. healthcare system.
The ANA said it is working with lawmakers to ensure the programs remain funded, and it’s urging President Donald Trump’s administration not to make the sweeping cuts proposed in the budget plan.
“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,” Mensik-Kennedy added. “While we respect and value our physician colleagues, they are trained in a different care model and do not share similar clinical experiences or relationships with patients as nurses do.”
In closing, the ANA warned broad cuts to HHS staffing could have deleterious effects on public health, should federal agencies lack the staff necessary to carry out “research, quality, and operational work that the American people rely on for their health, safety, and well-being.”
The ANA said it is ready to work with the White House and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to develop solutions.
The full statement is available here.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.