Nurses Celebrate "Nurses Week" by Denouncing Trump Health Policies

Hundreds of nurses have signed a statement opposing what they see as the Trump Administration's efforts to destroy public health. The statement, has been signed by more than 300 nurses, including professors and clinical leaders. The statement urges the public to fight against funding cuts to health and social programs.

"As nurses, we have an ethical obligation to speak up when we see imminent threats to our patients and our society," said Sandy Summers, executive director of the Baltimore-based advocacy group The Truth About Nursing, which coordinated the statement. "And that's what we see here---a broad, intentional effort to destroy public health."

The statement faults the Administration's planned cuts to funding for vital health programs, including Medicaid, USAID, and the National Institute for Nursing Research. But it also addresses the Administration's efforts to weaken a broader range of social programs and policies, including Social Security, food assistance, and environmental protections. Pointing to the wealth of the U.S., the statement says the nation can at least "share some soup."

"Why do nurses care?" asked Summers, rhetorically. "Because we think holistically about any threat to the well-being of those we care for. Making people poorer, taking food from their kids, encouraging more pollution, scapegoating vulnerable groups–all of these have clear negative effects on real people in our communities. They matter."

"Nurses resist policies that harm public health," said Peggy Chinn, a professor of nursing at the University of Connecticut and part of the group behind the statement. "We protect those who are harmed, and we build coalitions to support health justice for all."

The statement was released to coincide with Nurses Week in the United States. That event typically features "innocuous statements that applaud nursing and enjoin self-care, yet fail to address real issues such as the refusal to support a sustainable nursing workforce," said Marsha Fowler, an ethicist and nursing professor who supports the statement. "All the self-care in the world ain't gonna fix what's broke, especially now."

Summers noted that this year's Nurses Week theme is "The Power of Nurses." "What we are doing with this statement may not be the kind of 'power' that people associate with nursing," she said. "But they should. Patient advocacy is at the core of everything we do."

"Our ethical obligation extends beyond compassionate bedside care," added Christina Nyirati, a nurse practitioner in Washington state who was involved in creating the statement. "We are bound to defend the well-being of families, communities, and populations."

See the written statement here
https://www.tinyurl.com/NursesCondemnTrump

See the YouTube recitation by a dozen nurses here
https://youtu.be/fo8oX5bqW6U

See more advocacy pieces by nurses condemning the Trump Administration's health policies:
https://nursemanifest.com/2025-nurses-declaration-of-solidarity-and-resistance/2025-articles-editorials-and-blogs/

The Truth About Nursing is a 501(c)(3) international non-profit organization based in Baltimore that seeks to increase public understanding of the central, frontline role nurses play in modern health care. The focus of the Truth is to promote more accurate, balanced and frequent media portrayals of nurses and increase the media's use of nurses as expert sources.

See the Truth About Nursing's about us pages.

For more information, please contact:

Sandy Summers, MSN, MPH, RN
Founder and Executive Director
The Truth About Nursing
3330 Chestnut Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21211
office 1-410-323-1100
cell 1-443-253-3738
ssummers@truthaboutnursing.org

Go to The Truth About Nursing's main page