MAGA nurse I work with and "professional nurses" [View all]

Yesterday, I made a quip at work about management's efforts to reduce our pay/overtime while still getting us to do the work (for less money). MAGA RN had just finished a double shift, because there was no one to replace her after her first shift ended. She asked me for union help to negotiate the way management was trying to claim she couldn't get overtime for her double shift.

When we were done with strategizing, I made the comment "well, now that we aren't 'professionals' anymore, I suspect we will see more of this from management".

Here's how her mental gymnastics worked to defend the DoE decision to downgrade RNs from professional status:

MAGA RN: This is only to make it so universities can't gouge students trying to get Masters and Doctorate degrees in nursing.
AllyCat: So, why wouldn't the DoE have made it so ALL graduate programs less expensive? Why just nurses and teachers? (yes, I know it's more than those 2 groups)

MR: Well, it only affects graduate-degree nurses, not us (Bachelors).
AC: It is interesting these are both professions with largely female workers.

MR: This is how the DoE is recognizing that women have lower earning power and this helps women in the long run be able to afford school.
AC: (walks away shaking head)

This is how they are rationalizing this. I only had 20 seconds and would love to have launched into "Why downgrade nurses at any level?" and any number of other arguments, but MAGA is telling women this is good for them and helps them.