Today's bonus episode features a discussion based on the Department of Education's final proposed rule that will EXCLUDE graduate level nursing education from the professional federal student loan limits. Jamie and Melissa Anne discuss how this impacts nurses, patients, and the healthcare system at large with Dr. Victoria Soltis-Jarrett, while providing context to what exactly graduate level nursing is.

Get more info, show notes, and follow us on Substack: https://nursingthenation.substack.com/

Jamie and Melissa Anne address the escalating violence and the tragic loss of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a VA ICU nurse who was killed by ICE agents on Saturday, January 24, 2026, in Minnesota. Speaking not just as nurses, but as witnesses to the "best and worst of humanity," they deliver an urgent message to those who have previously remained silent or supported the current administration’s immigration policies.

Get more info, show notes, and follow us on Substack: https://nursingthenation.substack.com/

In this episode, Jamie and Melissa Anne unpack reports of a CDC-funded study in Guinea-Bissau that would randomize newborns to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth versus a delayed dose, which is framed by RFK Jr. as “gold standard science.” They break down what decades of evidence say about Hep B transmission and why the birth dose matters, then dig into the ethical red flags of testing delayed protection in a hyper-endemic setting, including concerns about vulnerable populations, justice, and preventable harm. We also connect the this "gold standard science" experiment to research ethics frameworks and discuss potential investigator bias and “cronyism” concerns. We also ask why this story hasn’t gotten more mainstream attention?

For more head to Nursingthenation.substack.com.