Did LBJ sign a declaration proclaiming nursing not a profession
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Executive summary
Available sources provided in the search results do not mention any statement, proclamation or declaration by President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) saying “nursing is not a profession”; the material instead focuses on contemporary Philippine nursing licensure and U.S. Department of Education policy discussions about classification of nursing degrees (not an LBJ proclamation) [1] [2]. Sources discuss a U.S. federal education reclassification debate in 2025 and Philippine PNLE results from November 2025 — not any 1960s LBJ-era declaration [3] [1].
1. What the available reporting actually covers
The provided results center on the November 2025 Philippine Nurses Licensure Examination (PNLE) release and administrative details: passers, registration schedules and the Professional Regulation Commission’s procedures (e.g., 40,692 of 45,192 passed; registration online starting December 23, 2025) [1] [4]. Separately, U.S. news and advocacy outlets in late 2025 report on the U.S. Department of Education’s handling of what counts as a “professional” degree for loan rules and the reaction from nursing groups — not an LBJ-era political action [2] [3].
2. The specific claim you asked about — is it in these sources?
Available sources do not mention LBJ signing a proclamation that nursing is “not a profession.” None of the search results reference Lyndon B. Johnson, any 1960s proclamation, or a federal declaration stripping nursing of professional status; the documents are confined to 2025 licensing results and contemporary federal education policy debates [1] [4] [2] [3].
3. Contemporary U.S. confusion about “professional” status — different context
Two 2025 items in the search results show confusion about whether certain nursing degrees count as “professional” under new Department of Education loan/degree rules; the DOE and nursing groups are disputing classification and implications for loans and graduate nursing programs [2] [3]. That debate is administrative and regulatory, not a historical political proclamation by LBJ, and sources make clear the DOE and nursing organizations are the actors [2] [3].
4. Why this myth could arise and how to check it
Claims that a past president “declared nursing not a profession” could arise from conflating regulatory reclassifications, policy memos, or misremembered news stories about educational rules. The available sources show recent administrative reclassification debate (DOE) and Philippine licensing announcements — neither supports a 1960s LBJ proclamation [2] [1]. To verify historical claims like an LBJ proclamation, consult primary historical records (Federal Register, presidential proclamations archive) or reputable historical databases; those records are not present in the current result set (not found in current reporting).
5. Competing perspectives in the supplied reporting
The supplied sources present two distinct, contemporaneous perspectives: Philippine regulatory reporting that treats nursing as a regulated profession with formal licensure and professional registration processes (PRC coverage of PNLE results) [1] [4], and U.S. advocacy/education reporting that defends nursing’s professional and graduate status against DOE policy proposals (nursing.org summary and ANA response) [2] [3]. Both perspectives treat nursing as a profession; none endorse the LBJ-not-profession claim [1] [3].
6. Conclusion and guidance
Based on the provided documents, there is no evidence here that LBJ signed any proclamation denying nursing professional status; instead the material documents 2025 licensing results in the Philippines and a U.S. Department of Education classification debate [1] [2] [3]. If you want a definitive historical answer about LBJ, request archival sources (presidential proclamations, Federal Register, National Archives) or supply search results that specifically cite an LBJ-era document; those are not included among the current sources (not found in current reporting).