As a dedicated nurse in Virginia, I strongly oppose the Virginia Board of Nursing’s decision to increase licensing fees from $140 to $230. This 64% increase places an unnecessary financial burden on nurses without offering any corresponding benefits.

Nurses in Virginia do not receive free continuing education, liability insurance, or protections such as mandatory staffing ratios from the Board. Instead, this fee hike appears to be intended to cover government salary increases—something that should not be placed on the backs of frontline healthcare workers.

For emergency nurses, this increase is especially frustrating. ERs are already overwhelmed with rising patient volumes, staffing shortages, and increasingly acute cases. We are expected to perform at the highest level under relentless pressure, yet we receive no meaningful support from the Board in terms of safe staffing, workplace protections, or professional development. Instead of advocating for policies that would improve nurse retention and patient care, the Board is imposing additional financial strain on an already overworked and underappreciated workforce.

At a time when hospitals are struggling to keep nurses at the bedside, an unjustified fee increase will only discourage retention and recruitment. If the Board is truly invested in supporting nurses, it should focus on improving working conditions, advocating for fair staffing ratios, and offering tangible benefits—rather than imposing additional costs on those who are essential to our healthcare system.

I urge the Board to reconsider this decision and find alternative solutions that do not unfairly penalize the very professionals who keep Virginia’s healthcare system running.