When we think of some of the most selfless careers, nurses are probably one of the few that come to mind. The world truly wouldn’t turn without the care and life-saving abilities that nurses provide in hospitals—and that was the case even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. It’s only escalated since then.

However, nurses are not being treated the way they deserve to be treated. How do we know that? Because nurses have recently been coming forward to share insight into what’s really going on behind those closed hospital doors—and why many are looking to leave the profession entirely. Yes, it’s that bad.

In a New York Times video, nurses talk candidly—and honestly, a bit shockingly—about the “nursing crisis,” currently unfolding in hospitals countrywide. Hospitals are being chronic understaffed, thanks to profit-hungry hospitals, which is an issue they make clear has been occurring long before the pandemic. Additionally, the nurses talk about the common myth that there is a shortage of nurses. News flash: There are actually more qualified nurses today in America than ever before.

Some of the things the nurses say in the video are truly eye-opening—and heartbreaking. Many talk about why they chose to leave their profession—some of who have ben working in hospitals for decade.

“I could no longer work in critical care under the conditions I was being forced to work under with poor staffing,” explains one nurse, “and that’s when I left.”

“I don’t know how long I can do this physically, mentally, emotionally,” another echoed.

“I will never work in a hospital setting again,” another nurse stated. “I will never subject myself to that sort of frustration and I will never be part of what’s being done to patients in the hospital that way.”

“The most annoying thing that was ever said to me in mt career by an administrator was, ‘We know you guys need nurses, but it’s not in the budget.’”

To keep patients safe and protect our health care workers, lawmakers are looking to regulate nurse-patient ratios. The state of California put the same law in place in 2004, and the results have been outwardly positive. However, similar legislation was proposed (and denied) in Massachusetts several years ago. Now, it’s currently being proposed in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

These laws could save patient lives and create a more just work environment for a vulnerable generation of nurses. Learn more about it, as well as what real nurses have to say about their experiences, in the video below.

What was the most eye-opening part of this video to you?