17 years. 31 years. Both nurses said they wouldn't recommend it.

Gity works in the PACU. Thomas is a cardiac cath lab nurse. Together they have 48 years of experience at Providence Saint Joseph Hospital in Burbank. On Monday, they were on the picket line for the first time in their careers.

This isn't a strike about money alone. It's about break nurses, floating without proper competencies, being punished for calling in sick, health premium increases that nurses can't afford, and a hospital that keeps opening units without staffing them.

Thomas put it plainly: Providence is offering a 3% raise while inflation sits at 2.3%. When he pointed that out to a negotiator, they looked him in the eye and said "yes, I guess that's right."

That was their offer.

Gity has been at the bargaining table. But in the 17 years at Providence this is the first strike. She says the hospital's position has been consistent: no, no, no. The nurses gave ground. Providence took it and asked for more.

40% of working nurses plan to leave the profession within five years. Gity and Thomas both know why. They've watched the steady decline in how they're treating nurses.

The patients feel this too. When there aren't enough nurses, pain medications get delayed, call lights go unanswered, and the nurse taking care of your family member hasn't slept enough to be safe.

This is what the staffing crisis looks like up close. Watch the full interview above.