17 Years in the ICU: Nurse Speaks Out on Unsafe Staffing, Offers Hope
– 1 min read
In the middle of chants and picket signs outside Long Beach Memorial, ICU nurse Arturo Carbajal cuts through the noise with a simple truth: this strike isn’t about wages. It’s about survival—for patients, and for the nurses who refuse to abandon them. After 17 years at the bedside, he’s seen colleagues burn out, walk away, or break down. His words are both warning and rallying cry—and before he leaves the picket line, he shares the one thing that’s kept him in the fight.
Written by
Eric Aguila BSN, RN GERO-BC is currently practicing in Southern California.
