Health
Nurses speak out: 'What I wish I'd known before entering the profession'
FIRST ON FOX: With nearly two-thirds of nurses in the United States experiencing burnout — including 69% of those under 25 years of age, according to the American Nurses Association — many in the industry are calling for change.
A recent survey by AMN Healthcare, a health care workforce solutions company based in Texas, found that most nurses aren’t optimistic about improvements, with 80% saying they think the year 2024 will be either “no better or worse” than last year and 38% of nurses expecting it to be worse.
“The concerns that many nurses have about their profession were not created by COVID-19 and have not gone away now that the crisis has passed,” Robin Johnson, group president of nursing solutions at AMN Healthcare, who administered the survey, told Fox News Digital.
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“Many nurses still feel overworked and undercompensated,” she said.
“What they want to see is a change in their daily working conditions — better hours, fair compensation and more time with their patients.”
Left to right, Karie Ryan, Michele Acito, Katelynn Blackburn and Lisbeth Votruba shared insights into the nursing profession with Fox News Digital. Two other nurses shared thoughts as well. (iStock/Karie Ryan/Michele Acito/Katelynn Blackburn/Lisbeth Votruba)
Amid the ongoing challenges faced by today’s nurses, six people in the profession shared what they wish they’d known before they decided to enter the field — and what advice they’d give to newcomers.
Lisbeth Votruba: ‘Nurses don’t have enough influence’
Lisbeth Votruba, a third-generation registered nurse in Belmont, Michigan, is also the chief clinical officer of AvaSure, a virtual health care platform.
“When I first entered the profession in the 1990s, I was surprised to learn that although nurses are held to high ethical and legal standards, they do not have the influence to match that level of accountability,” said Votruba.
“I see trends to show this is changing, and I am doing what I can as a member of the senior leadership team of a technology company to make sure the voice of nurses is heard as health care technology is being designed,” she said.
Lisbeth Votruba, a third-generation registered nurse in Belmont, Michigan, is also the chief clinical officer of AvaSure, a virtual health care platform. (Lisbeth Votruba)
“Nurses must be at the table for every discussion about technology that impacts the patient,” she said.
Mat Wellnitz: ‘Wish I’d known the stress involved’
Mat Wellnitz, a registered nurse in Big Rapids, Michigan, recently retired from a rural hospital after more than 34 years, most of them spent in critical care.
“I wish I’d known the amount of stress that’s involved in nursing,” said Wellnitz.
“I would have taken more time off for myself. It wasn’t until about a week after I retired that I realized how much stress I was blinded to.”
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He added, “I used to lie down and instantly could feel my heart pounding, always thinking about work. But not anymore — and I sleep better.”
Larry Williams: ‘Your work impacts your overall health’
Larry Williams worked as a registered nurse at California’s Stanford Hospital in the intensive care unit before retiring in 2021.
“I went into nursing with my eyes wide open … There were no surprises because I worked in two different hospitals while going to school,” said Williams.
“My advice to anyone considering nursing and health care in general is to find a way to actually work in a hospital prior to graduating. Pay attention to your strengths and weaknesses and choose an area that fits you as a person.”
“It is not the career for everyone, but it was for me.”
He also told Fox News Digital, “While you are working, pay attention to how your work is impacting your overall health. Not everyone is cut out to work in the ICU. I still have occasional work dreams, and I remember the names and faces of people I cared for who did not survive.”
Said Williams, “That is balanced by the happy memories of my peers as well as lives that I have touched … It is not the career for everyone, but it was for me.”
Karie Ryan: ‘Bedside nursing is not the only option’
Karie Ryan, currently the chief nursing officer at health tech firm Artisight, spent 27 years as a nurse in Florida, with a specialty in medical/surgical/orthopedics.
Karie Ryan, currently the chief nursing officer at the health tech firm Artisight, told Fox News Digital, “There are so many specialty opportunities, including nursing informatics.” (Karie Ryan)
“I wish I had known that bedside nursing is not the only option available in order to make an impact,” she told Fox News Digital.
“There are so many specialty opportunities, including nursing informatics.”
She added, “If nursing schools offered exploration in nursing informatics and other subspecialties, it would open a new world of possibilities not only to those entering the field, but as a consideration for nurses later in their career who may want to transition but remain in the profession.”
Katelynn Blackburn: ‘Constant pressure took a toll’
Katelynn Blackburn, a former nurse who is now an entrepreneur, worked 12-hour night shifts for parent access care in Chico, California, for over two years before leaving the field.
Katelynn Blackburn worked 12-hour night shifts for parent access care in Chico, California, for over two years before leaving the field. (Katelynn Blackburn)
“I wish I would have known more about how my personality would affect my profession in the medical field,” said Katelynn Blackburn.
“I am empathetic and caring; however, the field itself comes with a lot of pain and anxiety for patients and their families,” she said.
“The constant exposure to hardships, on top of the pressure of providing comfort and support to patients and their families, definitely took its toll on me.”
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She added, “I wish I had thought less about the income and salary and more about what the actual job entails. You must find something you are passionate about and ensure that it will secure your family financially.”
Noted Blackburn, “I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and a personality driven to achieve more — so I decided to leave to pursue something I felt more aligned with.”
Michele Acito: ‘Emotional bond is deep’
Michele Acito is executive vice president and chief nursing officer at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey. She joined Holy Name in 1989 as a telemetry nurse, working in the cardiovascular and intensive care units before she was promoted. Earlier in her career, she worked as a staff nurse in orthopedics at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center.
“I wish I’d known about the emotional commitment I was making,” said Acito.
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“We know we will be committed to providing the best care … but the emotional bond and commitment you make to patients and families as they navigate through life-changing events is deep. As a nurse, you quickly learn how to comfort, celebrate, support and educate patients and families through the good and the difficult times.”
She added, “Today, nearly 40 years into my career, I am able to reflect on how my training as a nurse helped me to help patients and families during their most vulnerable moments. It is what makes me proud to be a nurse.”
Michele Acito is executive vice president and chief nursing officer at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey. She originally joined Holy Name in 1989 as a telemetry nurse, working in the cardiovascular and intensive care units. (Michele Acito)
“Another thing I wish I had known before entering the profession,” said Acito, “was how complex it would be to blend a career, a young family and a household.”
“Nursing was the perfect career for someone striving to manage it all.”
But “what I realized was that nursing was the perfect career for someone striving to manage it all and find fulfillment and purpose on a personal and professional level. It requires thoughtful prioritization, planning and support.”
Other insights: ‘A nurse is a career learner’
Acito also shared the importance of ongoing education to set up nurses for success.
“Having graduated from a BSN program, I thought I was educationally set for my entire career,” she said. “I quickly realized that was not true.”
She noted, “A nurse is a career learner. Obtaining degrees is very important to remain current with theory — but learning through continuing education is paramount to staying current in practice.”
“Technologically, nothing remains the same in health care,” said Acito. “It’s an ever-evolving field. Pursuing a nursing career in hospitals and health systems that are committed to investing in innovation and technological advancements is critically important.”
Acito also pointed out, “What I did not know then, but I know today, is that I made the best career choice when I decided to be a nurse. The hours are difficult, the stress intense, the emotional commitment deep — but the rewards are innumerable.”
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Novo Nordisk to slash Wegovy, Ozempic list prices
Board certified rheumatologist Dr. Mahsa Tehrani discusses Novo Nordisk’s decision to dramatically cut the U.S. list prices for its popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy on ‘America Reports.’
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Millions of Medicare beneficiaries struggling with obesity could soon see the cost of weight-loss drugs plummet, as a new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors.
Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month, The Associated Press reported.
The covered medications include drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets, all of which have been FDA-approved for weight loss, according to the report.
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The temporary program is set to run until the end of 2027.
This is the first time GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) will be covered by insurance when used solely for weight loss.
A new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors. (iStock)
Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). However, both manufacturers offered some cash-pay options that significantly reduced those prices for eligible patients.
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There are some parameters surrounding the coverage — older adults must have had a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher when they started GLP-1 therapy, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside another health condition, such as a past heart attack or stroke or prediabetes.
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Those who already have insurance coverage for other diseases, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, are not eligible for the program.
Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month. (iStock)
There are more than 70 million Americans currently enrolled in Medicare, 10 million of whom are overweight or obese, according to Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF.
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“For many older Americans living with obesity, this is a moment they and their families have been waiting for,” Jamey Millar, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in a press release.
“The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program offers a new, affordable path to an FDA-approved treatment that was previously not covered.”
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he hopes the program can help his agency collect data to potentially work toward longer-term coverage, while providing immediate relief to cash-strapped older Americans, AP reported.
“The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access,” he said in a call with reporters. “That ends today.”
Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). (iStock)
Oz told reporters that CMS plans to “carefully track participation and outcomes” to see whether an extension of the Bridge program or another solution is the best way to move forward. He told AP a federal law permanently allowing the coverage is “not essential right now” but something “for Congress to debate amongst themselves.”
“We can’t decide what’s going to happen long term with Bridge until we see some of the data,” he said, adding that there are ongoing talks with drug companies to lower costs.
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One potential concern is that older patients tend to have more adverse effects to medication in general , according to Dr. Micah Eimer, a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Specifically, in our research, older patients on blood pressure medications were more likely to experience hypotensive side effects, such as fainting and dizziness, after starting a GLP-1,” he said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Federal health officials are attempting to track down the source of a microscopic parasite that triggers prolonged gastrointestinal illness, as domestic cases begin to climb for the summer season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 145 cases of cyclosporiasis across 17 states as of mid-June 2026, all linked to infections acquired in the U.S.
The culprit is Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite known to cause cyclosporiasis.
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The hallmark symptom of the infection is watery, often “explosive” diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated, the CDC says.
There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking all cases. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
Other symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss.
The official outbreak season for the parasite runs from May 1 through Aug. 31, a window where warmer temperatures historically coincide with a spike in infections, according to the CDC.
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Cases have cropped up in states ranging from Texas to Alaska. New York has been hit the hardest so far, reporting between 31 and 80 cases, followed by Texas and Illinois, which have each reported between 11 and 30 cases.
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While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. Out of the 145 confirmed cases, 20 patients have required hospitalization, per the CDC.
While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. (iStock)
No deaths have yet been reported. Patients range from 5 to 86 years old, though the median age is 42, and women make up 61% of the reported cases, data shows.
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The CDC, alongside the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials, is actively investigating several multi-state clusters, but they have yet to find a cause behind the spread.
Officials urge patients with symptoms to seek help from a medical professional. (iStock)
“There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking all cases,” the CDC noted in its surveillance report.
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The CDC advises anyone experiencing symptoms of cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider for testing and treatment.
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