NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Charlotte Murphy became a nurse about 2 1/2 years ago so that she could help people. About a year into her career, however, she found herself facing professional burnout.

“I think that when I really knew that I was burnt out was, I was getting angry,” she said. “I would be in the car driving home and I would think, ‘I didn’t have time to eat. I didn’t have time to go to the bathroom. Why is this what I’m doing? Why is this all on us, all the nurses?’ It was frustrating.”

Murphy is like many of the 1,700 striking Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital nurses who have found themselves worn down by the daily demands of their 12-hour work shifts and are now contemplating career changes.