Humans of UNAC/UHCP: Desiree Nack, RN

It was about twenty years ago. My daughter was seven, and we were driving home from her summer soccer practice when I caught a flash of sunlight on something in an empty field.

For almost 15 years, I tried to change things from the inside. I believed that with persistence, collaboration, and a loud enough voice, we could fix the system. And in some ways, we did.

I never saw myself stepping into union leadership—at least not at first. It started with a general sense that organizing was a good idea. Maybe I’m a natural organizer, so I began making calls to folks in my home health group in Hawai‘i.

Kadi Gonzalez, RN, filmed a video diary of her trip to Washington, D.C., where she joined AFSCME healthcare workers to protest Medicaid cuts. As a nurse and mother, Kadi captured what’s at stake for patients, providers, and families nationwide.

In this heartfelt conversation recorded in Garden Grove, California, longtime nurses and union leaders Julie Ngin and Sue Yee reflect on their journeys from bedside caregivers to advocates for nurses.