Nursing and comedy are two words that don’t usually appear in the same sentence, but it’s precisely from the fusion of the unlikely that brilliance emerges, like comedian Nurse Blake. A master of stand-up, he splits his time between hospitals and comedy stages, proving that these two worlds can coexist in remarkable ways.

We sat down with the comedian and healthcare professional to dive into his career evolution. He shared how he stumbled into comedy almost by accident. Today, this chance encounter with humor has earned him more than 4.2 million followers on social media and made him a trailblazer in a unique niche he has navigated with overwhelming success.

With his signature irreverence and warmth, Nurse Blake didn’t shy away from sharing strong opinions on more serious topics. He spoke candidly about the challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, of which he is a proud member, amidst shifting political tides in the U.S. He also highlighted the struggles of healthcare workers, pointing out the lack of adequate benefits and protections for nurses and patients alike. Finally, he emphasized the importance of taking a step back to recharge, advocating for mental health as a vital part of balancing his demanding roles.

What inspired you to pursue nursing and dedicate yourself to a career so focused on care and service?

I wish I could insert an inspiring story about how I was a patient and then decided to become a nurse, or how I helped my great-grandma recover from a fall when I was 8, but unfortunately, it’s not that exciting. Both of my parents are in the healthcare field; my dad is a respiratory therapist and my mom is a medical device sales rep. I’ve always heard fun stories from my dad’s job working as a respiratory therapist, so I decided to follow in the healthcare track. While respiratory is a great field, nursing provides more opportunities and job growth.

I understand that comedy came about almost by accident—a way to cope with the stress of your job. But before that fortunate turn of events, which connected with an incredible audience and led to unexpected success, had you ever considered a career in comedy?
Girl, bye! I never ever thought I’d become a comedian, especially doing shows around the world. I went to nursing school to learn how to insert IVs, not how to hit a punch line. It’s definitely been a fun ride and a wild journey, and this is what people meant when they said nursing provides so many career paths…even in comedy. HA!

Are you a fan of stand-up? Who are your biggest influences in the comedy world?

I love love love stand-up! I grew up watching stand-up specials, like Larry the Cable Guy, Lisa Lampanelli, Fluffy, and Bernie Mac. But there is only one comedian who I got to see in person, and that was Joan Rivers before she died. Her set was so funny, fast-paced, and memorable. I definitely get a lot of my inspiration from her.

From your perspective as a committed advocate and a gay man, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community today, especially given the drastic shifts in the political landscape in the U.S.?

How did you know I am gay?! Hmm, must’ve been from my Grindr account. The biggest challenge I see right now are the small but harmful microaggressions towards LGBTQ+ people. While there are many threats to our community, including the reversal of marriage equality, I think verbal and physical microaggressions pose the biggest threat. People who are openly being homophobic and/or transphobic in their day-to-day remarks and actions. FYI, the biggest homophobes are typically DL and into freaky shit…

Your tour has been an undeniable success, with an impressive number of added dates. What can audiences expect from the new shows, and how does it feel to receive such a positive response?

My shows are loud and wild! When over 1,000 healthcare workers get together in one room, it gets crazy! My shows run about 1 hour and 45 minutes and have a variety of elements to keep the audience engaged through stand-up, improv, audio, and video elements. My show definitely has something for everyone. Also, you don’t have to be a nurse or healthcare worker to attend; I make sure to break down any medical terminology so that even teachers, strippers, engineers, and plumbers would understand!

Let’s talk about NurseCon at Sea: How did the idea come about, and what kind of impact do you think it has on the nurses who participate? We know there’s a new edition coming up—what can you tell us about it?

While in nursing school, I attended many nursing conferences. Most were so boring and basic, so I knew that I wanted to revolutionize the conference experience for nurses. I thought, “What better way than on a cruise ship?!”. It’s the perfect balance of professionalism and fun. We bring on nursing educators, drag queens, dancers, lasers, stages, and so much more to put on the ultimate nursing conference. We have over 3,000 nurses from around the world who attend. I guess you could say it’s the safest cruise ship ever. We have a sailing coming up in April 2025 out of Miami and sailing to the Bahamas!

In your stand-up routines, you often critique the healthcare system. As someone with firsthand experience in the field, how would you evaluate the U.S. healthcare system, and what improvements do you think are needed to better support both patients and healthcare workers?

Healthcare needs to be affordable!!! And we need safe staffing. Did you know that most states don’t have mandated safe staffing ratios, which means nurses can have an unlimited number of patients, making it incredibly unsafe and dangerous? But when you look at other industries, like airlines, for example, every plane requires 2 pilots and a certain number of flight attendants; without staffing like this, you could fly with just one pilot and one flight attendant. How safe is that? It’s not! Why should healthcare be any different? Especially in critical care areas, nurses should only have 2 patients max but sometimes have to care for 4 or more patients. So unsafe!

Blake, it feels like you’re everywhere—constantly on the move and juggling so many projects. With all the touring, commitments, and creative endeavors, how do you find time to take care of yourself and protect your mental health? You’ve mentioned that comedy started as a way to manage the stress of being a nurse, but now it seems like you’re busier than ever. What’s your outlet now?

In June, I actually went on a wellness retreat for myself, where I spent 30 days with no phone or electronic devices so that I could reset and recharge. While I love touring, comedy, and always working, it can get tiresome, so it was really important for me to unplug and focus on my mental health for 30 days. It was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.

Beyond the tour and NurseCon at Sea, what long-term projects or goals do you have? Is there any exciting news you’d like to share with us?

I’m going to take a longggg nap! Just kidding, I don’t have time for that. I’m going to continue to focus on creating epic experiences for nurses through my comedy tour and nursing conferences. I do have something big planned for nurses in addition to hosting a conference on a cruise ship… it’s too early to give out details, but NurseCon is going to camp!!! Stay tuned!