EP:10 Nurse Blake: Stress Relief though Comedy

Nurse Blake...yes, the Tik Tok Sensation, uses his unique blend of humor, stress relief, and a one-of-a-kind perspective to bring the funny to the nursing community. Blake is a nurse, creator, internationally touring comedian, healthcare advocate, and keynote speaker.
 
Hailed as a "genuine phenomenon" by The New York Times, Blake worked in trauma centers around the country before his career in comedy. As a way to cope with the stress of his nursing job, Blake started posting original comedy videos aimed at his profession. His lighthearted videos connected with nurses, nursing students, and healthcare workers around the world gaining Nurse Blake over 3.5M followers on social media and over 300M views. He now takes his comedy to stages around the world bringing nurses together through his humor and inspiration. Nurse Blake's sold out 2022 PTO Comedy Tour began as a 14-show run and grew to 55 shows due to demand. Nurse Blake will follow that with his massive 100 city Shock Advised Comedy Tour across North America in 2023.

Blake is also the creator of NurseCon at Sea, one of the largest and most popular nursing conferences, and the NurseCon App which provides free continuing nursing education courses. He recently designed a line of footwear for nurses with a portion of the sales benefitting the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Blake also launches the Nurse Blake Magazine in the summer of 2023.

He previously managed several large programs including The Banned4Life Project, which ended an outdated FDA blood donor policy, and Nurses Support Their Young which promotes healthy work. Nurse Blake is also the author of the best-selling children's book "I Want To Be A Nurse When I Grow Up" available online and at bookstores everywhere.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurseblake/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nurseblake
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurse.blake/
More at nurseblake.com

Nurses and Medics: This is your platform! We want to hear your stories of the good, the bad and the ugly. Send us an email at cominghomewell@gmail.com

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Special Thanks to
Artwork: Joe Weber @joeweber_tattoos

Intro/Outro/Disclaimer Credits:
Pam Barragan Host of 2200TAPS Podcast
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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey, I'm Zee. I brought in somebody that matches your witty personality, so you hold tight for a few minutes and we're going to bring in on the nurse Blake. Oh my gosh, this is about to be epic. So we know he went from a nurse in the hospital to all of a sudden tick-tock sensation. He was doing it all through just stress relief and it took off. So we're going to bring him on here and we're going to have a little chit chat about coping and all the wonderful ways that we do it as medical folk.

Speaker 2: 0:33

Well, let's do the damn thing, let's bring him in. All right, hold tight.

Speaker 3: 0:47

Hey, can you see me?

Speaker 1: 0:48

I can.

Speaker 3: 0:49

Perfect, how's it going?

Speaker 2: 0:52

Great Shock advised, I feel like my heart is about to pound out.

Speaker 3: 0:56

Oh God, get out of here, Get out of here.

Speaker 2: 0:58

I can't believe we're finally here and we get to talk to you today.

Speaker 3: 1:02

I know, I'm so excited Hi.

Speaker 1: 1:05

This is awesome, I gotta say I'm glad Thanks. Mz. I gotta preface this MZ has been dying as soon as we knew, because we've had to coordinate a couple of times. We had some things that happened. You guys had some things happen and we finally got it and I told her I said nothing is stopping this.

Speaker 3: 1:23

No, it's great. I want to know where are you based out of?

Speaker 2: 1:26

So we are in Texas but have had the opportunity to kind of go around the world and actually that's where detox and I met was our last duty station in Texas.

Speaker 3: 1:38

Oh cool. Well listen, if I'm coming to doing a show near you guys, let me know and I'll get you guys tickets.

Speaker 1: 1:44

Yeah, we talked to Sheila and actually even better than that, I was asking her. I said hey, is there any chance we could get tickets for our audience?

Speaker 3: 1:54

Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 1:55

And she was like, yeah, and then she goes, we'll do better, she goes, we'll send you guys too, which was super kind. So we weren't looking for that, but we were excited. Anyway, we'll be there, we'll be the loud ones, perfect, yay, awesome.

Speaker 3: 2:08

I can't wait to meet you both in person.

Speaker 2: 2:10

So you're in New York, right.

Speaker 3: 2:13

Yes, I am.

Speaker 2: 2:14

What day is it? Yeah, I'm in.

Speaker 3: 2:16

New York yeah, I'm in Rochester.

Speaker 2: 2:18

Yeah, we're trying to check out your schedule and see where you were going to be at and, holy smokes, it looks like you're on the road all over the place and can only begin to imagine like what day is it?

Speaker 3: 2:31

Yeah, I know, I was just in Tennessee yesterday. I finally got vacation with my family for a few days and I arrived in New York last night.

Speaker 2: 2:42

So you got to see Brett then with two Ts.

Speaker 3: 2:44

Yeah, so speaking of Brett with two Ts, you will find out all about that during my show. I can't, I can't give it away.

Speaker 2: 2:54

But you open Pandora's box.

Speaker 3: 2:58

I know you'll have to. You'll have to hear all about the details and all about that drama at the show. Okay, all right, I'm going to make you say that I want to tell you, but I can't.

Speaker 2: 3:10

Do I need to jump?

Speaker 3: 3:11

somebody said in the toilet, because I'll totally do it, we'll, we'll, yeah, we'll talk after the show.

Speaker 2: 3:18

Understood, and then you'll know all about.

Speaker 3: 3:20

Brett. Okay, yeah, if you all don't know about Brett, brett is my husband of six years, who've been together for 12. Oh awesome. So he was with me all through nursing school, getting into nursing. So that was a whole journey and experiences, as you all know. But yeah, I actually graduated in nursing in 2014. So I didn't know if I was nine years. Yep, you're a baby. I'm a real nurse, even though I'm from Florida.

Speaker 1: 3:48

You're a baby nurse.

Speaker 3: 3:50

Oh, whatever.

Speaker 1: 3:53

Get out nine years, how many years, how many years?

Speaker 3: 3:55

Nine.

Speaker 1: 3:56

I got 30.

Speaker 3: 3:57

Okay, okay, florence Nightingale.

Speaker 2: 4:00

Well, it's funny I was going to say at the beginning of the show for those who've been living under our rock, we've got nurse Blake today, who is a regular modern day Florence Nightingale. We had the. You know, we all learned the lady with the lamp story early on. Blake is kind of the same. I mean, I love your. Your. Was it the night shift rap? Oh my.

Speaker 3: 4:24

God, oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 4:26

You do it all. You are the one man band published author, I mean content creator, touring comedian advocate like you do it all.

Speaker 3: 4:36

So Cruise planner, oh yeah. I totally forgot. Yeah, the conference. I do a lot, but I love it.

Speaker 2: 4:46

I love every minute of it.

Speaker 3: 4:47

But I think that's the beauty of nursing like you could do so many things even outside of the hospital that if you just that, if you just follow what you're really excited to do just like both of you in the podcast you know it's it's not easy, but if you're super passionate about it and you could do it, you just have to get there, get on the ground running. So, yeah, I balance a lot of different projects that I'm all super passionate about.

Speaker 1: 5:10

And you give back a lot. Sorry, I say you give back a lot, don't you? I mean, I was looking at all your stuff and I'm like dang, so I mean it's fun to do, but you, you give back. And that's definitely the cool part, Cause I'm gonna be honest with you. I told Demsie I'm like okay, listen, because remember I'm Florence Nightingale over here, so Starstruck or whatever I was like you better not come on, be a dick. That's all I'm going to say.

Speaker 3: 5:35

No, I do try to get back whenever I can, and everything I do is, you know, because when I, you know, was a nurse working in the hospital where, when I was in nursing school, there were so many things that I needed as a nurse and as a nursing student that I didn't have access to there weren't resources for. So whenever I can provide that back to my audience or my followers, I love to do it.

Speaker 2: 5:58

All like 3.2 million of them. Holy smokes, I don't even.

Speaker 3: 6:02

I don't, I don't know. I actually I was thinking about this yesterday because someone recognized me on the plane and I do get recognized often but I never expect it. So when even says it's like, oh my God, I know you, I like look around like, oh me, oh hi, nice to meet you, so I don't even think about it anymore. I used to count back in the day like how many followers I had and stuff, but then I quickly realized it's not about how many you have, but the quality of the followers that you have, as opposed to just the number.

Speaker 1: 6:33

I agree.

Speaker 2: 6:34

Yeah, the quality of the content that you're putting out and the ripple effect of all the goodness it does in the world. And I'm kind of glad that you brought that up, because that's one thing that you, blake and detox and I we all have in common is we believe in comedy as therapy. Yeah, laughing, you know, keeps us from crying. In a lot of situations, and especially working in the medical field, we come across a lot of icky, sad, just disturbing things and it's kind of a dog eat dog world out there and nurses aren't particularly kind to one another. There's a lot of just undermined mess, just blatant disregard for for you know one another.

Speaker 3: 7:15

So bullying mean girls lateral violence yeah.

Speaker 2: 7:21

No, you cannot have your PTO. No, no, no. And there's just so much crap out there. So I'm glad to see you in the seat that you're in right now, because you're making a difference in such a positive way, putting good out there and just encouraging nurses to be good to one another and bring levity into the hospital, which is such a big deal after everything we've been through as a society you know COVID and just all the nonsense going on you're part of a solution and it's awesome.

Speaker 3: 7:51

No thanks, you know, I went through the whole. You know nurses eat their young. That starts in nursing school, unfortunately with a nursing professors, and it kind of is is top down so unfortunately it trickles, you know, down to the nurses working as staff nurses or to the nursing students. So I believe it like it's our generation to like call that BS out. You know, when you do see someone bullying someone else or you know, causing drama, that's totally unnecessary, you just call it out and have zero tolerance for it. But Definitely think that humor is something that I have brought to my nursing practice, even with patients. You know Nursing is a serious profession but our patients want those normal, rare human connections. So things like laughter and humor is definitely something that the I use to break the ice with patients and family or, you know Hell, even with coworkers you know how are patients do.

Speaker 1: 8:46

How did you so? I mean, your intention wasn't to become this tiktok influencer, you are just kind of handling your own mental health, if I was reading things correctly. Is that right?

Speaker 3: 8:58

Yeah, so I I never got into nursing school to be on stage or to do comedy or Make videos, like that was never the intention. I found me kind of right, exactly it kind of like just happened out of nowhere. I have been a nurse for about four years, so this is in 2017. I was working at ICU in Texas. I worked at the Texas Medical Center, so for the Harris Health System and Houston Methodist, and I was working in a very busy liver transplant Intensive care unit. And I remember driving home one day and I had this feeling of impending doom and I didn't know what it was, but happened to be a panic attack, the first one I had ever had in my life. I was like shit, like I just need, kind of I need an outlet. Like I felt like, oh, this is what burnout is like, this is what it means, and it manifests itself and things like panic and anxiety and depression. And so I just like got my camera out and made a super stupid Facebook video that went viral.

Speaker 1: 10:05

On your first one oh.

Speaker 3: 10:07

My first one. Yeah, I was a scrub romper. It was me dancing around in a scrub onesie With thank you. Which figs Copied that idea. They just launched their new onesie, but there's a super ugly. I know mine would be so much cuter. Mine is so much cuter.

Speaker 3: 10:26

And yeah, and then nurses, you know, related to it and what's so cool, as I, as I tour and do videos like nurses all over, not only America, but nurses out of the country, in Australia and Canada and Europe like we all relate to the same thing, so you are never alone like everyone's like. Oh, you know, when you do a show in Canada or Wherever they're like, do you have to change the material? I'm like actually not. Like we all go through it, no matter where we live or work or how long we've, you know, been a nurse.

Speaker 1: 10:56

It's true. Actually, when we started this podcast we we came up with this idea our executive director, playing a little seed in my head, and said, hey, is there any podcasts out there that are for, like, military nurses? And I was like, and if there were, would you listen? And I'm like, well, if it was sassy, I would. So here comes bullets to bed pants. Here we are right.

Speaker 3: 11:19

And, yeah, we did it from the complete opposite way, right on this podcast, say what can I correct this podcast? Oh we encourage it. I think it's perfect, love it.

Speaker 1: 11:32

You know what people are like. Oh, I said you know you gotta be careful. I mean we do swear, we say gross things and all that stuff I'm like. But the whole premise of the podcast was to be from our perspective as nurse or as any medical person, and so you understand our warp sense of humor. I mean we've all done it. We're sitting at the table and I say something and all I get is six looks. I'm like, oh sorry.

Speaker 3: 11:56

Sorry.

Speaker 1: 11:57

Sorry about that.

Speaker 1: 11:58

It's not really that gross. I mean I like, yeah, it is. I'm like, oh sorry, but so we get how you wouldn't a blank to. You'd have been like, okay, pass some more food over. And so that is where the premise came from. And I'm telling you we've just started. So I mean the fact that we got you on was like amazing. And then, believe it or not, we've got the other end of it. We just interviewed Florence night at Florence night and go, it's the celebrity version, loretta sweat from math. We did both sides, right and so to be able to be Humorous, it's with intent, right. I mean, they hear all this stuff and they look at us and think we're crazy. I'm sure some of them want to commit us and and we're like whatever, but the military, we, we're military on top of that. Well, we were Military on top of it, and that's a whole other layer. So I mean, you want to see dark humor?

Speaker 3: 12:57

come, combine a nurse in the military and it just goes down from there so I, like I said I just got done on a little vacation with my family and and one of my cousins, angie, who I love shout out to her she's been a nurse in the army for Coming up on 20 years now.

Speaker 1: 13:15

Shout out girl.

Speaker 3: 13:16

Yeah, so she's awesome. So she's worked at all the major you know, military hospitals and Walter Reed oh, yeah, she was there and so, yeah, so I always talk with her, we connect so well and, yeah, her stories are even more crazy than the ones I've had. Yeah, yeah, so she's worked all over the world in different roles as nurses for the military. So that's all the service members out there.

Speaker 1: 13:43

Heck.

Speaker 2: 13:44

Yeah, thank you. Just out of my own curiosity, was that anything that you ever kicked around or considered?

Speaker 3: 13:50

Yeah, I consider it now. I'm like, oh, that would be like so fun, like I think, because now it's Do it just go into the mill, right exactly. I should just go into the military right now.

Speaker 2: 14:00

So you're gonna go into the military.

Speaker 3: 14:03

I have like abs and biceps and like a bigger chest and calves.

Speaker 1: 14:07

Like I let me tell you that. Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. There's a lot of myths there. Let me tell you we, we got our. We got our chunky ones too. You know, don't worry about that, we are right here.

Speaker 3: 14:20

Another chunky ones too. Oh my god, I bet. Oh my god. No, I have considered it for sure. Maybe in my next life.

Speaker 1: 14:28

There you go. Okay, we'll talk after this.

Speaker 2: 14:31

Yeah, so I'm so, so curious. Um nurse con, um, I got a little bit uh of intel and First I got to get this out of way. Is it true that there's a drag show at your?

Speaker 3: 14:45

100%? Oh my gosh, definitely. And not just like a regular drag show. Like we get drag queens from RuPaul drag race, so we get the very famous, very talented drag queens on the cruise with us the whole time.

Speaker 2: 14:59

So where else are you going to get that cmrp's?

Speaker 3: 15:04

Wait, what do you guys call them cmrp's?

Speaker 1: 15:07

Oh no, ceu's, ceu's.

Speaker 3: 15:09

Yeah, what do you? Yeah, yeah, ceu's c&e's.

Speaker 1: 15:12

Cmc me, that's me yeah.

Speaker 3: 15:15

Uh yeah, so nurse con is amazing. It's incredible. You are both invited, if you want to join me on the shift, let's go. What is it? Have a free room on me if you all want to come Wake.

Speaker 2: 15:28

Stop advised. Hey, wait, when is it? I'm home now.

Speaker 3: 15:32

It's April, let me give you the right dates. Uh, it's in April, so it's coming up out of Miami.

Speaker 1: 15:38

Wait, wait, 2024?.

Speaker 3: 15:40

Yep, it's mz.

Speaker 3: 15:45

Oh, my, my, uh uh. April 19th through the 14th we're going to Mexico. Yeah, we're doing theme nights. We'll have over 80 hours of c&e's so, even though it's super fun, we have about 28 educators that come on board. I have a full-time staff of three Um doctorates of nursing practice that run our education throughout the year and help plan it, so they're super talented and amazing and I love everyone on the nurse con at sea team that puts it all together to make it happen and it's. It's pretty amazing, like it's. If someone were to ask me what I'm most proud about, it would be nurse con at sea.

Speaker 1: 16:24

Yeah, can retired nurses go.

Speaker 3: 16:27

Absolutely Okay.

Speaker 1: 16:29

I'll come as the old, wise one.

Speaker 3: 16:32

No, what's so cool about my comedy show and nurse con at sea is there are people from all different ages, so you have your nursing students that are 20 out there dancing party and laughing with retired nurses in their 80s. So it's so cool the diverse range we have With the events that I do this is what I tell my kids.

Speaker 1: 16:51

I'm like, I'm gonna be the nana that's in hot pink hot pants and girl, you ain't that old. Huh.

Speaker 3: 16:58

You're not even that old.

Speaker 1: 17:00

Well, thank you. I'm a little older than you too, I'm just a lot more About being in the military.

Speaker 2: 17:08

uh, it's kind of like dockiers, so for every one it's really like seven. Yeah detox did what?

Speaker 1: 17:15

21, 30, right About like 30 21.

Speaker 2: 17:20

If she could, she probably slap me.

Speaker 1: 17:22

I retired from and I retired. I graduated from nursing school in 94.

Speaker 3: 17:30

Oh, okay.

Speaker 1: 17:31

Were you alive.

Speaker 3: 17:33

Yeah, I was born 91.

Speaker 1: 17:35

You were three and you Come on, just say it. Were you a twinkle?

Speaker 2: 17:43

I'm 32 your babies, babies, babies babies Back to nurse, con though I mean, I'm thinking about all of the training opportunities that were, you know, not on the floor and it's always death by power point. You're sitting there like Jesus. Make it and pass me a Celsius. If I could do a line of coke to keep myself up.

Speaker 3: 18:06

You could, you would Exactly through this crap.

Speaker 2: 18:10

but who would say no to doing it on a cruise ship with comedy, levity, fun, a drink like it's just like 3500 nurses there.

Speaker 3: 18:20

Um, it's pretty epic and we do meetups and stuff on day one, so we definitely have our military service members meet up. Um, we have some, uh, service people that are on our education team, so it's it's really, really cool and our education goes all the way through. Um, like pharmacology courses for nurse practitioners.

Speaker 1: 18:40

Very cool. So you know well, do a Z. This is what we're going to do. We're going to come on board with, and we'll be the podcasters for the cruise and then, like, we'll just bring over people, we'll interview them.

Speaker 3: 18:53

Yeah, I think we'll probably. We're going to try to have a podcast set up. So if anyone does want to do a live podcast, you can.

Speaker 1: 19:00

Nice.

Speaker 2: 19:01

Most definitely We'll put. We'll put some bedpans up there.

Speaker 1: 19:04

We'll come up and be your, be your podcast. We're like let's go.

Speaker 3: 19:07

No bullets on board. Sorry, I'll bring the gun Show myself. Yeah, there you go, damn girl. I wish I had that. I got to work out. It's so hard to work out on the road and eat healthy and just be healthy. In general it's hard. I'm going to be on the bus another three full months, so I do have a team with me. I have my merch coordinator, my assistant, who's my cousin, um. I have my tour manager, production person and the bus driver.

Speaker 2: 19:41

I have two people. I have two people Husky mixes, I on the ranger.

Speaker 3: 19:45

Yeah, they're so cute. They look like they're in the military. They're badass, say did they get to come with you?

Speaker 1: 19:51

No, they're banned from the bus.

Speaker 3: 19:55

They don't let them come on the bus. This is bullshit, I know right.

Speaker 2: 20:00

Geez, just wrap them off here, we'll let them. Oh perfect, do you? Guys have pets, heck yeah.

Speaker 3: 20:06

Oh see, I'm going to be on the bus, I'm going to be on the bus. Oh see, we have a dog.

Speaker 1: 20:12

We had two dogs. We just lost one of our dogs.

Speaker 3: 20:13

So hopefully you guys go, she was 16.

Speaker 1: 20:15

She was my dog. That was great. We have a dog in a cat, so she has some badass dogs too.

Speaker 3: 20:22

What do you have?

Speaker 2: 20:23

I've got a fired service dog that's walking around here somewhere and another one. He gets a little um jealous when I'm not paying attention to him, but I've got two Dobermans.

Speaker 3: 20:37

Wait, what is a fired service dog? Why he?

Speaker 2: 20:39

a fired one? Yeah, Because he's cute but young.

Speaker 3: 20:44

But mine is too.

Speaker 1: 20:46

Mine was actually a fired service dog Well, actually that's not true Past and was doing well but got carsick and so because the job and so that I was working with the person and they're like hey, do you want a dog? I'm like that's a pure bread and I yeah, but the dog like gets sick all the time and I can't drive with him. I make a great family dog it's poodle and I said I've never had a standard poodle. I've never had one.

Speaker 3: 21:10

Best dogs, ever Best dog Really, yeah, wow, okay.

Speaker 1: 21:14

Yeah Great. I would have never in my million years picked one myself. I would have picked Adobe a shepherd something.

Speaker 3: 21:19

Right. Yeah, and that's a military of both of you. It's so.

Speaker 1: 21:26

Like.

Speaker 3: 21:26

I just wouldn't know. Yeah, I would just know that's the kind of dogs you would have.

Speaker 1: 21:31

Michael, I had that before I even came in the military.

Speaker 3: 21:34

Oh really, yeah. What brand are you guys?

Speaker 1: 21:37

Air Force Air.

Speaker 3: 21:38

Force, that's really cool.

Speaker 1: 21:40

That's hot. I mean we've had you in the little bit.

Speaker 3: 21:43

That's hot.

Speaker 1: 21:44

Kind of can be.

Speaker 3: 21:46

That's my favorite movie ever Top Gun.

Speaker 1: 21:49

Maverick, oh yeah, the original Maverick.

Speaker 3: 21:52

I love Maverick so much I could see it back to back to back to back.

Speaker 1: 21:55

Okay, which? Which one's the hottie one for you? The?

Speaker 3: 21:58

one with the mustache. I got to meet him in person, oh wait, it's wait.

Speaker 1: 22:02

I see, this is how old I am. All I can think of is goose. Wait, what's his son? Goose is gone, it's what.

Speaker 3: 22:07

Yeah, goose is gone.

Speaker 1: 22:09

Yeah, but what's his call sign?

Speaker 3: 22:11

I'm horrible with names.

Speaker 1: 22:13

Oh my God, I just blanked out.

Speaker 3: 22:14

Okay, wait, I'm the worst, but he's so hot, I figured you'd go for him. Yeah, I love him mustache.

Speaker 1: 22:22

Mr.

Speaker 3: 22:22

So, there's who is it? Rooster, there's Rooster, rooster. Yeah God, that's horrible. Rooster, sorry I was thinking, I was thinking cock.

Speaker 1: 22:31

We have the whole. I was thinking cock.

Speaker 3: 22:33

But Rooster makes sense. I know the thing is a lot of work. I commend both of you. It's a lot, it's not easy.

Speaker 1: 22:39

Yeah, actually, yeah, it is, but it's so much fun. And the people you get to meet. And that's what I love. I love the stories, I love just hearing where they come from and understanding them and just we just met so many people. I mean it's just great. When we did Loretta's sweat about passed out, I'm like we got her really.

Speaker 3: 22:59

It's so cool. I love stuff like this and whenever I get the chance to do things like this, I do it Like I was in. Like I said, I was just in Knoxville with my family and I had some extra merch. So on the way to the airport I stopped by one of the emergency rooms and I'm just like I'm Blake, I have some merch. I'm like, oh my god, but all the ER nurses came over. I had like 200 shirts or something, so I just gave them to them. Oh, passed around the hospital. So I love that. Yeah, I get a lot of people that take pictures outside my bus and if I'm ever on the bus and I see them, I try to photo bomb them. So I like sneak behind them, oh that's so cool.

Speaker 1: 23:40

See, it's the fun stuff you get to do. That's why it's so fun. Like I always worry, like when you see people that become celebrities and they get on a different kick right, you're like why it's so much fun, yeah.

Speaker 3: 23:52

Why are they that's like comedians are so mean Comedians are I'm like. Why are you mean Like it should be fun yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:00

Yeah. So let me ask this question Get on track a little bit. When you so that first one went viral, was it straight up from there Like I mean, here you are just like I'm losing my freaking mind. I need a stress relief. I just had a panic attack, although I'm going to say I'm like you had your first panic attack at that point. I was in nursing school having my first panic attack.

Speaker 2: 24:19

I was like I don't freaking code.

Speaker 1: 24:21

what so did it go straight up Like what happened from that first one, and how?

Speaker 3: 24:28

do you?

Speaker 3: 24:28

manage it, it was definitely a steady incline on the way up, which I really appreciate. It didn't go up like super fast, yeah, it happened gradually over time, which I really appreciate. I just kept making videos and then I would get invited to speak at like nursing conferences or visit nursing schools. So I did that for a few months through a year and I'm like you know what I could do, like my own show, like I want to be able to curse in my show, like I don't want to have to say what nursing schools or hospitals tell me. So in 2019, I did like five little shows. I sold tickets on Eventbrite and then I did 10 the next year and then 50 and now like 103 this year. So it has grown over time.

Speaker 1: 25:13

How'd you find your team, I mean, if it's just you doing a TikTok and then, all of a sudden, now we've got Sheila. By the way, she's amazing and I really do like her.

Speaker 3: 25:21

She's awesome. Yeah, no, I do get to work with a lot of people, but when it comes to my phone and social media and videos, it's just me, it's my phone. So when people Instagram me it's my same number. I've had since in middle school, my Orlando, my 407 number. So people are like and I try to respond. I can't respond to everything but I do try. So that's just me.

Speaker 3: 25:42

But, nurse, kind of see that that team is seven full-time people and then 90 contractors Holy cow, that run throughout the year. So that's one of my main. We have an office in Orlando. And then, when it comes to nurse Blake, it's a lot of different people working together on things like touring, right. Not like I'm seeing people are here in a hotel room by myself in Rochester Like they're getting ready to my show. I'll go up around four o'clock and do a mic check. But like when it comes to the book, right, I'm working with a book publisher. When it comes to my tour, I'm working with a tour manager who books it. So I'm not having people run to get me coffee or make me food or do my hair. It's definitely. It's not like that at all Slow key.

Speaker 3: 26:25

Yeah, you know, yeah, when it's first kind of see it's cruise people, yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:31

I'm glad you brought up the book. I don't know if you two realize this. We've got two published authors on the cast.

Speaker 1: 26:38

Oh.

Speaker 2: 26:38

Lord. So, which is super cool, Blake's book I want to be a nurse when I grow up. You can actually find it on Amazon.

Speaker 1: 26:48

That's pretty, it is, you're cute.

Speaker 3: 26:50

We have our personal book coming out soon in October. It's Santa goes to the ER, so I'm super excited about that book.

Speaker 2: 26:58

So we'll be out later this year. Yeah, very cool. Yeah, he's got it.

Speaker 3: 27:00

He's got a shellfish allergy, so we so we teach kids about allergies in the book.

Speaker 1: 27:06

That's very cool. That's super awesome. I like it.

Speaker 3: 27:09

Yeah, what I love is that I'm able to do a show that's for adults. It's called shock advice because I do have a dirty mouth and when someone complained about my show they're like your dirty mouth, like I was so shocked at what you were saying and I'm like girl that's in the name, like I'm glad you were shocked because it's shock advice and if you get offended in my show you're not even a real nurse.

Speaker 3: 27:32

Right, because I don't say anything that no one's heard or said before, so it's like you're not even real. But it's so cool that I could do a show for adults and yet sell my children's book, and those the people that come are able to connect with their kids, yeah, and educate them on what it's like as a nurse with my children's book. So it's really cool to be on both ends of the spectrum.

Speaker 2: 27:55

I can really appreciate how you've been able to grow and evolve and just stay so humble through it all but have such a wide outreach between Nurse Con, band for Life that was another big one that when I learned about was just super, I mean touched by. For those that don't know, the band for life, that was huge. Yeah, I mean, that was what 20, 2015,. Right, blake?

Speaker 3: 28:22

Yeah, I started Band for Life in 2013, when I was turned away from donating blood for being gay because the FDA, you know, don't ask, don't tell.

Speaker 1: 28:30

A lot of people didn't know that.

Speaker 3: 28:33

It's a very actually.

Speaker 1: 28:34

You know how I found out. One of my best friends used to work for American Macross. I was helping her set up a blood drive one day this is years ago and her and I were talking and then all of a sudden I don't remember what she said. But then I looked at her and I'm like what are you talking about? And she's like oh, if you're gay, you can't donate. And I went you have got to be kidding me. Yeah, Bullshit, but yeah.

Speaker 3: 28:57

So I started that when I was in nursing school and we got the FDA to end the lifetime ban in 2015. Very cool.

Speaker 3: 29:03

And it's evolved since then. So that project's been 10 years in the making. But that's when I really learned the power of social media and the power that we have to create change. A nursing student, who is 21, from Orlando, you know, got the FDA to listen to him. So that's really the power that we have as healthcare workers to Define things that need changed and to fucking go out and change it and come together and do it. Don't be all right, freaking shit like just get your head out of your ass and stop being a petty, no time for drama, no.

Speaker 1: 29:37

No, no, no, just comedy. I mean, you want to laugh and joke, it's great, but that you know it's a great thing that you're showing, like nursing students, all your nursing students out there. If you're whining about it, go do something about it, because right there, seriously.

Speaker 3: 29:51

I mean real. I mean real if you're nursing is hard. Nursing school isn't even the hardest, you know. It's after you graduate and become a nurse. So it's about kind of trying to find joy and enjoyment during those hard times. Yeah right, it's still getting through them. How are you gonna get through a shitty day? How are you gonna get through a shitty nursing course? You know, because there's things all about learning. You'll never be done, nope. So you're never gonna be perfect. All you nursing students out there you type a personalities who just want to be perfect. I was one of those. You know, working in the ICU, thinking my shit don't sting, and you realize you don't know everything. But that's okay, it is learn. You're not perfect, that's fine.

Speaker 1: 30:33

But just you're gonna have confidence.

Speaker 3: 30:36

Yeah, confidence is saying I don't know something. Confidence isn't knowing everything. Confidence is like bitch. I ain't never done that before, so you better fucking show me how to do it Like that's confidence.

Speaker 1: 30:45

Yeah. And it's knowing you're gonna fuck up, like when I I've told nurses across the board. I'm like if you meet a nurse that says like I've never made a mistake.

Speaker 2: 30:58

And I don't trust her yeah, no, I actually you're making of a story that you tell Blake about. Was it the poop tube? I don't know. The yeah yeah yeah, this nurse.

Speaker 3: 31:13

So the patient pulls out her flexi seal, which is a poop tube, and then swings all of the room, the shit everywhere. I'm a patient care tech at this time because I was a nursing school and I'm like, oh shit, there's shit literally, it's flying to flying everywhere.

Speaker 3: 31:29

So I tell the nurse I was like, hey, like your patient, there's shit. She was out, she went in and replaced it, but I'm looking at the bag and there's no output like wears to poop. So she went in, checked on it. She had put the flexi seal and the front hole instead of the back. I'm like who does that? But probably thought she's perfect.

Speaker 2: 31:55

And that was your preceptor right.

Speaker 3: 31:57

Blake, that was yeah.

Speaker 2: 31:59

Oh.

Speaker 3: 32:00

I know that was awesome Not good. I know.

Speaker 1: 32:02

I had a resident one time, even to this day. God, if she's listed it, I know she'll be giggling and rolling her eyes. The patient I worked labor and delivery a lot of years in. The patient needed an IUPC right measures, the strength of the contract contractions, and the lady had an epidural critical point in this and she's kind of looking at her and she's putting her hands there and going to slide the IUPC in. So she does it and I go over to the machine and I'm like it's not reading right and I'm like, oh, because I saw her eyes not looking down. I saw her talking to the patient and I'm like I hope she did it and I go look over and she shoved it up her rectum right up the ass. But the patient didn't know because she had an epidural.

Speaker 3: 32:44

Oh, an epidural, so she had no idea.

Speaker 1: 32:46

So she's like and I am because I put the nurse face on. I'm like, okay, I don't say a word, right. And I look over at her and she goes God, another one. And I'm like, yeah, no problem, like that, I'm just smirking the whole time, right? So she goes in. She goes, this one's not reading, right, we're going to replace it. So she puts it in properly and we leave the room and I am just busting it. She's like don't say a word. I'm like your roast is coming up right.

Speaker 3: 33:13

Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's in the podcast now.

Speaker 1: 33:17

It's going down. Oh my God. I laughed so hard. She was like I'm so embarrassed and I was like next time, look down.

Speaker 3: 33:25

Right, exactly. Oh, that's so funny.

Speaker 1: 33:28

It is so all right. So here's my other question. I was thinking of the things that you've done. You have your own line of okay, they're not crocs. Right, they're not crocs.

Speaker 3: 33:39

No, they're not crocs, but they are the most comfortable.

Speaker 1: 33:43

They should be called, not crocs.

Speaker 3: 33:46

That is a tagline. Not crocs, yeah, not crocs With gales. So it's not my company, but I did help them invent, design this shoe. Oh hi, it shows out the color scheme and everything, but it is super comfortable. I get that question. Probably the most asked question I get online for years is what shoes do you wear?

Speaker 2: 34:09

And I've never had.

Speaker 3: 34:10

I get the weird like number one. I guess so many nurses have foot problems and back problems, yeah, and well, obviously, and I just never know because they just wear whatever you know historically. I've tried a few like nurse shoes in the past but they're ugly or they suck and they're not really comfortable.

Speaker 1: 34:29

Did you wear those? Some are way too narrow. Do you wear those thick white ones? Do you ever see?

Speaker 3: 34:34

Oh would like the dance goes.

Speaker 1: 34:36

Okay, so let me just tell you a story. There is shoes should not be completely quiet, and here's why he already knows where I'm going. I'm nursing school. Yes, we wore those damn dancekins. We had the white leggings that didn't let the blood circulate down to your feet. Right, we had to wear white like well, it was either dress pants or the sports. I wore those sport things right.

Speaker 3: 35:03

Girl, you are old. You went to the back in the day, back in the day, right.

Speaker 1: 35:08

So I am working a shift and I'm working on a step down cardiac unit right, we took post post-cath and post bypass, right, and I'm walking down the hall and I needed to go check on patients and remember our populations, like mostly 60s, 70s, 80 years old, and walk in the room and my shoes are dead quiet, like I am stealth mode and I walk in the room and this sheet's just to fly in, this 70 year old man's wacking off, and so he didn't see me. He didn't see me Cause I just kind of seen like the sheet, kind of I was like oh snap, and I kind of backed off and then I kind of made noise Like I sung or coughed or something or whatever. And the clean next box honey.

Speaker 3: 35:55

Yeah, good. Yeah. Where's the lotion? I need more lotion. God guys are so gross oh my God, I was like.

Speaker 1: 36:02

So your shoes shouldn't be stealth mode, they should make some love or just saying down the hall. Oh, my God Right.

Speaker 3: 36:12

Well, crocs are the worst. Crocs are the worst. Dance goes are awful. I don't know how nurses? Well, I asked the nurse. I was like how long do your shoes take to break in? And she's like oh, like six months. Oh, my God, I don't have six months to break in dance goes. Are you kidding me? Hell, no, I don't know. What kind of shoes did you wear at?

Speaker 1: 36:30

work. Let's see, I wore so when I was in a nurse school we had to wear those damn white dance goes shoes. But then when I was on my own I we were those like clogged. I wore the clog type things like the crocs without holes, right. Like I wore the clogs and I, they were really light. I still have my last pair like light. They weighed nothing like an ounce Right.

Speaker 1: 36:54

The only problem with that, though, is when I was like in a crash section, which unfortunately happened a lot to me I was like the master bed flyer. I'd run out of my shoes, so my friends would be like throwing the shoes in the OR at me like yeah. That was the only downfall, otherwise they were great Boots, boots.

Speaker 3: 37:12

Yeah, that's it Out of the hospital.

Speaker 1: 37:14

Yeah, she came to Tennessee.

Speaker 3: 37:17

She had her, her uniform on those freaking boots Yep.

Speaker 2: 37:21

Not so comfy. Well, and when you're deployed, I mean that's, that's what you're wearing.

Speaker 1: 37:26

I mean, you're in, you don't have all that cushioning us Cause when things are happening, you're. You're not changing, You're just running.

Speaker 3: 37:34

I'm surprised that nurses and hospitals like Walter Reed have to wear full on like military uniform. I thought they could wear scrubs. That they are not. That's army.

Speaker 1: 37:43

That's an army, air force, army, then that's why that's an army thing then yeah, when they deployed yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:52

If they're in a field hospital setting, they're going to be uniform boots yeah, just because it's a safety issue, they're taking potentially gunfire mortars yeah, they got to be able to get up and go? Yeah, and it depends where you are in a hospital too.

Speaker 1: 38:05

I think clinic Settings are all uniformed, but she's in patient psych she's uniform. I wonder if it's a psych thing, like for a, like a rank. I wonder if it's that cause a lot of. She just got major. Oh, congratulations. Very, very cool. That is all major. Yeah, did you go to?

Speaker 2: 38:26

her promotion ceremony.

Speaker 3: 38:31

I wish I don't. I'm always working, so what was going?

Speaker 2: 38:35

to ask about that Cause. When we were looking up your tour schedule, I was like man, he is just go, go, go, go, go, go, go go. How are you filling your cup up right now?

Speaker 3: 38:45

Oh, good question, it's empty. It's empty my coffee is empty.

Speaker 2: 38:49

I said it's a macchiato. We need to talk my coffee is empty.

Speaker 3: 38:52

No, when I'm touring, like, I am just like focused on touring While I do other things like I do things like this, I have meetings for nurse, kind of see, but I try not to do anything too emotional or like when I'm touring I can't get into any. So like, for example, like growing up and my parents sent me to gay conversion therapy when I was like 15 to 18. So I have a lot of like trauma stored in my body that I was going to explore in therapy. But then they're like we're not going to crack that open until after your tour because you're in a good headspace right now.

Speaker 2: 39:28

And keep it that way. I got to keep it that way?

Speaker 3: 39:30

Yeah, I definitely.

Speaker 1: 39:31

I think my trip is, I compartmentalize it and that's medical, but see, it's obviously it didn't work very well, did it yeah?

Speaker 3: 39:39

And then I can't get conversion therapy. It did not work.

Speaker 1: 39:41

Yeah, not there you go. There's one.

Speaker 3: 39:43

I learned some of my best tricks there it's like thousands of gay guys at a camp.

Speaker 1: 39:48

You're like yay, hello, you brought us together.

Speaker 3: 39:51

Give me back, give me back.

Speaker 1: 39:54

Let's go for round two.

Speaker 3: 39:55

Yeah, it didn't quite work All right.

Speaker 1: 39:56

Can we try that again?

Speaker 3: 39:58

Yeah, thank you. Thanks, mom and dad, holy crap. Yeah, so these are things that I talk about actually during my show. Yeah, I talk a little bit about my family life and growing up, and my show is a mix of like stand up, but there's video and audio and visual elements, so it's super. It's super engaging, nice, and it's just me up there for 90 minutes.

Speaker 1: 40:19

When you're not, when you're not doing all this, are you working units, are you?

Speaker 3: 40:27

You think you think a hustle will hire me with my mouth calling them out? Absolutely not. My last hustle. I worked at HR was on my ass and I had to leave, like I was, like I can't, they're not going to let me stay.

Speaker 1: 40:39

For what though?

Speaker 3: 40:40

I keep doing what I'm doing, just posting on social media. Oh yeah, I mean, these social media policies are so strict Like you really can't, so that's so funny.

Speaker 1: 40:49

You say that because I actually I got. I got kicked off a. No, I didn't get kicked off, I got slapped on a social media site because I put a poll up about workplace violence, right.

Speaker 1: 41:01

And and I wanted people to answer and I did. I got like 90 answers before they actually found it and then they're like that's not funny, it's not a funny dark meme, don't do it again. I was like, okay, sorry so, but what was really interesting is that a couple of those people I had reached out to like hey, you know we're doing this thing on workplace violence and I would love to know, like, would you be interested in you know, coming in and talk about it? Like you know, I'm not there to sensationalize anything.

Speaker 3: 41:30

And they're like yeah, no, they can't speak up about issues, they will be fired, which is why I'm in a position where, if I could be outspoken about things that other nurses can't talk about you know what I mean Like I'm going to say what everyone else can't say because, unfortunately, fear of losing their jobs.

Speaker 1: 41:49

Yeah, yeah. And that's a struggle for us to find people. I mean people will come on, but I have to kind of give them a heads up like hey, this is raw and real. And I always tell people it's like we're talking in the break room, not not at a CE conference, like, yeah right, this is real shit.

Speaker 2: 42:08

Yeah, so what does the future look like for you? Like, do you have any desire to go back to bedside, or?

Speaker 3: 42:16

That's always like when I was, just like in Tennessee with my family just looking at the stars, you know, late at night I'm like I miss it. I miss number one, because that's why I got in a nursing right, because with the patients, like I miss the camaraderie and the teamwork of a unit and you know just the rush of adrenaline and the mix of emotions. Like I love that I mostly have worked adult trauma, so I love the sound of an ambulance and being in that environment. So because I'm not in that environment, I do miss it. Now, well, I know if I would go back and be burnout and be bitching about it, you know again. So I'm very lucky what I'm doing now.

Speaker 3: 42:53

But that's always like a backup plan, like if at any point I want to stop doing what I'm doing, I'm just going to go move to a little town in Colorado and, you know, work at a rural hospital and drink coffee and you know, look back at my life and you know, spend time with my family. But until then, you know I'm so busy. Just the conference alone is a full-time job and just all these other projects I have. So it is something I keep back in my mind as a backup plan.

Speaker 2: 43:22

It's just amazing what I've been able to accomplish, though, in your 32 years. I mean you've done more than most people do in an entire lifetime. Just it's amazing to me. You could easily say, yeah, once I'm done touring, I'm retiring, I'm checking out, I'm going off the grid. See y'all never again. Goodbye, and I mean your work, the legacy that you've passed on is just amazing to me.

Speaker 3: 43:48

Thanks. I mean I tell when people ask me where I see myself. Five years I have no idea. But that's what's so exciting to me is like I take opportunities as they come. I never would be here if I stuck to some sort of plan, a life plan, right, you know, go back for your master's degree and then become a nurse practitioner and like lalala. Instead, I'm always open to new journeys in my life and I think that's what keeps it super interesting and fun.

Speaker 1: 44:14

You bring a good spin to the career field. I mean, I said I've been a nurse so long time and if I was doing it over again, I don't know if I would have become a nurse. And part of the reason why I became a nurse was not because I hate the career field. I actually really enjoyed being a nurse and doing what I did and I got a lot of experiences that other people didn't get, especially being in the military. So I don't regret one bit about it. But if I was doing it over again and I was doing it with nursing, I would hope I have insight, like you had, because you just made a comment about like yeah, go back for your master's and all that, and I remember that same feeling. I'm like why is it like this one path?

Speaker 1: 45:00

Like you got a nurse practitioner or a nurse educator and like I've taught college before and my master's actually in sports science and this school picked me up. There was a division one school and it was a kinesiology department. They're like we want you to come teach with us and I'm like, okay, and their nursing department wouldn't even look at me. I'm like I could teach all your, I can teach all your health ed, all of that.

Speaker 1: 45:22

Right, no problem, no they would know because I didn't have that specific degree and I'm all like it's so annoying, it's so outdated.

Speaker 3: 45:32

Yes, nurses unfortunately feel like they have to go back to school, like they get burned out at the bedside. They're like, oh, I need to go back and become a nurse practitioner. Then they just become a burnt out nurse practitioner with student loans and you have to really know what you want and don't put that pressure on yourself to follow that regular path. Yeah, and why, like? Why are you doing it? You doing it because you want to do it, but there's so many other jobs for nurses outside of hospitals that, unfortunately, people don't talk about, which is why I love to talk about it on nurse kind of see, I do have a magazine.

Speaker 1: 46:11

I forgot. I have a magazine I think I signed up to get it, actually because I wanted to check it out. I did. I think I subscribed to it.

Speaker 3: 46:18

Well, issue two will be coming out. We have like 30,000 subscribers already, yeah, and we talk about stories like this and jobs that nurses can have, you know, outside of the regular, you know, bedside nurse role.

Speaker 1: 46:31

And you know what it's that skill set right. So we have hard skills and soft skills right, and so hard skills put a foli and start an IV, you know. We know how to do resuscitation, whatever. But soft skills are like we got our shit together under pressure. We can handle a lot of information coming in at the same time and synthesize it really quick and then know what we need to do. We, you know we have all these skills that translate. We have to be articulate, you know, if we miscommunicate, we have to know how to reach shitty handwriting.

Speaker 1: 47:03

Yeah, so we don't kill the patient. Right, all that stuff right. And we don't give credence to that, to those soft skills that allow us to do a lot of other things that are a lot of after a whole career. They're, it's fun.

Speaker 3: 47:17

My thing is right now, they throw this work life balance at people work life balance, work life balance, work life balance. And I thought about, like why is that? Why is that thing? How do you get to there? And instead you should have a job that you love and a job that you like.

Speaker 1: 47:30

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 47:30

And then your life is going to balance itself out on its own. You, they say, work life balance, because they're miserable at their job.

Speaker 1: 47:36

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 47:37

Right. They're trying to find outlet when your job is your life, your life is your job. Find a job you love and like, and there are plenty of them out there in the nursing home.

Speaker 1: 47:46

We just have to not be a friend.

Speaker 2: 47:48

If you're doing what you love, then you never will feel like work a day in your life.

Speaker 3: 47:51

Right, exactly.

Speaker 1: 47:52

Like just it's Yolo right, you only got one shot.

Speaker 3: 47:55

Right, that's it, that's it.

Speaker 1: 47:57

Let's do it.

Speaker 2: 47:59

Guys, you're breaking, nursing generational trauma. I promise.

Speaker 1: 48:04

I promise Sheila that we were not going to go over an hour is going to honor that, so.

Speaker 3: 48:08

I didn't get in trouble and stuff. So no, it's okay. Yeah, we'll get in trouble by Sheila. I'll get in trouble by the courtyard Mary out because my checkouts are two other restrictions.

Speaker 1: 48:19

Wait two o'clock. That see, that is celebrity status. Everybody else has a check out 11.

Speaker 3: 48:24

I do got points, so I get status. I can really check out a lot later if I wanted to, but I said two o'clock. No, I don't check for my show tonight.

Speaker 1: 48:38

I'm excited. How are you liking? How are you liking your tour? It's going well, it's still fun.

Speaker 3: 48:43

No, the crowds are amazing. It's incredible. The response is awesome. I have the most fun you know out on stage with the. Every show is a little different, Just because the crowd is different than venue and just my interactions with the audience and stuff, but I'm loving it. I just did show like 32. So I have like 72 more to go.

Speaker 3: 49:02

Oh, my God yeah my tour wraps up in December, so I have like 70 shows until then. Oh, it wraps up this year in December and then I do Australia in New Zealand in February. Oh, I actually end at the Sydney Opera House.

Speaker 1: 49:20

Do you pinch yourself?

Speaker 3: 49:23

There's moments where I'm just so busy I don't get to like really think about it. But this tour, now that I've toured last year in the year before, I'm really enjoying life on the road Like I'm really taking it all in. At any moment it could all be gone, you know, for any different multitude of reasons, and I'm just super lucky. So, yes, I am taking it in.

Speaker 1: 49:45

That's good. That's good. All right, we better wind it down here. What do you got MZ anything? Any last thoughts?

Speaker 2: 49:52

Blake, all I can say is thank you Truly from the bottom of my heart. This has been a treat, something I've been looking forward to for a long, long time, ever since we were given the green light. I just so to see this come to fruition. You don't know what this means. I'm just so grateful to spend some time with you and hear about all the wonderful things you're doing for the nursing community and for nurses in the future too. So thank you for spending time with us today.

Speaker 3: 50:23

Thank you so much, both for your service and what you're doing. Congrats on the podcast. Like I said, you know it's a lot of work. We keep on doing it and you have an open invite to the crews. So connect with Sheila and we'll get you a room on the ship, and I will see you next month at my show, and then I'll see you again in April. For next month, no, no we're November. November, november, that's right.

Speaker 2: 50:43

We'll be November there.

Speaker 1: 50:45

And then one more thank you to you and Sheila, because you guys donated tickets that we get to raffle off to two people. So by the time this podcast goes off, that we're going to make that announcement and then, yeah, somebody else gets to go enjoy your show.

Speaker 3: 51:02

Yay, awesome. Thank you so much for everything. It's nice to meet both of you.

Speaker 1: 51:05

You too, you have a great day.

Speaker 3: 51:08

Bye.

Speaker 1: 51:08

Bye. Okay, blake is a definitely a great person. I mean, there is nothing better than when you get the opportunity and somebody takes that time out and you know how busy his schedule is. I mean it's just straight out and he's just the kind of soul yeah, he's going to be the.

Speaker 1: 51:27

You know, this is the generation of the you know, nursing and hopefully, medical in general that's going to start doing this different, because we have to, we have to. We are short staffed, they're collapsing and it's on all sides. Military is not meeting the recruit retention, they're not meeting their recruiting goals. The civilian world, every place I walk into, we're short staffed. We're sorry, they're tired, they're worn out and there's got to be a change right. And so hopefully it's people like Blake that are like, hey, we can do this better and different, you know, and they can bring some light to the world. And hopefully we still get nurses, little girls and little boys that want to be nurses and doctors, and rad techs and respiratory therapists and PT and all that stuff, you know, and do it in a much healthier way than what we've been doing. It at. Amen, all right. So, from all of us to all of you, have a great week, peace out.