Ever since he was a small child growing up in Florida, Blake Lynch knew he wanted to be a nurse.
However, what he probably never expected was to be checking in from the road from Middle-of-Nowhere, Colorado, during the first week of his 100 date “Shock Advised” comedy tour as “Nurse Blake,” a social media star and burgeoning comedian who has amassed over a million followers on his various social media channels.
Nurse Blake’s tour is scheduled for over 100 shows with a stop in Santa Rosa at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts on Wednesday, September 16. When asked if he had any trepidation about such a massive tour, Blake chuckles and says “No, I’m really excited to get back out on the road again. Our last tour was 55 dates, so we just doubled that.” He continues, “I can’t wait to see the crowd react to the show because it’s a whole new show from my last tour.” One might think Nurse Blake would be exhausted from constantly being “on” but clearly his background pulling 12+ hour shifts as a trauma nurse has prepared him well.
Interestingly unlike many comedians, Nurse Blake isn’t really able to work out his act in smaller clubs before taking it on the road. The reason is, as Blake readily admits, his humor is very niche and aimed at those in the medical field, particularly nurses who, after a quick peek at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicate there are currently over 3 million nurses working in America today. A fine niche, indeed.
When asked how he crafts his act without much space to try it out, Blake says he draws from his social media channels, smaller appearances, and places like a Nursing Boot Camp. He says “I think you can tell a story, and it’s funny, but really, is it relatable?” He continues, “I’m kind of lucky in that way because if I was just a comedian working a regular crowd, not everything would be relatable. I’m telling stories I know from being a nurse to nurses, which in a lot of aspects makes it a little easier.”
Monica Ray graduated from the Santa Rosa Junior College Nursing Program in 2022 and now works as a nurse in Arizona. She says she likes Nurse Blake because “for one, he’s hilarious” she laughs. Ray adds, “He makes the most relatable nursing content and says what every nurse is thinking. He’s also a huge advocate for safe staffing ratios and healthier work environments because the healthcare field can be super toxic.”
A quick look at his website (https://www.nurseblake.com/) features various clips of Nurse Blake doing his thing. Also on his site is a store that features pretty much everything a working nurse could need including shirts and sweatshirts with catchphrases like “I’m not judging, I’m assessing,” as well as Nurse Blake hats, socks, and a signature Rosé and Pinot Grigio for relaxing after a long shift.
At this point, an excellent question to ask is whether or not anyone who isn’t a healthcare worker would get anything from the show, and Blake excitedly says, “Yes! We really encourage people who aren’t nurses to come to the show because then, I have people I can make fun of.” But seriously, Blake adds, “I like to use audience members who aren’t nurses because then I can break it all down with them. Like, part of the show features a giant life-sized PureWick which a lot of people [including this writer] won’t know what that is. The nurses get it, and it’s so funny.” For those still in the dark, a PureWick is a female external catheter with suction.
As Nurse Blake traverses the U.S. until Christmas Time, he’s also busy running a small company that puts on “Nurse Con,” a nearly week-long cruise from Miami to Mexico where nurses are encouraged to come aboard and cut loose.
For more information, including tickets, click here.
