Blake Lynch, known as Nurse Blake, is a healthcare comedian and advocate. More importantly, Blake is the definition of a role model to the gay community and nurse community alike. Having overcome extensive obstacles, from being subjected to years of gay conversion therapy by his parents to his recent public divorce from his long-term partner, Blake successfully made a name for himself in the healthcare and comedy industries. Blake also played a pivotal role in getting the blood donation ban against bisexual and gay men repealed after spending 10 years fighting the FDA as part of his viral Banned4Life campaign. Blake sat down with me for a candid and raw conversation.
The infamous Nurse Blake! It’s a pleasure to speak with you. I may need your advice because I have an ear infection, pain, and ringing, so it’s very appropriate that I’m interviewing you while I’m sick.
Nurse Blake: Well, I don’t take insurance, it’s just cash pay [laughs].
I have a loaded question to start: How was your life growing up, and when did you come out?
NB: Let’s get right in. I loved Disney, I loved all the princesses, so I knew I was gay from childhood. Everyone that knew me knew I was gay, but apparently, it was a big surprise to my parents. When they discovered I was kissing a boy in the driveway at 15, that’s when life changed in a really, really bad way. My parents made me undergo gay conversion therapy. I attended the Exodus International Program, which has since closed, from the time I was 15 through 18. While it did not work, being at a camp with thousands of gay guys wasn’t necessarily bad, because that is where I learned all my best tricks. My parents weren’t able to get a refund. Immediately upon graduating high school, I started doing my pre-reqs for nursing.
Did your difficult experiences growing up inspire you to get into the nursing field?
NB: I think growing up as young and queer yet not necessarily receiving much love and care from close family played a pivotal role. I wanted to give back to other people. I always think it’s great when someone is from a marginalized community and can get into healthcare to help those from that same marginalized community. I would love to see nursing and healthcare become increasingly diverse so that the staff looks like the community we service.
At what point did nursing cross over to comedy?
NB: Once I became a nurse I realized I was funny because I started making my patients laugh so hard their backs would hurt. I began doing sporadic shows, and fast forward to today, where I am fortunate to do large-scale tours every year for thousands of nurses.
It kind of made the conversion therapy and trauma worth it.
NB: Honestly, yes. It is those dark times that I’m able to pull humor from. No one should have to go through conversion therapy. The fact that it’s still legal in some states is just very dangerous. But I had to make the best out of it.
Now you’re hitting the road on this 68-city U.S. tour. I love the title: But Did You Die? You have a bunch of local dates. What can fans expect?
NB: Nurses will go so far caring for patients. But then we get chastised by them because we didn’t answer the call light in time or didn’t get their cup of ice. It’s like, “Listen Diane, I just saved your life. Like, did you die? No, you’re fine. You can relax, Diane.” New Jersey audiences test my improv because they just scream out and yell. They’ll have conversations with me from the balcony, and I love their energy. I love being up in the Northeast. This is a whole new show compared to previous tours. I get into things that patients do that drive nurses crazy and things that patients’ family members do that impact the care of the patient. We’re going to dig deep and we’re going to talk about why people hit nurses. I didn’t say hit on; I said hit. There is actually a lot of abuse by patients who kick, punch, spit, curse, yell and slap. I am trying to save your life, why are you kicking me? I am talking about the real issues that nurses face and how we use humor to get through the hard times.
It sounds like you talk about all the shit that people working in healthcare can relate to.
NB: Yes, and even if you’re not a nurse, you either know a nurse, dated a nurse, and/or have been a patient. So, we get into all that. You don’t have to be a nurse to come to my show to understand it. Also, if you want to hang out with me before the show, you can upgrade your tickets. My shows are so loud and high-energy. Some come in big groups and even get party buses. It is a really good time.
You’ve become everyone’s favorite person in healthcare. I follow you on social media and everyone really relates to you. You have become a voice for those in healthcare.
NB: It’s a small world, and while you would think that healthcare changes pretty fast, it’s actually really slow to change, regardless of where you live. Originally, I would assume that if I do a joke that is a hit in the USA it wouldn’t land in Australia. Yet it does. It makes you feel like you are not alone, that you are heard, and that you are not the only one going through it. I don’t use a script for my shows, I have stories to tell, so I am always looking for those special things in the moment.
In February you launched a petition advocating for stronger protections for nurses and healthcare workers, including advocating for felony charges for assaults and the installation of metal detectors in hospitals. Were you motivated by your own experiences or the experiences of those around you?
NB: It was motivated by a nurse in Florida who was beat so bad by a patient that she almost lost her eyesight. I was already familiar with stories from other nurses who were abused on their shift, but after hearing and seeing this nurse’s story, I knew things had to change. Hospitals are dangerous places to work at because there’s a lot of drama, especially when you work at a trauma center; whether it’s shootings, domestic violence, or motor vehicle crashes. Some people come to hospitals with guns seeking revenge. There needs to be metal detectors. If you must walk through a metal detector at Disney, the happiest place on earth, then there should be a metal detector at the hospital, which is probably the saddest place on earth. If you are on a plane and hit a flight attendant, you’re put on a list, but if you hit a nurse the default response is, “What did you do to deserve that?” No nurse or healthcare worker should have to work in an unsafe environment.
I read that you were turned away from donating blood due to the FDA’s previous ban on gay and bisexual males.
NB: This happened to me when I was in nursing school in 2013. I was halfway through my program and becoming a nurse. One of my classmates, who suffered from sickle cell anemia, would miss class regularly due to blood transfusions. When I went to donate blood, I was rejected due to policy set in place during the early 1980s. No one ever fought it or attempted to present evidence to argue why it was outdated. In turn I started an organization called Banned4Life. We fought for 10 years against the FDA and just recently they lifted the ban on bisexual and gay males from donating blood. It was my first step into advocacy work and when I truly realized my voice matters. I had no fear, and I got them to listen. I just want everyone out there to speak up when they see something outdated or something that needs change.
Nurses are short staffed and underpaid. Most of the income is going to executives at the top who do not interact with patients. There needs to be a balance.
To play devil’s advocate, recently videos have gone viral of nurses assaulting patients, particularly the elderly. Do you find this to be a rising problem or are these isolated incidents being used to depict nurses in a negative light?
NB: There are good nurses. There are bad nurses. If you’re ever not being treated right, or there’s intentional malpractice going on, report it to the board. That person should not be practicing. However, that doesn’t mean you get to villainize 5 million nurses in this country because we’re also being abused by patients. Healthcare is a mess in this country right now. Nurses are short staffed and underpaid. Most of the income is going to executives at the top who do not interact with patients. There needs to be a balance.
I want to say apologies on your recent public divorce. Are you able to comment on it, and alternatively, has it scared you away from dating?
NB: Damn, they had to approve gay marriage! [Laughs]. Having to get divorced was bullshit. I’m happier than ever. I was in a relationship ever since I was 19, really before that, 17. I’m in my 30s now trying to figure out how to love myself without needing outside validation from a sexy tall man. It was a journey in my life, it was a chapter in my book, but I’m not even starting a new chapter — I’m starting a whole new book for myself and my life. I don’t want to be in a relationship right now. I can’t even believe I was in a relationship so long. I’ll sure as hell never get married again. My advice for those struggling to find love is to focus on you first. My last relationship was so hard to get over, even though I knew it was going to end, because I lost myself in it. You should never have to lose yourself. Give yourself the care you need. I needed to go to a wellness facility for 30 days because it really broke me. It took me about two years to really get over it and look inward and love myself. If you need guidance, seek out a counselor, seek out support, go on a wellness retreat.
I am writing another book with a bunch of nurses for healthcare workers on burnout, resiliency, stress and work-life balance.
Wise advise and something I can relate to from my own experiences. I lost myself in my last relationship and it broke me too. Speaking of which, are you going to be working on a new book?
NB: I have two children’s books that are out right now. If you’re in healthcare, have kids, and you want to explain a little bit about what it’s like to be a nurse you could purchase them on Amazon. With that said, I am writing another book with a bunch of nurses for healthcare workers on burnout, resiliency, stress and work-life balance. There is a lot of depression and anxiety yet not enough resources for us. The book is designed to help get readers through those hard times.
If you aren’t busy enough, you have NurseCon kicking off in 2026. What can people expect if they join you on this cruise?
NB: We do a big nursing conference and party on a cruise ship every year. We charter a whole ship and pack it with 3,500 nurses and their guests. We do education, learning, wellness, parties, bring on drag queens, do theme nights, and it really is the ultimate nursing conference. We are going to Jamaica for the first time in April 2026 on the Celebrity Reflection. This will be our sixth conference. We’ve had nurses represented from 19 different countries. People come from all over the world. It is one of the most inclusive, safe spaces for nurses to be themselves and to learn. You can get it on www.NurseConAtSea.com.
