I wanted to share something really personal with you—my keynote presentation from the AWHONN Convention in Orlando, FL. In this talk, I open up about two moments that completely changed my life: being banned from donating blood in nursing school for being gay, and having my first panic attack after a long shift in the ICU. These moments could’ve broken me. But instead, they lit a fire. One pushed me to start Banned4Life and help lift the FDA’s gay blood ban. The other led me to create my Nurse B...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Are vet techs nurses? It’s a hot debate across social media, and in this episode, I’m diving into both sides of the conversation. We’ll break down the education, licensing, and responsibilities of veterinary technicians vs. nurses—and spotlight some surprising skills you may not know vet techs have. I’ll also share your comments & hot takes. Spoiler: this isn’t about who does more—it’s about credentials, respect, and keeping it honest in both the human and animal healthcare worlds. 💬 Join t...
Jun 11, 2025•20 min•Season 2Ep. 2
I’m back!! Welcome to Season 2 of the Nurse Blake Podcast! To start, I’m going on a whole new comedy tour, BUT DID YOU DIE?! Presale starts Wednesday April 23rd at 9am local with presale code: NURSE and general sale opens Friday April 25th at 9am local. VIP packages also available. Tickets: nurseblake.com I’m so excited to be back! Thanks for all your love & patience, the past 2 years have been crazy, divorce, rehab, hospital hook up stories! But I’ve learn a lot about myself and feeling bet...
Apr 22, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 1
I’m back with my husband Brett with Two Ts aboard NurseCon at Sea ‘22, the inaugural sailing of the most EPIC nursing conference. Listen in while we sail away somewhere in the middle of the ocean! Brett and I presented the show in front of a live audience on the third night of the conference. This special live recording was just one small part of an incredible week! I share why I wanted to create NurseCon at Sea following my own experiences at other nursing conferences. Why not make them more fu...
Jun 02, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Happy New Year! I’m sad to say I will be taking a bit of a hiatus, so this will be the season finale for The Nurse Blake Podcast. I appreciate every listener, but I have a lot of other exciting things planned for 2022. Stay subscribed because I’ll be back for NurseCon at Sea in April! As usual I’m with my husband Brett with two T’s, and I’m going over all of my favorite things this past year. I share my favorite thing this week, which is artificial turf for my pups! Then, Brett and I recap our w...
Jan 06, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 39
This week’s podcast will be the last one of the year, and it's all about the NCLEX. How is 2021 almost over?? My favorite thing this week is drinking around the world at Epcot! As usual, I’m with my husband Brett with two T’s and we break down our Epcot day with my family. We took my Nan, who has previously been a guest on this podcast and was the star of one of my latest videos. Go check out my TikTok documenting our Epcot trip! Congratulations to all the nursing students who have recently grad...
Dec 16, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 38
What’s up everyone! For this week’s podcast I’m talking all about OB nursing with my husband Brett with two T’s. I’m also mentioning NurseCon at Sea, and the planning cruise I recently sailed on. It's going to be so much fun, and there are only a few rooms left for the sailing in April! Plus, I give a special shout out to the 2021 Nurse Blake Awards winners! Then I get into the different OB specialties like labor and delivery and postpartum OB nurses, the high pressure around the main event (the...
Dec 09, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 37
I’m back!! This week I’m in the studio again alongside Brett with two T’s. All good things must come to an end, and the tour is officially over for 2021. Thank you to everyone who came out! My favorite thing is Adele’s new song OMG. I give an update on the Croc saga, I share who’s getting my tour bus next, and Happy Birthday to Brett! The nursing topic for this week is ER/ED nursing vs. ICU nursing. I go in depth on each specialty and share the similarities and differences. In the ER there’s a l...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 36
Hey everyone! This week is a mini episode because it’s been a busy week with my PTO Tour. There are only a few stops left, and I’m sad it’s almost over for 2021! I’m in California today with my husband Brett with 2 t’s, and we’re taking a little self-care day. I have two favorite things, and one is Thai massages. I explain why they’re so cool! My other favorite thing is segways, and I talk about my first time riding up and down San Francisco with my best friend @FabulousRn. Thanks for listening!...
Nov 18, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 35
For this episode, I’m going in depth on nursing shifts and how 3 12’s affects nurses. I’m still on the road with my husband Brett with two T’s for the last stretch of my PTO Comedy Tour! We’re recording in Denver, which reminds me of some memorable hikes I’ve taken in Colorado. I have a few favorite things, including the breadsticks at Olive Garden and Insomnia Cookies! Sponsor us? After some bowel movement talk, I jump into different nursing shifts including the most common 3 12’s schedule. The...
Nov 11, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Happy Thursday! This week I’m going over more nursing specialties beyond the bedside. I’m still in Texas with my husband Brett (with two T’s), and we talk about how all of our favorite things come from Austin, our spiritual walk, and how our break has been. My favorite thing this week is bees, and I share some fun bee knowledge I learned during my trip to the bee farm! The specialties I go over this week include Forensic Nursing, Legal Nurse Consultants, and School Nurses! These nurses play vita...
Nov 04, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 33
What’s up everyone! I just wrapped up the Midwest leg of my PTO Comedy Tour, and I’m in Austin, TX for a short vacation break with Brett. We share some stories about the last time we were in Texas, which includes some water sports action! I also reflect on my big Nashville show, my fear of bees, and I’m giving the details on my Halloween costume. For this week’s nursing topic, I’m exploring different nursing specialties. And next week I’m diving into more! I’m starting with flight transport nurs...
Oct 28, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 32
This week, I’m talking to you all about nursing around the world with my wonderful husband Brett! I’m not covering every country, but I go over different regions of the world and see what the similarities and differences are in nursing across the globe. My favorite thing this week is my weighted blanket, and shoutout to the fan that gave me a Crocs gift card! What Croc charms should I get? Then I dive right in with some interesting global nurse facts. I guess we’re all short staffed? After that ...
Oct 21, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Happy Thursday! This week, I’m with my husband Brett (with two T’s) and we’re talking all about travel nursing. I’m also going over some super sweet reviews you all have sent in about my comedy tour. I have a few favorite things this week- one important one being food delivery services. Tip your drivers! My other favorite thing is going on TikTok and sending sunglasses on live. If you’re confused, don’t worry I will explain. Travel nursing is always a hot topic, so I’m breaking down all the ins ...
Oct 14, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 30
This week, I’m back on the road with my husband after a short break. Brett is back! My favorite thing this week is my birkenstock sandals #notsponsored, and Brett has a favorite thing this week too! For this episode, I’m talking all about the power of social media. I start by getting nostalgic about my early internet usage like MySpace and AOL instant messaging. I also discuss which social media sites I’ve never used, and which ones are my favorites. Then I share the story behind my first viral ...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 29
What’s up everyone! I have a super fun episode for you this week. I’m wrapping up the East Coast run of my PTO Comedy Tour in Tampa, and my grandmother Nan is in town! I’m so excited to finally introduce my Nan, who is an avid listener of the podcast. My favorite thing this week is Todd Patrick, which is a luxury queer-owned streetwear brand I found in Atlanta. I’m breaking down types of nursing schools, and give some tips for applicants looking for the right program. I’m also sharing stories wi...
Sep 30, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Happy Thursday! This week, I’m recording another episode on the road! This time Brett and I are in a hotel conference room, because we’re so fancy. To start, I talk about crashing a nursing school lecture in Pittsburgh, and the local lingo my cousin taught me. My favorite thing this week is my fanny pack! I share what’s in my bag and why I love it. Then, I get into the main topic of the episode, which is all about nurse ride-out teams. I’m covering the differences between being on the ride-out t...
Sep 23, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 27
I’m back!! And I’m on the road. This week, I’m recording the podcast from a dressing room because my PTO Comedy Tour has started! As always, I’m with Brett with two T’s, and we’re talking about bus life, our tour crew, and the cities we’ve stopped at so far. To start, I explain how my tour is going, and the work I’ve put in with my team to make this show amazing! Brett and I break down what it’s like to live on a tour bus, and we get into all the ins and outs. I love being on the road, because i...
Sep 16, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 26
We made it!! This week I’m sipping on a High Noon with my husband to celebrate 25 episodes of the podcast. TW: the carbonation led to some burps. This episode is really fun because it’s all about dating a nursing student! I share my experience, and Brett with two T’s shares his perspective on being the partner of a nursing student. My favorite thing this week is my brand new shoes. They look like fancy crocs, so they’re comfortable and practical. Dating a nursing student isn’t easy, but that doe...
Sep 02, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 25
For this episode, I get serious and give my unfiltered thoughts on nurse retention, and a New York Times article that came out this week titled “Nursing is in Crisis”. To start, I get into my favorite thing this week, which is pumpkin spice lattes! Summer is over y’all. That means my tour is starting so so soon! Check out my website for tickets. Most of the people cited in the NY Times article were executives, not bedside nurses. I will always advocate for bedside nurses, and the general public ...
Aug 26, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 24
This week, I’m sharing stories from childhood with my husband Brett! My favorite thing is Air Head Extremes, which leads to a conversation about candies and how they’ve changed over the years. From cereal milk to embarrassing moments, Brett and I are diving into growing up stories that helped shape us into who we are today. I talk about my rivalry with the “other” Blake from elementary school. Brett talks about breaking his nose, but luckily for me I wasn’t great at sports so I never got injured...
Aug 19, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 23
I’m talking about my very first nursing job for this episode! As usual I have to start with my favorite thing this week- my ice beanie. If you run hot like me, this is a game changer y’all. I’m excited about my tour kicking off in less than a month! There might be a big surprise at one of my shows, and I tell my husband Brett all about it. I’m also talking about NurseCon, which is now available on the App store! It’s free to sign up, and you can get your CNEs for FREE. Before I dive into my firs...
Aug 14, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 22
This episode is all about surviving nursing school! My absolute favorite thing this week is my puppies coming home. Brett and I had our two dogs in training for 6 weeks, and I’m so happy to have them back full time! I also share the story of how we ended up with two dogs instead of one. I answer some “Dear Blake” school related questions from listeners. Then, I go through the Top 10 Nursing Schools in 2021 according to nurse.org, and Brett tries to guess which schools made the list. So how do yo...
Aug 05, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Before I get started, I wanted to address the loss of Nurse Ebi last week. He was the creator of @nurselifern on Instagram, host of the Nurse Speak podcast, and overall an incredible nurse and advocate. You will be missed! We made it to 20 episodes! I’m smiling through the pain from my dentist appointment, which I get into to start the episode. Then I talk about my favorite thing this week, which is Buzz Balls! No it’s not a toy- it’s an adult beverage in the shape of a ball! Please drink respon...
Jul 29, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Another week, another new podcast episode! I’m talking all about what nurses get paid in different states. To start the episode, I’m talking about my “Category Is…” series I’ve been doing in my stories. The hydration stations are getting out of control, and the bugs and animals freaked me out! I also have a special announcement in regards to my tour coming soon, so be sure to follow me on social media for updates. Then I go through the highest RN salaries by state, and the lowest. I’m also compa...
Jul 22, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 19
How realistic are medical TV shows? If you work in healthcare, you know some shows totally get it wrong! This week is all about medical tv shows and my perspective as a nurse. To start, I’m sharing my favorite thing this week- the MealTime app! It’s helping me use more seasonings than salt and pepper. Unfortunately my first meal didn’t go over so well with Brett’s stomach. Then, I dive into some of the most popular medical tv shows over the years. I’m sharing which nursing show I think is a tota...
Jul 15, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This week is all about nurses eating their young, and why instead nurses should SUPPORT their young. BRETT IS BACK! My favorite thing this week, besides recording with my husband again, is the Velocicoaster at Universal Orlando. The Florida rain was not going to stop me from getting on this ride. There were a lot of twists and turns, it was intense! Then, we read some stories submitted by listeners about bullying they’ve experienced in nursing. If you’re not getting the support you need in nursi...
Jul 08, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This week, I’m solo on the podcast (Brett will be back next week!) and I’m answering questions submitted through my website and from Instagram. We’re talking about nursing school stress, work-life balance on the night shift, toxic work environments, and more! I'm getting REAL on this episode. To start the show I’m talking about my comedy show this Fall, because I’m just so excited!! If you haven’t already, get your tickets on my website. Let’s get some local hospital rivalries going... rep your ...
Jul 01, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 16
This week on the podcast, my husband Brett and I discuss our experience fighting the gay blood ban. Before we dive into that topic, we have to tell you all about sending off our puppies to training camp! We miss them so much. My favorite thing this week is sweet tea Mio! Drinking plain water wasn’t working for me... Then we talk about the first big project we started together- Banned4Life. We wanted to get the FDA to end the permanent gay blood donor ban. We didn’t want to boycott blood drives, ...
Jun 24, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Nursing is hard, and so is self care! This week, my husband and I are talking all about self care. My favorite thing this week is my one gallon hydration water bottle. I’m always trying to drink more water, so we’ll see if this helps! I ran a 5k this past week, because clearly I’m a natural born athlete. Tickets for my comedy show this Fall are officially on sale! Because I’m preparing for the tour this will be the last podcast with video, but we will keep the podcast going every week audio only...
Jun 17, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 14
