Ask Nurse Blake: Answers To Readers' Questions

A STRONG VOICE

You are such a strong voice for safety, advocacy, working conditions, and more things the nursing profession needs. What would you say are your driving principles when considering what issues to address and which to sidestep? – Mary N. 

This is a great question, Mary N. As much as I love making funny videos and performing on my comedy tour, it’s advocating for important issues that really drives me. I think it's crucial for my platform to balance both comedy and advocacy. Through my comedy, I'm able to build a wide audience. And when it makes sense for me to jump into my advocacy role, I can. That way, I can have a much wider reach to a broader base of followers. As you know, safety has been a hot topic. It’s about the safety of our patients and the safety of nurses. That’s why for the past few years, my top advocacy priority has been safe staffing. It’s not just an issue that impacts patients, but it also affects nurses in this country and around the world. So whenever I can bring light onto that issue, I will. A big thank you to all of my followers who have supported my advocacy efforts and consistently helped to spread the message. Your investment in making a positive change in the world of nursing means so much.

 NIGHT SHIFT POTLUCKS?

What is the history behind night shift potlucks, and why do they matter? – Lola R.

Lola, R., such an interesting question. I don't know the history. I started out working on the night shift, and while it can be tough, there’s one thing that always brightens it up for me: a great potluck. Since I’m not a good cook, I'm always the one who brings the red Solo cups or donates cash. LOL! I may not have a hand in cooking, but I'm definitely a participant when it comes to eating and enjoying the food. And I just feel like nightshift has the best potlucks ever. Night shift beats day shift when it comes to the best food. You know, maybe there needs to be a history lesson in nursing school about the night-shift potlucks!

BRINGING THE HUMOR

Humor is such a great tool for coping and breaking the ice. Have you ever tried to joke with a patient, and it flopped or backfired? How did you handle that? – Theresa K.

Love this question, Theresa K. Luckily, I've never had a patient or family member ever be offended by any one of my jokes. I definitely like to tread lightly and build up my jokes and humor with a patient. I never want to come in too hot because maybe they don't want to laugh that day. So I start small and then work my way up. As long as you're being honest and true to yourself, that's what's going to make the patient the most comfortable, and I think that's what's really important. But I try to bring humor into my nursing practice. It’s really a great way for me to connect with my patients. When it comes to my comedy, I’m always careful not to offend anyone. Whether I’m sharing jokes online or performing at a show, I make sure that my humor is based on one thing and one thing only: love — love for patients and love for nursing. 

NURSING MISCONCEPTIONS

What are some of the biggest misconceptions about nursing that you have encountered, and how do you work to address these misconceptions through your work and advocacy efforts?

The biggest misconception is that we just follow orders or do what the doctors say. The public may know us and trust us, but they don’t exactly know what nurses do. When we advocate for issues like safe staffing, we’re not doing it for our benefit; we’re doing it for the benefit of our patients and the public. We want everyone to understand the importance of our role as nurses and the significance of having an acceptable nurse-to-patient ratio, and how being understaffed contributes to nurse burnout. And I think through advocacy, I try to educate others that nurses do more than they think. We spend more time with our patients than any other healthcare provider out there. That’s why these issues are crucial, and it’s equally important for the public to understand our role as nurses.