Nurse Blake brings comedy to Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids

Nursing and comedy seem mutually exclusive since the former is associated with serious situations. However, the amusing Nurse Blake, aka Blake Lynch, has found the common denominator.

“Both nursing and comedy require quick thinking, resilience and the ability to connect with people on a personal level,” Blake Lynch said while calling from Temecula, California. “Nurses deal with some of the most serious moments in life but finding humor in tough situations can make a huge difference for both nurses and patients. Comedy is a way to process the intensity, while nursing gives you a front-row seat to the absurdity of life.”

With the aforementioned intensity, Lynch worked an emotionally challenging job in which it was common to either to laugh or cry. “It’s 100 percent true in nursing,” Lynch said. “You deal with so much emotional intensity that if you don’t laugh, you will definitely cry in the breakroom. That’s what comedy does. It helps you find the light in dark situations. As a nurse you learn to cope through humor, which is what led me to comedy. Comedy was my way of coping with the stress and emotional exhaustion of nursing … Finding humor can be a powerful way to deal with those intense experiences.”

When Lynch performs Thursday at the Paramount Theatre, count on the Orlando native to leave the intense behind and focus on the lighter side of his days as a critical care nurse.

“I’ll be diving into the funny side of nursing, sharing some personal stories and of course, roasting different nursing specialities,” Lynch said. “It’s always a mix of laughter and relatable moments. I also love interacting with the audience, so I'm sure I’ll have some spontaneous improv fun with the crowd.”

The quick witted Lynch who is adept at delivering anecdotes is a fan of a late humorist, who had a mind that moved at warped speed and a ubiquitous comic, who seems to be in every other commercial.

“I love the work of Joan Rivers and Kevin Hart,” Lynch said. “Rivers is so fast and has so much energy that I definitely take it into my shows. Hart’s storytelling is incredible. He can take an everyday situation and make it hilarious.”

There were a number of acclaimed television series that featured nursing such as “St. Elsewhere” and “ER” but only a few that were humorous. Lynch was drawn to the amusing nursing shows. “Scrubs” is by far his favorite. “The humor is spot-on and it manages to show the chaotic, heartfelt and ridiculous moments in health care. And JD (the protagonist played by Zach Braff) was definitely one of my first crushes!”

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Would Lynch, who graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, rather respond to the question “Is there a doctor, or nurse, in the house or is there a comedian in the house?”

“Tough one,” Lynch said. “Honestly, I’d probably go for option B at this point because there’s a lot less pressure and laughter is the best medicine, right? But if someone really needed help, I’d still be ready to jump in with my nursing skills.”

Lynch seemed destined to be a health care lifer since he grew up with a father who was a respiratory therapist and a mother who was a medical sales representative. The world of health care was always bandied about. Lynch’s parents shared stories from their work and led to an interest in the medical field.

Lynch never considered another career until he suffered a panic attack. Lynch made videos to alleviate stress. The videos went viral and that led Lynch to the stage where he has delivered stand-up since 2017.

“I couldn’t be happier the way things went for me,” Lynch said. “I love comedy.”