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 Blake social media accounts as a way to share my story & overcome burnout.

Life gives us moments—some beautiful, some painful, some totally unexpected. My hope is that as you listen, you’ll look at your own defining moments and realize: they don’t have to hold you back. You have the power to take them, shape them, and turn them into something meaningful.

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I hope to see you later this Fall during my But Did You Die? Comedy Tour! Tickets on sale now at: nurseblake.com ___________

I want to shoutout AWHONN for selecting me to be their Keynote and to everyone who attended my session!

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 the convo and send me your thoughts for a future episode!

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 better than ever!

Wanna leave a comment, questions, or story, call the podcast hotline and leave me a message: (904) 586-8174

🫶 Nurse Blake

Ps NurseCon at Sea Jamaica is 70% sold out! Book fast to lock in early bird pricing: nurseconatsea.com