Nurse John has spent years making healthcare workers laugh about short staffing, burnout and the kind of workplace chaos that sometimes feels too ridiculous to be real. Now, the former registered nurse turned viral comedian is bringing those stories to the stage for his first comedy special.
John Dela Cruz, better known to his nearly 17 million social media followers as Nurse John, will tape his first comedy special, “Against Medical Advice,” on Aug. 16 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.
For Dela Cruz, the road from hospital shifts to sold-out comedy shows started somewhat accidentally.
He says his first video unexpectedly racked up millions of views. But it was the response from nurses, healthcare workers and people in customer service that convinced him to keep going.
“I realized how much nurses, healthcare workers and just people who work in customer service or anyone who deals with the public needs someone for them to help them feel like they are seen and heard,” Dela Cruz said.
Finding comedy in nursing burnout
Born in the Philippines and now based in Los Angeles, Dela Cruz was a registered nurse before becoming a full-time content creator and stand-up comedian.
His sketches exaggerate the personalities and situations healthcare workers encounter on the job, but the experiences behind them are very real.
Dela Cruz describes the connection among healthcare workers as a kind of “trauma bonding.” Instead of dwelling on the negative, he began looking for ways to turn experiences like short staffing into something people could laugh about while still acknowledging the reality of what happens inside hospitals.
“How can I turn short staffing in a way that is comical and funny, but in a way it’s telling the truth about what we are actually experiencing in the hospital?” he said.
That formula has connected with an enormous audience.
Nurse John has amassed nearly 17 million followers across social media, while his debut “Short-Staffed Tour” sold more than 250,000 tickets across more than 200 shows beginning in fall 2024, according to his team.
The tour expanded around the world, including more than 25 shows across Australia and New Zealand, a 22-show European run that included London’s OVO Wembley Arena, and an announced Asian extension. He has also performed at Netflix Is a Joke, the New York Comedy Festival and Just For Laughs.
And Dela Cruz says something became clear as he performed for nurses thousands of miles apart: their experiences aren’t all that different.
“The experience is so universal everywhere I go,” he said, recalling performances in places including Singapore, Hong Kong, Copenhagen and Helsinki. “My experience is based on my time working as a nurse here in North America, but then it transcends and it’s exactly the same thing for everybody around the world.”
Nurse John uses his platform to support striking nurses
There is also a serious side to the community Dela Cruz has built.
He has publicly supported nurses during strikes and labor actions, saying he feels a responsibility to use the platform healthcare workers helped give him to amplify their concerns.
“The least that I can do is be able to be there for them on the times and the days that they need to be heard,” Dela Cruz said.
He pointed to nurses organizing around issues including safe staffing and fair pay, and said seeing thousands of nurses speak up can encourage healthcare workers elsewhere to advocate for themselves.
‘Against Medical Advice’ comes to Glendale
Now, Dela Cruz is preparing for another first.
His “Against Medical Advice” comedy special will be taped Aug. 16 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, not far from his home base in Los Angeles.
And anyone expecting 90 minutes of traditional stand-up may be in for something slightly different.
“I think this is the kind of show that will not just be a comedy special,” Dela Cruz said. “It will also feel like a therapy session with your therapist. But I will be your therapist, and I will make you laugh and make sure that you leave this therapy session feeling like a renewed person.”
Recent Comments