This month, we’re honored to talk with two funny funny ladies, Pattie Lockard, the producer, and Casey Hobbs, co- host and co-creator of Nurse Talk. We promise, as soon as you get done reading this, you’ll want to run and check them out! As soon as you listen, you’ll be hooked!
JNJ: So, tell us about how this all got started. Who’s idea was this?
Casey: Pattie and I used to listen to Car Talk, a radio show featuring two brothers who are car mechanics. They have a very funny show, and we’d go for drive, and listen to their show. Listening to them, we realized that it was a perfect format for nurses.
We could do Nurse Talk! Now this was back in the 90′s, and the idea kind of kicked around for many years. Then I met Maggie — she’s the other nurse on show. We worked togehter for a number of years. She’s very funny naturally…
JNJ: And her accent is fantastic!
Casey: She’s from Ireland, been her forever, and her accent is still like she was at home. I think she takes accent lessons on the weekend.
Pattie: And it does great things for her.
Casey: Oh, does it! I worked with Maggie at SF General, and she was orienting me to home care. There was an intern trying to get her to take someone in home care, a patient who really wasn’t appropriate, and she turns to him and said, ” Oh, Doctor. Do you want me to stick a broom up my ass and mop while I work too?” That accent works for her where it wouldn’t for anyone else. But he got the point!
JNJ: How much of a departure is it, going from your real job to doing a radio show?
Casey: Not much, really. I’ve always used humor. It has stood me in good stead. I’ve been in management 10-15 years, and it really works when it comes to supervising nurses, social workers, chaplains. I’ve always liked to tell my stories.
JNJ: We have the best stories, they include body fluids, death, and dismemberment!
Casey: We have all the best ones! We have the big C; we have the big D as in death. What better time to use humor. I’m currently working in hospice, and that’s the perfect time for humor.
JNJ: I was mentioning to Pattie before this interview that for a while, I did some work in Hospice, and absolutely loved it. Everyone — the nurses, the patients — had these wonderful senses of humor, albeit dark.
Casey: Yes, humor is a great facilitator. And we’re talking about times that are incredibly charged, emotionally. Laughter has incredible effects on the body – stimulating the endorphins, slowing the pulse down, more. For the hospice setting, it’s an incredible gift to have humor.
JNJ: You have in your intro: laughter is the best medicine. Yet the show’s not specifically about humor, it’s more of a vehicle for you.
Casey: The show is about many things, but it’s really important to get to the humor of it all. Yes, we can impart information, get across messages, present opposing viewpoints on health issues, but we always want to have humor. Humor is the great lubricant to get people involved, and keep them listening.
JNJ: Humor, especially humor for adults, comes from pain and discomfort. Now health care certainly has no shortage of pain and discomfort! What a resource for humor, whether as a topic or vehicle. Let me ask you, what is your overall mission for Nurse Talk? Do you have a vision for show? I know the show is still in the early stages, despite a caller saying they’re a ”long time listener’.
Pattie: I think they said that on our second show!
Casey: First we want to have fun. Maggie and I share stories, and hopefully educate people along the way. Imparting some of those hard-learned lessons a nursing career gives you, with enough humor to keep people interested.
Pattie: Humor is disarming. It allows people who wouldn’t ordinarily discuss health issues, who may be way too intimidated to call a doctor, an opportunity to ask questions. The fact it’s all frame with humor makes it much more likely that people will participate.
Casey: People are embarrassed to talk about some of the most private issues, urinary function, that type of thing. We’ve found that by being on the radio, allowing people call or email and be completely anonymous, helped them ask the hard questions. Things that they were curious about but reluctant to discuss with their doctor.
We can’t diagnose, prescribe or treat, of course. Callers are always encourage go to their physician. But there are those callers who are freaked out about a small amount of bright red blood from the anal area; we can tell them that 9 times out of 10 it’s hemorrhoids, that they should see their doctor, but they don’t have to rush to the ER.
Pattie: People can talk to Maggie and Casey just like regular people.
Casey: Most nurses are just regular people.
JNJ: I hate to put you on the spot, but I have to ask. Do you get any calls that stump you?
Casey: Occasionally, we’ll get something that makes me reach way back in my memory. What I’ll do then is play with it, have fun with the caller, and tell them to see the physician.
JNJ: And sometimes you just can’t believe the questions. I remember working in ER as a very young nurse, young man called in, and explained that he and his girlfriend were concerned if she can get pregnant from oral sex. You’re debating for a moment, “Is this guy jerking my chain or can you be that stupid?” But you have to give them the benefit of the doubt, assume that they are that stupid, and explain that yes, of course you can get pregnant, don’t do that any more!
Casey: We don’t teach A& P in high school. That’s one of my big things. We don’t teach children the information they most need to have. Let’s give them the basics of what they’re walking around in their whole lives!
JNJ: Tell me about the square needle award!
Casey: I went into see a patient, introduced myself, and he said, “Oh, you’re going to be my girl.” And I said, “No, I’m going to be your nurse.” He waved his hand, “No, you’re gonna be my girl.”
So I said to him, “I am in charge of your pain medication. Now, I can give that to you with a nice round needle, or I can use a square needle. It’s your choice, but judging from your expression, I’m guessing you’d prefer the round needle. And that means I’m your nurse tonight.”
That’s where the square needle came from. All those people who deserve a dishonorable mention!
JNJ:And you have another regular feature: Phobia of the Week.
Casey: There’s a huge list — there’s even a phobia of phobias. We like to go through and pick a different phobia, and get people involved.
JNJ: Humor is the vehicle, still have some real core messages; what are your thoughts on humor and healing?
Casey: Well, we all know humor is healing. It’s as simple as that. They’re doing studies, the ANA in Hawaii, on a chemotherapy unit. They used a closed circuit TV to provide a humor channel. People who watched the positive humor responded better than those patients who didn’t watch humor or took in negative humor.
On a personal level, the times that I am most bereft have been where humor has helped the most, both on and off the job. Humor is a natural healer, one we should use more.
JNJ:What advice would you give to the nurses reading this? Hhow can they integrate humor more effectively in their practice?
Casey: There are some people who are very much not funny. They try to use humor, and it falls flat. So to be honest, the first thing I would ask is, do they enjoy humor and can they tell a joke? Sometimes unfunny people become funny trying to tell a joke because they are not good at it!
The shortest distance between two people is laughter. Always remember that. Anything a nurse can do to lighten the situation in nursing really works. You’re dealing with a power issue. The patient looks at you as the knowledge base; by default, they’re less knowledgable. Humor lets them see you’re human, falliable, funny — that professional barrier can fall away and you can just be two people talking.
Nurses have to delve into very personal information right off the bat. We ask more intimate questions than their mother has asked them! You want to use your brains and your humor, they can’t lose confidence in you, but you can make them more comfortable.
JNJ: And humor can play a real role in facilitating patient education.
Casey: I always use humor when educating patients. Laughing does so many things to the body that makes learning easier. It breaks down professional wall so someone can hear you! 80% of communication is non verbal. I teach a class on communication, and on the first day, I come into class, looking like I hate it. My arms crossed, I snarl that it’s a class about communication, deadpan that I’m really thrilled to be there, and with a big sigh, say we should probably get started.
Then I ask my students, “What did I say?” There was nothing wrong with the words I used. But my body language conveyed how unhappy I was to be there. When you walk in front of a patient, they’re reading you. We have to make humor a key aspect of communication!
To learn more, visit <a href=”http://www.nursetalksite.com”> www.nursetalksite.com </a> The show is also streamed on Sundays 2 pm pacific. To listen, go listen go to www.green960.com site!
