Expressions: A stand-up kind of nurse

What’s so funny about working in a neonatal intensive care unit? To hear Greg Williams tell it in the Summer 2012 issue of Scrubs, there’s plenty to laugh about. For 14 years Williams has been an RN, and while he’s always balanced the stress of his job with humor, for the past five years he’s been balancing nursing—these days at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center in Santa Clara, Calif.—with stand-up. He riffs about being the only male nurse on his unit: “These women notice everything…if I have a new uniform on, if I’ve changed my glasses, if I spend too long in the bathroom.” He even has a comeback to parents asking for affirmation that their (decidedly not cute) baby is beautiful: “Adorable…that blanket is adorable….” His routine on the unit is all material for his comedy act. “My job is very rewarding, but it’s intense,” he says, “This is a good outlet.” Besides comedy clubs, he also performs at corporate gatherings and conferences. His favorite audience? Why, nurses, of course.