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NurseTalk_Temp 12/30/09 2:08 PM Page 10 What happens when two veteran RNs with humor, quick wits, and sharp tongues host a radio show? A prescription for massive doses of laughter. By Lucia Hwang Casey Hobbs, RN The Best Medicine T he first time casey hobbs was ever written up at work, it was for performing a soft shoe routine with an IV pole and a bedpan to cheer up a sick patient. "They said I wasn't being 'professional,'" remembered Hobbs, a registered nurse. "But he laughed." The power of laughter to heal and educate both the public and fellow nurses is what inspired Hobbs and her partner Pattie Lockard a couple years ago to create Nurse Talk, a weekly radio variety and interview show that Hobbs cohosts with another RN friend, Maggie McDermott. The hour-long shows air Sunday afternoons in the San Francisco Bay Area and can also be heard through the Internet. CNA/NNOC is sponsoring the show's second season and also helps it connect with nurse leaders and identify hot topics in the profession. "We want to prove that laughter is truly the best medicine," said Hobbs one Saturday as she, Lockard, McDermott, and their sound engineer June Miller prepared to tape an episode, "to contribute to people's lives and serve the nursing profession." Almost 15 years ago, Hobbs and Lockard dreamed up the idea for Nurse Talk while listening to the popular National Public Radio show Car Talk, hosted by "Click" and "Clack," the car mechanic brothers. "We said to each other, 'This show would be hysterical if we had nurses do it," said Hobbs. "We talked about it all the time for years. We were shocked that there's never been a show like this. People like to talk to nurses; they don't talk to doctors. The idea was to educate and provide information, but also have fun." They would plan out in their minds what kinds of guests and segments the show would feature. 10 REGISTERED NURSE W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G Pattie Lockard NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2009