We Shouldn't Need A #NursesUnite Hashtag To Remind Us That Nurses Are Superheroes

Hosts of ABC’s The View are known for their sometimes controversial opinions, but they’ve really caused a stir with their latest comments about nurses.

The hosts were recently discussing Sunday night’s Miss America Pageant when they decided to openly mock Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, for wearing a stethoscope and considering her career a talent. During the pageant, Johnson used the talent portion of the competition to perform a monologue about her work as a nurse for patients with Alzheimer’s. It was an unconventional move, sure, but it worked. Plus, it was nice to see an accomplished woman share her passion for her career, rather than just singing or twirling a baton like everyone else.

Turns out the ladies of The View saw it differently. Said host Michelle Collins, “There was a girl who wrote her own monologue and I was like ‘Turn up the volume, this is going to be amazing, let’s listen.’ She came out in a nurse’s uniform and basically read her emails outloud and shockingly did not win. I swear to God, it was hilarious.”

Joy Behar jumped in to question why Johnson was wearing a “doctor’s stethoscope” and then they continued to muse on why this woman would dare think her career was interesting enough to be considered a talent. The internet was understandably pissed off. Within hours, the hashtag #nursesunite was trending and plenty of people were stepping in to clarify that yes, nurses need stethoscopes and yes, nurses are completely badass.

Clearly Behar and Collins have never been in a hospital because if they had, they would understand that nurses are basically the glue that holds everything together. When I was in labor with my son for 22 hours, it was my nurse — not my doctor — who monitored my baby’s vitals, physically helped me changed positions a million times to make my labor progress, and talked me through those first “practice” pushes. It was a nurse who gave my newborn his first bath, monitored my recovery, and helped me wiggle my exhausted, battle-scarred self into those sexy postpartum mesh underwear. It was a nurse who would’ve been first to respond and try to save my life if anything had gone wrong.

Nurses care for everyone from newborns to the elderly and they are so vitally important to the healthcare experience I can’t even imagine what a hospital, a doctor’s office, or any kind of medical care would be like without them. Nursing may not be the same as tap dancing or singing, but it is absolutely a talent and a skill, and Johnson’s passion for her career is something I’d love to see more of on the Miss America stage.