Nurse, Comedian, and Certified Humor Professional -- the Power of Humor

Nancy Norton is one of those rare speakers who can walk into a nurses’ conference and have the room laughing within thirty seconds — which is exactly what tired healthcare workers need. She’s a Registered Nurse who became an award-winning stand-up comedian (not the other way around, which is part of what makes her so good at this), and she comes from five generations of nurses, so she’s giving care to the caregiver from a place of real understanding. I recommend Nancy for nursing conferences, women’s health events, and Women’s Night Out gatherings — anytime an audience needs both real laughs and someone who genuinely gets the work they do. Bonus:  CEs available.

About Nancy

Nancy Norton is a Registered Nurse, award-winning stand-up comedian, and Certified Humor Professional through the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. She has spent more than three decades headlining at comedy clubs, festivals, and conferences across the country — and on multiple USO tours through Europe, Asia, Iceland, and the Pacific.

Her credits include winning the Boston Comedy Festival, championing the Seattle International Comedy Competition, and earning a “Best of the Fest” slot alongside Jay Leno at the Burbank Comedy Festival. She has been a regular headliner at Comedy Works in Denver since 1992 and has appeared on Evening at the Improv (Netflix), A&E, Nickmom Night Out on Nickelodeon, and in her one-woman show The Yellowish-Green Girl on PBS.

Nancy draws from real life — working as a nurse, parenting, growing up in the Ozarks in a big family, and adopting her son as an infant in Kathmandu, Nepal. Coming from five generations of nurses, she understands the demands healthcare workers face and brings humor that lands because it’s true. She is based in Colorado and produces the Tromedy Podcast, helping people cope with trauma through comedy.

Nancy’s mission: “To use humor and storytelling to help heal myself and others.” Nancy’s slogan: “No matter what, keep laughing.”

Signature Keynotes

The Power of Humor: Laugh and Grow Rich!

Nancy’s signature keynote shows audiences how humor builds resilience, reduces stress, sharpens creative problem-solving, and strengthens teams. Drawing on her dual background as a Registered Nurse and award-winning comedian, Nancy delivers research-backed insight wrapped in laugh-out-loud storytelling — and audience members walk out lighter than they walked in.

Audiences will leave with:

• A practical understanding of how laughter affects immunity, mood, and resilience
• Tools to use humor as a stress-management strategy in high-pressure work
• Techniques to “cartoon” anxiety, pain, or fear to make them more manageable
• A renewed sense of connection with colleagues and the work itself
• The energy to keep showing up — for patients, for teams, for themselves

Get Nancy, the RE-Charge Nurse, STAT!

A keynote built specifically for nurses’ appreciation events and nursing conferences. Nancy understands burnout from the inside — she lived it before she left bedside nursing for comedy — and she brings the kind of laughter that genuinely refills the tank. CEs are available.

Audiences will leave with:

• Specific humor practices for managing stress and burnout at work
• Validation, recognition, and the relief of being deeply understood
• Insight into why laughter is a basic need, backed by neuroscience
• A reset that lets nurses return to their work feeling seen and re-charged

Ideal for: nurses appreciation events, nursing conferences, hospital employee wellness events, healthcare retreats.

Girls’ Night Out with Nancy Norton

Nancy’s stand-up show, customized for Women’s Night Out events, fundraisers, and corporate gatherings where the goal is laughter, connection, and a great time. With more than 20 years of headlining experience, Nancy weaves prepared material with improvised observations — so no two performances are the same.

Audiences will leave with:

• An evening of high-energy, interactive comedy
• Shared laughter that builds community across the room
• A memorable, talk-about-it-tomorrow experience for attendees
• Optional meet-and-greet engagement after the show

Ideal for: Women’s Night Out, breast cancer survivor events, hospital fundraisers, corporate parties, holiday gatherings.
 

Practicing Playful Presence (Improv Team-Building Workshop)

An interactive improv workshop that can be paired with Nancy’s keynote or booked on its own. Nancy uses applied improv exercises to build trust, communication, and creative problem-solving in teams. No experience required — and yes, it is genuinely fun.

Audiences will leave with:

• Improv-based tools for active listening and team responsiveness
• Practical exercises for staying present under pressure
• Stronger team bonds through shared playful experience
• A reset on how the team communicates day-to-day

Ideal for: nursing leadership retreats, healthcare team-building events, women’s leadership programs.
 

Virtual Programs

Nancy’s keynotes, comedy shows, and corporate happy hours all translate to virtual formats. She has refined her approach so that humor lands through the screen — and clients are giving her rave reviews for virtual delivery.

Available virtually:

• Virtual keynote: The Power of Humor
• Virtual comedy shows
• Virtual corporate parties and happy hours
• Virtual nurses appreciation events

Booking Information

• Based in: Colorado (travels nationally and internationally)
• Fee range: On request
• Travel expenses: Coach airfare or mileage at current government rate, hotel accommodations (typically 1–2 nights depending on schedule), ground transportation, and meals.
• Formats: Keynote, comedy show, workshop, virtual, hybrid CEs: Available for nursing audiences

Barbara’s Recommendation:

If you’re planning a nurses’ appreciation event, a women’s health conference, or a Women’s Night Out and you want your audience to walk out lighter than they walked in, Nancy is one of my first calls. Reach out and let’s talk about whether she’s the right fit for your event.