The View Nurse Drama: Nurses Attack Show Co-Hosts For Mocking Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson, Apology Ensues

The View added another controversy to its long list, a nurse and her profession were mocked by the co-hosts. This week, Michelle Collins and Joy Behar laughed at Miss America contestant, Kelley Johnson aka Miss Colorado, who opted to have a monologue where she highlighted the tough and wonderful parts of being a nurse. Behar and Collins, who wondered why was the nurse carrying a stethoscope, are currently being slammed by people on social media and the nursing community. On Wednesday morning, the ladies decided to apologize.

the view nurse

It’s The View versus the entire nursing community after the ladies decided to mock Kelley Johnson, the reigning Miss Colorado. On Sunday night, Johnson decided to show a different kind of talent, (there was enough singing, music playing and dancing anyway), during the Miss America pageant, which was held at the Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Miss Johnson, 22, wore a stethoscope and her purple scrubs and delivered a moving monologue about the ups and down of her profession.

Miss Colorado, who graduated as the valedictorian of her nursing class at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, shared the story of a patient named Joe, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease and has very difficult nights. Johnson said:

“Although you say it all the time, you are not just a nurse. You are my nurse, and you have changed my life because you have cared about me.’ That’s when it hit me. Patients are people with family and friends, and I don’t want to be a nurse that ever pretends. Joe reminded me that day that I’m a lifesaver. I’m never going to be just a nurse.”

The registered nurse received huge applause for her performance and finished second runner-up in the beauty contest. On Monday, the ladies of The View gathered for their daily gabfest, and the first topic on the agenda was the monologue, which they quickly deemed silly.

Raven-Symoné and Paula Faris had little to say, but Michelle Collins and Joy Behar did not hold back. Collins said at soon as she saw the scrubs, she knew it was going to be hilarious and added:

“The talent, though, I have to say, the woman who won sang opera, and she was incredible. Really good. But then there was a girl who wrote her own monologue and I was like ‘Turn the volume up, this is going be amazing, let’s listen’. She came out in a nurse’s uniform and basically read her emails out loud and shockingly did not win.”

Behar, who seemed confused by the talent portion, asked:

“Seriously?!”

Collins replied:

“I swear to God it was hilarious.”

Behar went to put her foot in her mouth by asking, why was a nurse carrying a stethoscope? She stated:

“Why does she have a doctor’s stethoscope on?”

Collins explained:

“She helps patients with Alzheimer’s, which I know is not funny, but I swear you had to see it.”

The YouTube video of the monologue has gone viral with millions of views and many nurses have stepped out to slam and educate Behar. One nurse in New York City wrote:

Rather than being offended or getting angry, I will instead, take a moment to teach.

I am a big believer that the first step in fixing ignorance is education. So allow me, for a moment, to educate you.

The stethoscope is a medical device used to auscultate (that means listen to) the inner workings of your patient. (read; heart, lungs, and bowel)

Doctors do this when they examine their patient.

So does the respiratory therapist.

The Physician Assistant.

The Nurse Practitioner.

And the nurse.

Another nurse, Hilary Helkenn, gave the hosts of The View her two cents on the matter in a Facebook post that is making headlines.

Today on The View, Joy Behar and crew mocked Miss Colorado Kelly Johnson for appearing on stage in her nurses uniform….

Posted by Hilary Helkenn on Monday, September 14, 2015

This morning, the ladies have apologized, well sort of. Collins said:

“”I want to say, we love nurses, if you’re watching, we adore you, respect you. Clap for the nurses. You are wonderful and the most compassionate people.”

Then Behar added:

“I was not paying attention. I was looking at a Miss America tape and there’s a woman wearing like an outfit. And I’m thinking, is she in costume. I didn’t know she was a nurse. I’m used to seeing them in gowns and bathing suits. It is not like I was trying to be funny. It was stupid and inattentive on my part.”

What are your thoughts on this mini-controversy?

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43 Comments

  1. I do not consider either’s response an apology at all. I have never watched The View nor will I start now. Why are talk shows like this even on the air? NO RESPECT for any of them!

    1. I do not consider either’s response an apology at all. I have never watched The View nor will I start now. Why are talk shows like this even on the air? NO RESPECT for any of them!

      Sincerely,
      Just a Nurse

    2. I totally agree with you – this was no way an apology. What should have been said was: “we are sorry for our insensitive, ignorant remarks. We apologize for any hurt we caused any nurses”. But, no, this group of self-important, self-absorbed individuals just continued to make a joke of it all. I have been a nurse for 40 YEARS!! And I am so proud of my fellow nurses for standing up for themselves. And for J&J and Eggsland for pulling their ad money (which may be the ONLY way we may get an apology – cause they are losing money). You ladies should be very ashamed of yourselves for your ignorance and unkindness. Some day you will need a nurse and she will give you the best care possible and the respect you don’t deserve.

  2. I worked as a nurse for 40+years and loved it. hopefully I made a difference in the lives of many patients and their families. what kind of difference are they making in anyone’s life by doing a stupid t.v. show? or do they just think they are smarter than a nurse? hope they each are someday in a situation where they will get a real life education in what a nurse does with a stethoscope and all the technical stuff they have mastered in order to save lives! idiots!!!!!!!

  3. That was not an apology. The View needs to make a big deal of this. They just dissed a profession big time. The next time they or any of their family lands in the hospital they will learn just how valuable, talented and sincere the nurses are. Too bad they are so dense that it will probably take that drastic of an incident for them to realize what a huge mistake they have made. I think they just lost a lot of viewers.

  4. They really didn’t lose any viewers because this show has been a has been for quite a while. It is just hanging on by a thread and someone should put it out of it’s misery.

  5. WOW! Ignorance is contagious on this show!!! (The View) THis is like the second or third time someone has misspoke or said something super stupid or outrageously controversial! This show is old news and really needs to just go away. I am a dental assistant/ CPR Instructor and I understand what being a healthcare provider really means. The View has a very shallow view this go around!!!!!!!

  6. Johnson & Johnson (who airs advertisements during the show) announced today they are suspending any further advertising on the “The View” to show their respect and solidarity with nurses. I hope more companies start to follow suit – these women may never offer a sincere apology but you know the producers will once it starts hitting their wallets.

  7. Ladies you need to consider the source of these comments. They are either “has beens” or “want a bees and have not a clue. Their fondness in life for slinging mud at normalcy is well known. Joy Behar is really nothing more than an idiot that does not understand anything unless it is something she wants to understand. That other joker that they put on the air is nothing more than an idiot. The show has no credibility at all anymore and that pretty much went out the window as Barbara Walters exited the show. Incidentally, I have read and re read the supposed apology and that was no apology, only their more than feeble attempt to gloss over the real problem with all of them. They are nothing more than a pack of ingrates and I believe that shows days are numbered.

  8. I am not a nurse but I know how wonderful they are. My husband fought cancer for six years and we would not have made it that long had it not been for the nurses care and understanding. Shame on you people on the View. I have not watched your show in years because of your insensitivity.

  9. still waiting for an apology.. apparently people who sit on their asses all day making stupidly enormous cash have no damn respect for who really make this world turn! regular jane and joe shmoes who actually do something but aint worth paying a decent amount of money apparently is what it boils down to. anyone who dont make as much money as them NY or LA hotshots is inferior. be nice.. youll never know when you need people in the medical field. youll need em to take care of you. god help ya since youve done pissed off so many!

  10. I just retired after 53 years as a nurse and am very proud to say, somehow I made a difference. The View is a TV program, not a source of information. They were attempting humor and fell short. I was a fan of Joy Behar for many years but her humor is inappropriate and borders on sour grapes. The rest of the cast exemplifies puppetry. Goodbye The View!

  11. You know that commercial that warns you to seek medical attention if you have an erection that lasts for more than 4 hours? Guys, just put up a picture of Joy Behar and “poof” it will go away!

  12. That was no apology mere back peddling! Anyone can sit around on a set and discuss the happenings of the day…. however only a nurse can save your life with that doctors stethoscope around her neck,,, and by the way when you code your Dr is no where near you to save your life…it is your nurse ladies of the View

  13. I am not a Nurse, but have been in medical profession for 30+ years. I manage the sterile processing department and have been around Nurses for a very long time. Nurses are caring, compassionate individuals who are extremely educated. They need a Masters Degree to work in hospitals. I don’t think anyone on the view has a Masters of Science or could ever pass the Nursing exam.
    A stethoscope is part of a Nurses uniform, not only is the Nurse the first person to see you when you come to the hospital, but if you crap out the Nurse and her staff are the first to run to you with the code cart, lift your lifeless body to put the board under your back and start CPR, not the doctor. When you need pain meds or comforting or someone to talk to because you are scared, the Nurse is the one that is there for you. The Nurse will hold the hand of someone leaving this world because their family is not there. Our country is short of Nurses because it is a thankless profession and people like you on the view just proved that.
    Today I had a GI Nurse come to me to tell about all the work she has to do and is getting more and more dumped on her everyday. She said “I am just a floor Nurse”, I told her to never say that and I brought up the Miss Colorado monologue and told her she is so much more than that to our patients and to me,she is special and needed. It takes a special person to be a Nurse. God holds a place for all of you…God bless you all…

  14. The View has no impact on my life. However, I am frustrated that these idiots would insult my profession and then add insult to injury by offering the explanation (note: NOT AN APOLOGY) that they did not know what they were commenting about in the Miss America clip. I guess from what I read of the comments by others here, that’s how they function on a daily basis. Sad to see that someone gets paid to do that instead of making a real difference in the world. All I can say is, “Hope you stay healthy, ladies” because you’re going to need us nurses long before we’ll ever need you!

  15. Definitely not an apology. In fact seems condescending. “Clap for the nurses”………Really??? If that is the best you can do, keep you apology. Wondering when a “talk show” job was voted as a most ethical profession???

  16. To the ladies of ” THE VIEW ” please feel free to explain to the public how your profession has comforted the sick or saved lives of the elderly or our children, delivered babies or had the sad task of explaining to a family that a loved one has passed away and comfort the family at the same time. Your feeble attempt at an apology was absolutely ridiculous and I for one feel that an actual apology should be done during your next broadcast and by all members of your show. All of you laughed and all should apologize. You are all a bunch of has beens anyway. Please get off the air.

  17. I’ve been a RN 30 years. Having a job talking about fashion and celebrities is a joke. Ladies, do yourselves a favor, get a CPR card…… If you can even pass that!!! LMAO

  18. This controversy highlights the fact that many people do not realize the skillset required to be a nurse in today’s sophisticated medical setting.
    Respect for the nursing profession is still lacking due to old stereotypes.

  19. I am OFFENDED by the comments of The View women. I think the co-hosts should be fired! Afterall, if a group is offended by another “whatever”, the offensive perp gets removed, fired, etc. Let’s continue the trend and get rid of these hosts too!

  20. I do not ever watch these shows. I watch NO TV during the day and only certain special shows or movies at night. I am way too busy caring for the lives of other sick, elderly and the mentally challenged children and my sick neighbors. This is my gift from God since I was very young and took care of my ill mother. I am darn good at it and It is a hard job, emotionally and physically. I am not offended.. as this show and soooooooooooooooooo many other like it have no place in my home. It is with total ignorance and uneducated women who know nothing about holding a patients hand and praying with them while they cross over to the other side. I feel happy and blessed for God to have given me the gift of being kind and spreading LOVE & Joy and attention to those who are unable to function or speak as they once did… I AM: A compassionate, sensitive and powerful woman … I AM a nurse!

  21. That was a half-assed attempt at damage control. I know an apology when I hear one and that wasn’t it !

  22. While Joy Behar, must do some monologuing in her comedy act, why did she think this was “not a talent” for the M A Contest?

  23. I am embarrassed for these women and hope the rest of America is embarrassed for them too. There are indeed a lot of nurses that don’t wear stethoscopes…you REALLY want one that has one on. It’s a very visible sign of a professional.

  24. Stupidity and ignorance knows no bounds. They need to really apologize or the show needs to come off the air. While nurses have a real job, these ladies have gossip. What happened to responsible broadcasting?

  25. It was no apology, but a “cover your ass” explanation that I am sure was demanded by the bosses. Joy Behar et al. (they are so nondescript I do not even know their names) are obviously ignorant, over-paid talking heads that are clueless morons. The sad thing to me is that they sit on their asses dissing the world around them and schmoozing up to the rich and “really” famous, making millions of dollars, while we nurses are on our feet 12+ hours/day, sacrificing meals, weekends, kissing our children goodnight, and holidays with our families, all for modest if not meager salaries. I am sure these women do not even know the meaning of sacrifice. I pity their ignorance and selfishness. They will pay the piper some day…

  26. Their apology was not an apology. It was an attempt to deflect blame back on the listeners, the very listeners which they offended in the first place. I am not a nurse. I am a paramedic with 24 years experience who will back a nurse any day of the week. To make matters worse two of the other co-hosts added their two cents with the comments “Were they even listening?” and “They have to listen to the content.” Now four need to give sincere apologies to one of the best professions in the workplace. I used to have respect for Ms Whoopie but that is lessened due to her participation at fault deflection. I agree that the other sponsors of this so called entertainment show need to pull their commercials like Johnson and Johnson. Perhaps, only then, will these poor excuse of entertainers will be forced to accept responsibility for their words and give a sincere apology.

  27. The stupid ass idiots on this “show” …… Really? What a joke. No wonder they can’t listen they are to busy one upping each other. All hail whoopie what an ass

  28. Our society seems to view “Celebrities” as some sort of “model” to look up to and listen to, as if they actually have any idea what they’re talking about, much less any true facts. I find that troubling. Currently, it’s viewed as acceptable to say whatever you way, whenever you want, whether or not you have any idea about the subject. The point seems to be to get attention, any attention is good. The ruder, cruder, nastier, more hateful and inflammatory, the better, as long as you get media attention. What has happened to civility? Pretty Sad.

  29. The comments were aimed at saying her monologue did not show off a talent effectively for a pageant not that being a nurse does not take skills, intelligence and compassion

  30. So happy to see that Johnson and Johnson has pulled funding for now. Bet the ignorant co hosts were also clueless about Johnson and Johnson’s sponsorship of a program called “A Day in the Life of a Nurse” that helps recruit interested high school students into the nursing field!

    Proud to be a nurse!

    Kanzia Hamilton RN

  31. Listen you ignorant women. Nursing is a profession. We are saving lives each and every day while the doctor’s are in their office, at home or on the golf course. We have an amazing amount of education with classes to update our skills frequently. I don’t use a doctor’s stethoscope, we use our own (which is expensive to buy). A doctor rarely carries his own scope, he borrows mine and walks away with it. When you all save as many lives as I have then you can look down your noses at my PROFESSION. No I’m not “just a nurse”, I’m your loved ones and your lifeline to life. p.s.: Be kind.

  32. I agree there was no remorse for their ignorant remarks. I have proudly worn a stethoscope and carried my nurses bag with the rest of my equip. for 33 years and I do care for all of my pt. I know what it is like to walk/run the halls cause there 2 or more emerg. going on at the same time and your feet and legs hurt so bad form years of walking on cement and yet all nurses keep on going, we never retire we just go prn. So for these women to attempt to stick her foot in her mouth, on tv while making fun of the lady who maybe taking care of there momma one day. I would like to say , it shows yall dont have any compassion and never had a real job either. LOVE AND VERY PROUD TO BE A NURSE.

  33. They were not sincere with their apology. They are just concerned with their ratings and companies pulling the plug with advertising.

  34. WHAT’S THE VIEW!!!!!Sounds like something I would not watch anyway. By the looks of it, I DO NOT want to. If the people were take a vote. I believe. The View would be DONE.

  35. Damage control is not an apology, never has been, never will be. In the grand scheme of things, the “ladies” on The View may have money and fame. Yet in 1984 when a patient told me, “Thank you! I never could have made it through without you.” I became richer than they will ever be. And in the subsequent years my wealth has grown exponentially. I knew going into nursing that I would never be monetarily rich or famous but that I would have a challenging and vastly rewarding career and I was right. I wouldn’t change my work life for theirs for any amount of money. I will die knowing I made a difference in countless lives, and for all their vaulted opinions can they say the same?

  36. as a type2 diabetic,and a vet. i appreciate everything that nurses have done for me!to have a show like the view is totally hosed,and the hosts are total idiots!they suck! they really really do. nuff said!

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