Nurse John Named on Forbes’ Top 50 Creators List 2026

A nurse who started posting videos to cope with pandemic burnout is now sharing a list with MrBeast. Nurse John, the Filipino-Canadian registered nurse turned comedian, has landed on the Forbes Top Creators 2026 list, ranking No. 28 among the most influential digital personalities in the world.

Born John Dela Cruz, the Bulacan-born, Montreal-based creator built his following by giving voice to the overworked, underpaid, and undervalued reality that so many nurses know firsthand. Forbes recognized him for transforming that frustration into a thriving entertainment career, complete with multimillion-dollar earnings and sold-out arenas.

For a profession that rarely sees one of its own celebrated on a global stage like this, the recognition feels personal. Here is what happened, and why nurses everywhere are taking notice.

Nurse John has amassed 19.2 million followers across platforms, and posts an average engagement rate of 12.97 percent. Forbes described how he “turned hospital burnout into a multimillion-dollar stand-up career” by leveraging social media to build a comedy brand rooted in the healthcare experience.

@nurse.johnn And you inow what it doesnt even have to be a year sometimes ita just 3 months and you already looked like you need to retire and go to the neareat paych ward and rehabilitation center. #nursejohnn #nursesoftiktok #nurselife #nurse #nursehumor #nursetok #nursetiktok #nurseproblems #nursing #nursingstudent #nursingschool #healthcareworker #healthcarehumor #hospitallife #hospitaltiktoks #medicaltiktok #medicalhumor #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – nurse.johnn

Dela Cruz worked as a frontline nurse in Montreal at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic before his alter ego went viral. In an interview cited by Rolling Stone Philippines, he recalled that the early days were isolating: “The pressure of saving people’s lives was crushing. I didn’t have support. I didn’t have a sense of ‘Hey, you’re not alone. You’re not the only one going through this.'” Posting videos, he has said, became a way to process that weight and connect with others living the same reality.

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Nurse John’s spot is notable company. The 50-person Forbes Top Creators 2026 list, unveiled June 23 at the Cannes Lions Festival, featured creators who collectively earned $1.02 billion, the first time the group has crossed the $1 billion mark, a 20 percent jump from the prior year. MrBeast topped the ranking for the fifth straight year, alongside names like Charli D’Amelio, Khaby Lame, and Ms. Rachel. Forbes Assistant Managing Editor Steven Bertoni said top creators now “define the media landscape, building global audiences, launching influential businesses and shaping the future of show business.”

Much of Nurse John’s momentum comes from his live comedy work. His “Short-Staffed Tour” has sold more than 250,000 tickets since launching in the fall of 2024, with sold-out performances across Australia and New Zealand and a 22-show European extension in spring 2026 that reportedly sold out immediately. He also performed this year at Manila’s Mall of Asia Arena, which he described as a meaningful return to his roots. “We have multiple jobs we don’t get paid for,” he has said of the nursing life that fuels his act. “But we do them all because we chose to be nurses.”

>>Get Your Tickets To Nurse John’s Against Medical Advice 2026 Tour!

Nurse John’s rise is more than a feel-good celebrity story. His entire brand is built on the issues nurses live every day: chronic short staffing, unpaid extra duties, burnout, and feeling undervalued. The fact that a comedy act about those problems can fill arenas worldwide and earn a place on a Forbes list is a sign of just how widely the frustration resonates, inside and outside the profession.

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