This episode of Cults and the Culting of America features guest Jess M. (aka White Mess Express), a former nurse, alongside hosts Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd. The conversation explores how the U.S. healthcare system—particularly nursing—resembles a cult in its culture, practices, and systemic issues.

Jess describes the hierarchical "rite of passage" culture in nursing (e.g., new nurses being called “baby nurses” and forced through hazing-like experiences). They highlight systemic contradictions: nurses are told to always be learning but punished for questioning authority, encouraged to self-sacrifice at the expense of their own health, and held individually responsible for systemic failures.

The discussion broadens to the U.S. healthcare system as a whole—its prioritization of profit over care, its inequities toward marginalized groups, and the emotional toll on providers and patients alike. Daniella and Scot connect these patterns to cult dynamics: degradation rituals, infantilization, blind obedience, toxic positivity, and punishment for dissent.

Jess shares personal experiences of disillusionment: discovering nursing’s promises of stability and meaning were hollow, dealing with disability from the physical demands of the work, and grieving the loss of identity and purpose after leaving the profession. They emphasize the need for gratitude toward frontline staff, patient self-advocacy, and systemic change.

The episode closes with encouragement: while healthcare workers may feel trapped in a “cult of medicine,” deconstructing the experience allows them to reclaim their skills and narratives. Jess also shares where listeners can follow their ongoing work on TikTok and other platforms.

Jess's Links: 

linktree

Daniella's Links:

You can read all about my story in my book, Uncultured-- buy signed copies here. https://bit.ly/SignedUncultured

 

For more info on me:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding

Cult book Clubs (Advanced AND Memoirs) Annual Membership: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding

Get an autographed copy of my book, Uncultured: https://bit.ly/SignedUncultured

Get my book, Uncultured, from Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/4g1Ufw8

Daniella’s Tiktok: Knitting Cult Lady

Instagram:  https://bit.ly/4ePAOFK / daniellamyoung_ 

Unamerican video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/YTVideoBook

Secret Practice video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/3ZswGY8

Other Podcasts

Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women

Scot's Socials

TikTok:  @thescotloyd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd

Haley's Tiktok

@nuancedmasculinities

Key Takeaways

• Nursing culture as a “cult”:

  • Hierarchical structure with forced rites of passage (“baby nurse” system).

  • Bullying, hazing, and degradation rituals normalize suffering.

  • Emotional suppression is enforced—nurses must “put on a nurse face.”

  • Constant demand for self-sacrifice, often leading to burnout or worse.

• Systemic contradictions:

  • Nurses are told to always be learning, but punished for questioning authority.

  • Healthcare talks about being “systemic” but punishes individuals for systemic failures.

  • Promises of good pay, benefits, and flexibility often clash with reality (mandatory overtime, long shifts, poor work-life balance).

• Healthcare as a profit-driven business:

  • U.S. healthcare prioritizes money over patient wellbeing.

  • Marginalized groups bear the brunt—Black and brown people, unhoused individuals, women, the poor.

  • Providers often have no say in pricing or systemic policies.

• Impact on patients and providers:

  • Patients face bankruptcy, neglect, or dismissal of their concerns.

  • Providers internalize a culture of silence, mistrust, and emotional suppression.

  • Many healthcare workers avoid seeking care themselves due to stigma or normalization of suffering.

• Breaking out of the “cult”:

  • Leaving healthcare can feel like grief or loss of identity.

  • Gratitude from patients can be more meaningful than institutional rewards (“pizza party” culture).

  • Patients can advocate for themselves by remembering they are the experts on their own bodies.

  • Deconstructing cult-like systems allows survivors to reclaim and repurpose their skills and experiences.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Healthcare System's Cult-like Nature 02:53 The Hierarchical Structure in Nursing 05:43 Systemic Issues in Healthcare 08:35 The Role of Nurses vs. Doctors 11:23 Healthcare as a Business 14:29 The Impact of Privilege on Healthcare Access 17:29 Experiences with Vulnerable Patients 20:20 Expectations vs. Reality in Nursing 23:28 Emotional Toll of Nursing and Military Service 28:08 Navigating Emotions in Healthcare 31:02 The Patient Experience: A Nurse's Perspective 33:45 The Reality of Nursing: Expectations vs. Reality 37:47 The Cult of Healthcare: A Critical Examination 47:34 Self-Advocacy in Healthcare: Empowering Patients 50:33 The Grieving Process of Leaving Healthcare

Produced by Haley Phillips