Moms, dads, Ms. Rachel fans — get ready to learn about X-rays and checkups. There’s a new voice popping up on social media. Growing rapidly, “Nurse Dolly” just might be the next big hit for families everywhere.
An Atlanta-area nurse and mother of two toddlers, Emari Etta-Tawo is the creator behind the social media persona in “Mini Med School.” When not treating patients at Emory Healthcare, she becomes Nurse Dolly, a smiling and singing entertainer with a wholesome message for children.
“As a fairly new mom and a nurse, I found myself thinking a lot about how I can continue making a meaningful impact beyond the bedside,” Etta-Tawo told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I love nursing, but I also knew that I wanted to reach people in a different way, especially families and children.”
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
It all started in 2025, while watching YouTube videos with her sons. Noticing a gap in educational content for children, Etta-Tawo decided to start her own content channel, one that would focus on children’s health and wellness. The videos have already drawn nearly 300,000 views on the platform.
“Nurse Dolly” teaches kids about feelings and healthy habits like washing hands, and uses stuffed animals and toy cars to act out doctor visits — from checkups to X-rays — so they understand what’s happening and feel less afraid. It’s putting a face and personality to modern health care, all to catchy tunes parents will likely find themselves begrudgingly humming for months.
According to Alexina Santos, a Florida nurse and mother of three, Etta-Tawo’s budding social media channel has already made a meaningful impact on her family.
“Whatever she’s teaching, whatever she’s putting out, are things that I want my kids to learn and to hone in on,” Santos told the AJC. “The fact that she is a woman of color is important too. I am African myself, raised in America. My husband is Hispanic, so our kids are biracial.”
Santos said representation has always mattered to her. She grew up in a diverse community surrounded by Asian, Hispanic, white, Black, African and Caribbean families, and wants her daughter to have that same experience reflected in the media they consume.
Now, her 4-year-old daughter is obsessed with “Nurse Dolly.”
“Nurse Dolly has music and all that, but there’s a professional tone to it as well,” Santos said. “So for me, I get to watch my kids learn from something that I can trust.”
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
It’s a responsibility the social media creator doesn’t take lightly.
“I didn’t initially set out thinking, ‘I need to be representation,’” Etta-Tawo wrote in an email, when asked about her influence on families. “I set out to fill a gap. There are many children’s programs, but very few that focus specifically on health, anatomy, hygiene and wellness in an age-appropriate way.”
Still, she soon realized her presence carried added significance.
“When children see someone who looks like them teaching confidently, professionally and positively about health and wellness, it expands what they believe is possible for themselves. That is powerful, especially when we consider that women of color remain underrepresented in many areas of health care.”
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Nurse Dolly may be a new presence on social media, but Etta-Tawo won’t have to wait long to see the impact of her work. Santos’ 4-year-old daughter — and likely countless others — is already excited to don her first stethoscope.
“I don’t know if I’m part of my daughter’s influence,” Santos said. “But since watching Nurse Dolly and getting more into that, she says, ‘Mommy, I’m gonna be a smart doctor.’”
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