Scrubbing Up for Surgery

     Here I will rant against what I view as a blight upon society: that which we call "scrubs." I'd always taken them for granted, until one day, I saw too many of them at work. (Explanation: I work at a restaurant located near a good number of stores and "regular offices" and doctors' offices. During lunch, we get a decent number of nurses and doctors' assistants in the building.) I thought to myself, "These women just look lazy and sloppy. They look like they're wearing pajamas." Why does society insist that nurses wear these horrible outfits? It's like, "Thank you for studying long and hard and learning so much about teeth. Now wear this lame outfit as a token of our respect and appreciation."

     Really, would you like to have to wear this to work every day?

 

 

     I'm not denying that the color is nice, and the model is pretty, but the clothes themselves? And why is it that only nurses have to wear these? The doctors often wear real clothes with a white coat on top, and thereby look presentable. I don't know how it's even possible to get into a productive mood while wearing such loose, baggy, ill-fitting-- well, pajamas.

     So then I think about the reasons for wearing scrubs. Maybe the nurses need loose clothing? No. They answer the phone, walk you to a room, ask you questions, floss your teeth. . . None of that requires extremely roomy clothes. Maybe scrubs are easy to clean? Okay, if they are, I can begin to understand. Begin. Can't you take low-maintenance fabric and make prettier clothes? Besides, as a waitress, I haven't much sympathy in regards to easy-to-clean. I wear ordinary jeans and button-fronts to work. I've spilled all kinds of stuff on them, and the stains have all come out. Last thing to consider: it's a uniform. You want nurses to be easily identified. There are many kinds of uniforms, many kinds of attractive uniforms. In fact, uniforms usually look cool just in virtue of their being uniforms. Scrubs do not.

     A friend of mine brought up the following point: male patients in hospitals often form attachments to nurses, so maybe scrubs are meant to discourage that sort of thing. That is a problem, but in that case, I would think that it's not so much the beauty of the nurse as it is her caring presence that the male patients become attached to. So, yes, an overly personal or elaborate dress for nurses would in inappropriate, but does it have to be ugly? I'm not asking that nurses go back to the old white skirt suit with coordinating hat (although I'd prefer that to the modern uniform); I just wish there was a non-revolting alternative.

     Therefore, I ask you, my readers, to submit to storymaster@bellsouth.net your ideas for the Scrub Alternative. I'm very interested to see what you'll come up with, and I mean to share some of them on the blog. :)  I'd also appreciate arguments defending scrubs as they are. I really am interested to know why it is that they are they way they are.
     Thank you all for hearing me whine. ;)

 

 

Below: Some of my favorite uniforms

 

 

For now, let's ignore the Harry Potter arguments in the homeschooling world and admire the uniform.
British school uniforms really are the best. Simple, practical, clean... They're great.

 

Ballerinas!

 

The Carabinieri, Italian police 

 

Last, but by NO means least: Swiss Guards!!