Unrecognizable without scrubs...

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2013

I'm so freakin' hot when not wearing scrubs. Scrubs do nothing for my shape ( as they should not, while at work), outside of work I love to wear my dresses, heels, leggins, and hair down. Yup, I love being a girl!

JerseyBSN · Feb 20, 2013

I haven't run into this issue with not recognizing one another but I do notice when I see others out of scrubs that they either look thinner or heavier. Scrubs can be flattering to those who need cover and a menace to those who don't need it. Either way, they are our uniform and it could be a lot worse.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 20, 2013

Happens to me all of the time. Whenever I show up for something and I'm not in scrubs, people have no idea who I am.

Even my own boss--whose office is right around the corner from where I work--didn't recognize me in street clothing, and she spent twenty minutes talking to me before she realized who I was. Yes, I could have told her who I was early on...but she truly didn't know, so I wanted to see how far it'd go :)

hudabelle · Feb 20, 2013

I love that this happens. My clinic is in the same town where I do all my grocery shopping. I see many of my patients at the store and they never ever recognize me. They do give me odd looks when I smile at them as if I've known them for years, because I have!

ORoxyO · Feb 21, 2013

This is especially true for those of us in the OR since we wear hats too!

loriangel14, RN · Feb 21, 2013

hudabelle said:
I love that this happens. My clinic is in the same town where I do all my grocery shopping. I see many of my patients at the store and they never ever recognize me. They do give me odd looks when I smile at them as if I've known them for years, because I have!

I experience the opposite.I meet so many people that while I may remember the face, the name escapes me.They remember that I was Mom's nurse and they chhhhaaattt away, while I try to figure out who they are.

I had to pick up my daughter today on the surgical floor I sometimes float to ( she got her tonsils out) and I felt so strange walking in there in street clothes.

allnurses Guide · Feb 21, 2013

Waaaaay back in the day when I was very young (*sigh*) I was working in a nursing home.

Now, when I was at work, I dressed in white from top to toe (as did everyone-- we had a very archaic dress code). My hair was always pulled back in a very neat bun-- not a hair out of place. My make-up was nothing but red lipstick and powder on my nose. I mean, I was very very conservative and professional looking.

Well, that wasn't the real me :lol2:

I took art classes at the same community college wherein several of my fellow coworkers were attending nursing school.

So, here they are making their way across the campus and here I am toodle-looing along... in black from top to toe, black and white striped tights, combat boots, beret, black lipstick, portfolio in one hand, art box in the other and a cigarette dangling from my mouth.

Can we say weirdo?

No, they did not recognize me at first and they about fell over and died when they did. They couldn't believe it because I was always very careful and conservative at work.

Long story short, no I was not easily recognizable, lol.

I'm sure I'm easily recognized nowadays... I'm an old boring fart both at work and home :sleep:

amygarside · Feb 21, 2013

Yeah, it is a big transformation once you are out of the shapeless scrubs.

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Feb 21, 2013

Ha! Yes, any time I go in for a meeting wearing regular clothes people always ask me if I lost weight! Of course I haven't but scrubs don't show that we have any shape at all.

rykki · Feb 21, 2013

Do most hospitals make you buy a specific uniform? Or do they have some guidelines but you can choose your own? I've seen hospitals where everyone wears the same dark blue, grey, or light blue scrubs (colors for coding professions) and others were everyone has on different teddy bear print, festive, random pattern, etc. scrubs.

exit96 · Feb 21, 2013

I was just picking up a script at the pharmacy of the hospital I work at. Small town America...the Pharm tech, whom I talk to and joke with everytime I see her, was looking right at me and no clue...lol, I was wearing sweats, a hoodie, beanie (just feeling under the weather and lazy)...it's kinda fun to change my voice and cadence when I see these folks and mess with them, the look on their face when they realize it's me is priceless.