What's the craziest getup you've ever seen?

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Just curious as to the most off-the-wall outfit anyone's ever seen in the clinic or hospital.

I had thought that the gentleman who pulled up at our clinic on a tractor (after about a 40 mile trip), wearing an Elmer Fudd hat (in 20 degree weather) and then handed our medical assistant his pistol for safekeeping while he saw Doc was a hoot. He was, but there were bigger hoots to come.

The latest was the lady whom we dismissed for violation of our drug contract. She came in, wanting to be seen, and when we told her we would not be able to (we don't take patients back who violate contract) she attempted to put her BF on the waiting list (we also don't treat family of dismissed patients, due to the potential for sharing of pills). Failing that, she left.

Our referral gal came in the clinic proper and got me a couple hours later..."Sssst, Angel, c'mere. You gotta see this."

That same lady was back, in a beauty-shop cape, a towel pinned at her neck with a claw clip, and sporting a head full of bleach. She had come to tell us that "she had been in touch with the board, and they would be in touch with us". Never have gotten that call.

And then there was the visitor in the hospital that walked the halls in nothing but a Spandex catsuit. And no, she didn't need to be wearing it. Spandex is kinda like a Speedo to me, they both need to be outlawed.

OK, tell me yours!

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

Wow...I can't top that. The best I have is the sweet old dementia patient who insisted on wearing her gown backwards (as a housecoat of course!)

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

As we have a generally conservative patient population, the kind of fancy dress you describe is not seen in our usual run of admissions. Now, if you were to ask me about theater scrubs..... I will never, ever forget an absolute HUNK of a doctor, who had, presumably to deliberately titillate his numerous admirers, donned a scrub top that was ripped down the side, from armpit to waist. We all took turns walking past him to admire the view....

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Can't say I blame you.

And 'fancy dress', HAH!!

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Wow...I can't top that. The best I have is the sweet old dementia patient who insisted on wearing her gown backwards (as a housecoat of course!)

Heh heh, you remind me of a patient I had when I was working night duty on a combination ward, dermatology and medium-term respiratory. This guy used to wear his nightdress back to front and run down the corridors with it flapping open, naturally with nothing on underneath. Everyone knew him and his idiosyncrasies, and he was tolerated largely because he was really a very nice guy, but hell on wheels after dark!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

A little off-topic, but why is it that most paramedics and EMT's wear such skin-tight trousers? Do they only come in a couple of sizes (small and smaller) and everyone must squeeze into the closest size? I have never understood this in a profession that must be prepared to bend, squat, lie on the ground or squeeze into tiny spaces.

Caveat: This is only my experience. It may or may not apply to thousands of self-respecting paramedics and EMT's who do not show camel-toes, underwear lines or evidence to the lack thereof.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

When I was an ER volunteer, a man walked in wearing mirrored sunglasses, an extremely glittery purple shirt, and sparkly pants. It was 1 pm on a Tuesday. I've never seen that much sparkle on a man who wasn't either on stage or skating in the Ice Capades.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is a nurse I used to work with- patient was HIV+, nothing requiring more than universal precautions. To do the admission interview, this nurse put on a mask with face shield, isolation gown, gloves, and knee high booties. I do work in the OR, and masks are our norm- when in the OR itself, but this was while the patient was still in preop!

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

That poor patient.

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Oh, almost forgot the lady who pulled off a feat unlike any I had ever seen. Had on 3 shirts and STILL managed to not be covered.

[Biffbradford]

"gentleman who pulled up at our clinic on a tractor (after about a 40 mile trip), wearing an Elmer Fudd hat (in 20 degree weather) and then handed our medical assistant his pistol for safekeeping"

Sounds like a lifetime long hard worker being himself, rather than someone wearing a 'getup'. I'd bend over backwards to help him.

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

We did. Just hysterical, though. He drove the tractor to the clinic because he's legally blind and couldn't drive the car. Love that man to death, but we STILL tease him about pulling a George Jones!