Uniforms


Something rather unmentionable covered my work trousers overnight , and I had to resort to borrowing a pair of pyjama bottoms for most of the shift.
One of the patients offered me a pair of her fleece lined lounge pants but I declined gracefully stating they were not quite my colour.

I have worn a uniform of sorts on every day bar one in my entire adult working life of 37 years bar for one day.
That was my first day as charge nurse of my own ward, where I went in for management day wearing a shirt and tie.
The mainly Yorkshire staff were somewhat nonplussed by my effort of looking smart and for the most part laughed good humouredly at my efforts.
One middle aged lass, a support worker who had been a colleague for over a decade sniffed loudly as I passed
" You going to a funeral ?" She asked dryly

My ward uniform then was a navy tunic. Going into navy , is a proud step for a nurse in the Uk for it generally means you have reached the rank of " sister" , a position that then signified that you ran your own ward.
Now , with the plethora of clinical nurse specialists and advenaced nurse practitioners sisters can be found in abundance, but still there is a kudos and respect for the role and the experience.

In the early 1990s I went to Pittsburgh to visit the city's rehabilitation units and in one wore my own natty white British uniform in the clinical area
The mainly black collection of patients found it hilarious and often referred to me as "stay puft"Guy
A reference which took me a while to work out

There's always one that will bring you down to earth
Everyone's a critic!

30 comments:

  1. I have vague memories of the above chap or something similar from an advert back in the 70's?? he was taking on the New York skyline or something similar... don't remember what for .. I just wanted to say Happy Easter to you and your four legged friends... and wanted to also add .. Thank you to you and your collegues for all that you do and are doing.

    Jo in Auckland

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    1. Ghostbusters - the original movie - might be your memory.

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  2. Yes, but you’re OUR Stay Puft guy! That you John, not only for the work you do but for taking the time to post and share your life xx

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  3. Isn't that Bibendum? Or someone very similar.

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  4. You misheard them darling. They were frightened of the competition and were telling you to stay a puff.

    Also you are yet to develop obese arms and legs 😘

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  5. Haha, that's funny x

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  6. Like you I have donned a similar uniform for 33 years and at least can don some scrubs when an accident happens. Nice of the patient to offer you a spare pair.

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  7. I must be remarkably slow, but I still haven't worked out "stay puft"

    Am I the only one in the dark?

    Or is it confined to the medical profession?

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    1. I had to Google it.

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    2. Stay Puft is a brand of marshmallows in the US. :-)

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  8. I know he's the giant inflatable that comes to life in the first Ghostbusters film, but I have never really known where he originates from Mr Stay Puft.

    My worst ever uniform was in my very first job at Boots the Chemist in the 1970's, then it was a very shapeless overcoat style bright pink thing with navy blue trim on the collar and pockets ... and we had to wear it OVBER our day clothes, so we all look a couple of sizes larger than we actually were. Not a good look for 16 year old girl. How I envied the pharmacists with their starched white, fitted uniforms.

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  9. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! Ha! Ha! "Ghostbusters" 1984. You should order yourself a Stay Puft money bank from Amazon.

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  10. Well, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is kind of cute, at least.

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  11. LOL
    I love how you keep your sense of humor. And I have been around a lot of medical personnel who wear the cutest scrubs. And I like those comfy clogs they wear here.
    Lined loungewear pants, huh? The more you learn..

    XOXO

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  12. Well you seem to have a good collection of leisure wear T shirts for walking the dogs - I always enjoy seeing those! Happy Easter - I clapped for you last evening at 8pm. xx

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  13. Hi, I was going to post yesterday, before the post went, but was too late :)
    Congratulations on doing your bit for the NHS whan its so seriously struggling, if you can be proud of someone you have never met, only ever read their stories on the internet, I am.
    Thank you :)

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  14. 12 years of catholic school uniforms made me swear I would NEVER work in a profession that required them. and I have kept to my promise. the 6 of us at my current employer wear jeans & t-shirts; we have no contact with the public.

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  15. Here most nurses wear "scrubs", seldom see uniforms. It is what you do, not what you wear that counts.

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  16. lol, Stay Puff Guy that is hilarious!

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  17. I had several friends who were nurses and looked very smart if they called into the shop to see me from work.I worked on a cosmetic counter as a teenager and my overall was a blue nylon fabric.They suggested at the time that I should be an auxiliary-I think I should have x(if there is another mishap John,it may brighten your patients day of you continued in your undergarments x

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  18. Perhaps you should keep an extra set of scrubs/uniform in your car so when something unforeseen occurs at work, you have clean clothes to change into!
    I'm curious as to what happened with yesterday's post?
    Be safe ... be well ... stay home!

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    Replies
    1. I think that it may just have gone Puft Marcia x

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    2. LOL ... seems the logical answer, flis! Thank you!

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  19. Everyone's a critic, LOL!

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  20. I'm too old to know about your Stay Puft guy - I thought you meant this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcgemuzDr5k

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  21. Your work doesn’t have extra scrubs on hand? The things a muggle doesn’t know.
    Stay Puft was my grandson’s favorite character. I knitted him mittens with a picture of Stay Puft on them.

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  22. If I come home in hospital issue scrubs, my family knows it was a disaster of a shift. I usually wear blue scrub pants and a white or navy top.

    Our health service issue is soft green with the provincial logo on it. Only OR staff and the sterile processing unit are entitled to issue.

    So for ward staff to be wearing them it involves a shitty shift and a lot of begging to get a pair.

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  23. I will applaud you and say that I couldn't do your job. My brother is a nurse at a veteran's hospital here in the states and he has shared stories... :o I just couldn't do it. Press on and stay safe, well, and healthy.

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  24. I might have asked you if you had a job interview? You all deserve applauding every night.

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