You literally can't make this stuff up! A woman who wanted to break the Guinness World Record for running a marathon dressed as a nurse has been told her successful attempt does not count -- because she was wearing scrubs and pants, rather than a skirt.
Seriously. It's worth repeating. Because. She. Wasn't. Wearing. A. Skirt...
Jessica Anderson, a nurse at the Royal London Hospital, ran the city's marathon in the outfit she wears at work. But she was told beforehand by Guinness World Records that she would need to wear a blue and white dress, apron and a traditional nurse's cap for her effort to be valid, Britain's Press Association reported.
Full-body scrubs are too close to the organization's definition of a doctor's costume, officials added. "Their definition is just so outdated," Anderson told the magazine Runner's World. "Some of the nurses I work with do wear dresses but mostly we wear scrubs or a tunic and trousers. I've certainly never seen a male nurse wearing a dress to work."
"I'm sure Guinness World Records don't intend to cause offense but it would be nice if they decided to revise their criteria instead of reinforcing old gender stereotypes," she added.
Anderson had asked the organization to reconsider, but her request was denied. They have since said they would review their rules.
I sent this to the Guinness world records:
I am responding to the story of a nurse who was denied a world record that she earned because she did not wear a dress!!!! I imlplore you to reconcider this action. Would you have denied the record if it was a male nurse in scrubs, likely not is my guess. Even the Unitied states military recognizes that the appropriate dress is imperitive when they found some navy guys who ran on a football field naked a number years ago siting that they had the appropriate dress for “streaking” and charges against them were dropped. Please refect on your decision. thank you
Ive been a practicing nurse a long tim. I recal about 30 years ago (yeah really) no one was wearing caps. I had years of expereince in ICU and E.D. and hacn’t worn for a long time. One day the CEO, who was really apretty good and available guy, came in to visit and started saying he liked the idea of wearing caps to identify the nurses from the doctors, He was quite serious and asked my opinion. As I recall I gave him an earful, telling hime all the draw backs and such noting that wasn’t that why we all wore name tags and introduced ourselves. He listted carefully, acknowledged it thoughtfully when I added “Besides, when you make the guys wear caps I might consider it with a smile. His eyes got big, that was the one thing he hadded put in teh equation. He smiled and left and there was never a mention of it again. 🙂
I’ve been a nurse since 1975. I think I owned one uniform dress after graduation that went by the wayside with my nursing cap when it caught on bedside curtains… right away! Guinness needs to grow up.
In 1975 I earned the right to add another cap to my collection – and have never worn it. I have not worn a cap for close to 50 years now. I stopped wearing a cap when I started wearing scrubs. It just looked strange with pants. I cannot remember anyone telling me that I should wear my cap. I still have both caps but I think they only look like “part of the uniform” only when you have the complete uniform – dress uniform, white nylons, white shoes – and if you are going outside, please also wear a cape – and a cap. ALL aspects of nursing have changed (progressed) over the years! Thankfully that we no longer have to take a skuttle of coal when we arrive to work, or stand up for doctors – ONLY when we want to, and many other things!!
A male nurse here. Guess I better get a dress ready to go to work. What a asinine regulation.
Indeed you better and a cap if you can find one maybe a viel will do! That is such an absurd thing! Can you imagine yourself being taken serioulsy and not being the distraction of the day? I thought we had outgrown this stuff!!!! ug
No doubt the “officials” at Guiness who laid down those rules were men. What was the “dress code” for male nurses who participated in the race?M
She should have complied, and then told Guinness where they could stick their world record.
Whatdoes what you wear have to do with breaking a record??!! Besides, wearing that old fashioned uniform would hinder your speed and slow you down!!
Excuse me, this is 2019 isn’t it…This ruling makes it sound like 1920!
How ridiculous. I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years and haven’t worn a dress since 1982. Get with the times!!!!
Wow to break a record I would have to crossdress? oh what a tangled web we weave…..
that’s a long way to run to find out about a dress code violation!
“But she was told beforehand by Guinness World Records that she would need to wear a blue and white dress, apron and a traditional nurse’s cap for her effort to be valid, Britain’s Press Association reported”. The rules were made clear prior to the race. Follow the rules baby!!!!!!! We follow the rules at work.
she should have definitely followed the rules. But They seriously need to revise the criteria.