'Inappropriate' attire? Nurse says it's her figure, not her scrubs, that's under attack

A nurse who appeared in a TikTok video wearing her scrubs has set off a debate about appropriate workwear and whether it matters what healthcare workers look like when they’re helping patients. Erika Diaz, a nurse in the U.S.—who has a social media following of about 100,000—went viral on the video platform after posting images of herself in her workwear. The clip, which has garnered more than 12 million views since the 22-year-old uploaded it in May, showed Diaz dressed in top-to-bottom scrubs—with the top tucked into the pants—and her hair in a ponytail. The problem for some viewers? The scrubs appeared to be form fitting on Diaz, who received hostile messages telling her she “should buy a bigger size” and that the scrubs were “inappropriate.” Read: Nurse loses job after threatening to withhold Viagra from conservative white men The viral video appears to have since been taken down, but the clip below shows Diaz on a typical workday. One commenter, who was apparently also a healthcare worker, said “I’m an old school director. I’d never allow that on my floor—I don’t want to see nails, [perfume], or style—keep that at home where it belongs.” But Diaz also found many supporters. “Can’t change what you have, doesn’t make it inappropriate,” one TikTok user wrote. Another came back with “She’s wearing it like it’s supposed to be worn. She can’t control the way her body is made wtf!!!” Read: Diabetes medication in shortage after TikTok trend promotes it as a weight-loss drug Another supporter reminded the online mob that nurses are there to help people and it shouldn’t matter what they look like. “I ain’t remember the last time I cared what a NURSE looks like when they’re helping me.... regardless if you’re a patient or an employee,” they wrote. Diaz responded to her critics by noting that they seem to be criticizing her for her figure, not her outfit. She also addressed comments about her body being “fake.” “Some people just have an issue with my body not my scrubs and it shows,” she wrote. “I literally work 2 jobs, volunteer, and I am still studying, I’m devoting my life to the improvement of others and anyones opinions are irrelevant,” she added. Read: A glimpse of remote living with Parkinson's draws viewers to unlikely TikTok star

'Inappropriate' attire? Nurse says it's her figure, not her scrubs, that's under attack

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