As my daughter put her daughter to bed on Halloween night, the two-year-old said to her, "Even though I'm taking off my costume, I'm still Cinderella."
Not yet three, my granddaughter already understands that you don't have to have the costume on to truly be the character.
What impact does your "costume" have on you as a caregiver? Do you still feel like a doctor, nurse or other caregiver when you doff your uniform in favor of regular clothes?
My work outfit as a hospital CEO was nothing more than a suit and tie. But, I recall the strange feeling I experienced when I left hospital leadership after thirty years and was no longer wearing a name-tag that said, "President & CEO."
I also felt the impact of our work costumes during the years I worked alongside staff in the hospital and put on a housekeeping or dietary uniform. The moment I doned the clothes of a housekeeper, for example, I immediately felt the difference.
Back when I took over Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus we had six thousand employees and over one thousand doctors on staff.
As CEO, I immediately received some deference. In a housekeeper's uniform, I was sometimes invisible to others - a painful signal of the way lower-paid staff are treated every day.
I felt a little like my granddaughter. "Even though I'm not wearing my coat and tie, I'm still the CEO."
Of course, we are not our jobs, but that distinction can sometimes be lost. Caregiver's uniforms and work tools can empower or dis-empower.
A stethoscope around the neck confers high status. A mop does not.
Until almost every hospital employee began wearing them, scrubs used to signal high status. Patient gowns never have.
Indeed, patient gowns are the most important example of the way we feel and are treated because of what we are wearing. When I've had to put one on, I've always felt like I needed to say to everyone around me, "Even though I'm wearing a patient gown, I'm still a person."
Meanwhile, for me, my granddaughter will always be Cinderella. Whether, she is wearing her Halloween costume or whether, one day far in the future, she is wearing a cap and gown.
Reverend Erie Chapman
