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Nurses share selfies wearing trousers in protest of Guinness World Record’s ‘skirt’ policy

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After a British nurse was denied a world record because she didn’t run the London Marathon in a skirt, other nurses took to social media to prove that modern-day nurses don’t wear skirts anymore but scrubs and trousers.

Jessica Anderson who works at the Royal London Hospital wanted to beat the world record and be the fastest woman to complete the marathon dressed as a nurse.

And she did, after finishing in 3.08:22, she technically beat the previous record of 3:08:54 held by Sarah Dudgeon. But not for Guinness World Records (GWR) who told Anderson her time was invalid because she wore trousers instead of a skirt, reported PA.

According to GWR rules, a nurse’s uniform consists of a blue or white dress, a pinafore apron, and a traditional nurse’s cap.

GWR added that Anderson’s scrubs were too similar to the official requirements for a doctor’s uniform.

Anderson told Runner’s World that she was “taken aback” when she read the rejection letter from GWR.

“I get that it’s supposed to be a fun thing but their definition is just so outdated. 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,” she said.

When she asked them to reconsider, they said no, she added.

“I’m sure Guinness World Records don’t intend to cause offence but it would be nice if they decided to revise their criteria instead of reinforcing old gender stereotypes.”

In support of Anderson’s request to the GWR to recognise her world record, the Student Nurse Project, which groups student and practising nurses, asked nurses to share selfies wearing their modern-day uniform under the hashtag #WhatNursesWear.

The result so far has been about a dozen nurses wearing scrubs and pants. Only one nurse shared a picture of herself in a work dress.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Guinness World Records said they would be “reviewing their guidelines” in the upcoming days.

“Inclusiveness and respect are values that Guinness World Records holds extremely dear and while we always need to ensure we can differentiate between categories, it is quite clear that this record title and associated guidelines is long overdue a review which we will conduct as a priority in the coming days.”

Anderson ran the marathon in her uniform because she wanted to raise funds for her unit’s charity fund, said her fundraising page. She set up a target of €645 for the race but surpassed her goal after contributors kept donating money after the race following GWR’s decision. By Sunday afternoon, her fundraising page said she had raised more than €3,500.

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