Logan's Tom Harrison is one of a kind- just like his scrubs!
As Metro South Health celebrates Pride Month, Logan Hospital’s Thomas (Tom) Harrison is encouraging others to jump onto MyHR and update their diversity status and more importantly find the confidence to bring their whole self to work.
The passionate Clinical Nurse said bringing his authentic self to work allowed him to connect more deeply with his patients.
Tom said updating his diversity status on MyHR wasn’t just about recording data, it was about showing up to work as his true self.
"I hope that by just being me, I might encourage someone else to do the same.
“It’s about more than ticking a box,” he said. “When I bring my authentic self to work, I care better. I’m reminded that I’m not just a nurse, I’m a person, just like the people in the beds, and that matters.”
By committing to show up as his whole self at work, Tom has seen how authenticity can ripple through the care he delivers.
Whether it’s the extra thought he gives to consent conversations, supporting patients who are transitioning or openly identifying for the first time, or simply making the hospital a safer, more inclusive space, Tom is leading by example.
“Patients don’t just want clinical care. They want connection. If I can bring a little warmth or humour, if I can be myself and help them feel safe being themselves too, then I know I’m doing something right.”
It’s this same philosophy that sparked a colourful side project during his graduate year in 2020: sewing his own scrubs.
The self-proclaimed man of many talents, who said he would have chosen a trade if he didn’t pursue nursing, has been sewing since Year 8, after receiving his first machine from his grandmother.
Largely self-taught, he began making scrubs during COVID to bring some fun to the ward.
“Scrubs were expensive, hard to find, and limited in colour,” he said. “The few fun ones weren’t cotton and felt hot and uncomfortable on shift. So I made my own – cotton, breathable, bright – and people loved them!”
Since then, his handmade scrubs have become a talking point with both colleagues and patients, particularly during Funky Fridays, when the whole Transit Care Hub (TCH) comes alive with colourful attire.
Tom said the LBHS wellbeing initiative was an easy and important way for the health service to promote diversity and inclusion.
“There’s always such a vibrant feel in the air on Funky Fridays. It’s great for the team and our patients and visitors always comment.”
So iconic are Tom’s scrubs that on the rare occasion he forgets to wear them, his team is quick to notice and remind him of the joy he brings, just by being himself.
Before becoming a nurse, Tom spent a decade in retail and dreamed of working at the PA Hospital after his father had a stroke when Tom was just 15.
In a full-circle moment, he started his nursing career in the very same rehab ward that once cared for his dad.
Now at Logan, he finds joy in caring for his local community and helping patients return home safely through the hospital’s busy Transit Care Hub.
“Sometimes the best part is helping someone into a cab, saying ‘take care,’ and knowing you were the last friendly face they saw that day.
"That’s meaningful.”