Detroit ICU Nurse Founds Modest Wear Scrubs Company

Hawraa Sabra, a pediatric ICU nurse in Detroit, is the founder of AVICENNA Scrubs (@avicennascrubs), the first scrubs company that offers what the company describes as “modest medical wear” scrubs.

Sabra tells Nurse.org that one of the benefits of her scrub line is that the pieces are designed with “modesty in mind” and come with added coverage, including an extended hem and long-sleeve options. 

“You don’t have to choose between coverage and function,” she notes.

Image: Sabra

What Are "Modest Medical Wear" Scrubs?

“Modesty can mean something different to everyone,” Sabra explains. She clarifies that some people mistakenly think that by offering “modest” scrubs, her company is implying that standard scrubs are “immodest,” but she assures readers that that’s not the case at all. 

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Instead, she notes that the scrubs her company offers instead adhere to the traditions of her faith. “As a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the hijab, I am required to dress a certain way (covering my hair and body), so when I am shopping for clothes I will typically look for ‘modest wear,’” she explains. 

Filtering her search to clothing that is labeled as “modest” helps her narrow down items that have more coverage and are suitable for my style, she continues. 

“With Avicenna, ‘modest medical wear’ means our scrubs are longer in length, high-neck, and long-sleeve so you won't have to add layers to reach your desired level of coverage,” Sabra adds. 

An Idea Was Born

Sabra adds that her own personal struggle to find scrubs that fit into her belief system inspired her company. When she started clinical rotations in nursing school, she was required to wear the scrubs, but found that her options were “extremely limited.” 

“Living in the United States and being a Muslim woman wearing the hijab, I had already been finding it difficult to stay well-dressed in a way that felt comfortable and modest,” she explains. 

While she had some options for non-clinical wear, when it came time to learn in a hospital setting, she found it “almost impossible” to find long-sleeved or modest scrubs. 

“And if I did, what they made up for in coverage they lacked in comfort and function,” she adds. “I always felt like I was compromising one element for the other. This is where I began to brainstorm ideas for modest scrubs and the inspiration for AVICENNA bloomed.”

As a student, Sabra did not have the funds available when her business inspiration first struck, so she waited a full year after first sketching out her initial designs before pursuing the idea further. She had just graduated and started working as a pediatric ICU nurse in Detroit inFebruary of 2020, so as COVID-19 began taking over the hospitals, she realized it was finally time. 

“Between my under-scrubs, scrub jackets, and the extra layers of PPE, I finally decided to take a leap of faith and began the process of creating my scrubs,” Sabra explains. 

Growing Her Business

As she launched her business—-continuing her work as a pediatric ICU nurse and adding the roles of a businesswoman, accountant, social media manager, customer service representative, and everything else that it took to run a successful business—Sabra relied on the skills she had learned as a nurse to pave the way. 

Along with supportive family and friends, Sabra credits the nursing skill of adaptability as being key in making the switch to working as an entrepreneur. “Being adaptable has allowed me to navigate the unpredictable business landscape, adjust strategies, and embrace change,” she explains. 

And while nursing and entrepreneurship may seem like different worlds, she adds that were several key areas where her nursing skills directly translated into success as a business owner: ”Nursing skills, such as adaptability, problem-solving, communication, stress management, and compassion, are highly valuable when starting a new business,” Sabra notes. 

Fortunately, Sabra’s hard work and adaptability have been paying off. Since launching AVICENNA Scrubs, the scrub line has sold out, been relaunched, and has shipped to almost all 50 states as well as internationally, a presence that Sabra hopes to expand in the upcoming years. 

“I am always looking to my customers to know what they would like to see next,” she notes. 

Modest medical wear may not be for everyone, but Sabra has found that her struggle to find scrubs that met her needs was not one she alone faced. She notes that since a relaunch of her brand in March of 2023—when the company took into account customer feedback and added improvements to their scrubs—she has connected with many women who have also been struggling to feel comfortable in their scrubs. 

“Hearing the phrase, ‘This is exactly what I have been looking for!’ is really what motivates me to continue growing and building this brand,” Sabra says. 

As with her journey to become a nurse, Sabra believes her journey as a business owner may not be straightforward, but it’s one that will always lead her in the right direction. 

“I won’t get into the specifics, but all I can say is that every turn I took, and every decision I have made, in one way or another led me here—and it’s exactly where I am supposed to be,” she says. 

All images courtesy of Sabra and AVICENNA Scrubs.