Hospital gown
Encyclopedia
A hospital gown, also known as a patient gown, exam gown, johnny shirt or johnny gown, is a short-sleeved, thigh-length garment
worn by patient
s in hospital
s and other medical facilities.
that can withstand repeated laundering in hot water, usually cotton
, and is fastened at the back with twill tape
ties. Disposable hospital gowns may be made of paper
or thin plastic
, with paper or plastic ties.
Some gowns have snaps along the top of the shoulder and sleeves, so that the gown can be removed without disrupting intravenous lines in the patient's arms.
Healthcare workers, especially in hospitals, find thin hospital gowns convenient for listening to the heart and lungs. For nurses, giving injections in the buttocks, abdomen, or thighs is easier when the patient is wearing a gown rather than street clothing.
Hospital gowns are much thinner and looser than regular clothing, so patients are less likely to overheat.
Used paper hospital gowns are associated with hospital infections, which could be avoided by proper disposal.
women find it embarrassing and shameful to have to reveal their bodies, so in 2004, a Portland, Maine
hospital with Muslim patients started providing new, less revealing gowns. In 2008, x-ray
technician Tam Nguyen of Presbyterian Hospital of Allen created larger gowns with velcro
closures, for use in mammograms. The gowns are pink, in honor of breast cancer
patients.
In 1999, designer Cynthia Rowley
created new gowns that were mid-calf length, had a mock turtleneck and three-quarter length sleeves with snaps for women. She also created a gown with drawstring pants, a short sleeve shirt and a matching robe for men. in the same year, Missouri
state Representative
Sam Gaskill attempted to push a bill that would have required hospitals to provide patients with gowns that would cover the body from the neck to the knee, a bill which never made it out of committee.
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
worn by patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
s in hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and other medical facilities.
Utility
The hospital gown is made of fabricTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
that can withstand repeated laundering in hot water, usually cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, and is fastened at the back with twill tape
Twill tape
Twill tape is a flat twill-woven ribbon of cotton, linen, polyester, or wool.Twill tape is available in various widths, generally up to 1 inch , and a wide range of colors....
ties. Disposable hospital gowns may be made of paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
or thin plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
, with paper or plastic ties.
Some gowns have snaps along the top of the shoulder and sleeves, so that the gown can be removed without disrupting intravenous lines in the patient's arms.
Healthcare workers, especially in hospitals, find thin hospital gowns convenient for listening to the heart and lungs. For nurses, giving injections in the buttocks, abdomen, or thighs is easier when the patient is wearing a gown rather than street clothing.
Hospital gowns are much thinner and looser than regular clothing, so patients are less likely to overheat.
Used paper hospital gowns are associated with hospital infections, which could be avoided by proper disposal.
Modesty
Hospital gowns are known for not quite closing completely and for being revealing. There have been efforts to modify the gowns to better suit patients by reducing how much a gown reveals of the body; for example, some MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
women find it embarrassing and shameful to have to reveal their bodies, so in 2004, a Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
hospital with Muslim patients started providing new, less revealing gowns. In 2008, x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
technician Tam Nguyen of Presbyterian Hospital of Allen created larger gowns with velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
closures, for use in mammograms. The gowns are pink, in honor of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
patients.
In 1999, designer Cynthia Rowley
Cynthia Rowley
Cynthia Rowley is an American fashion designer. The fashion label she created in the early 1980s bears her name.-Background:...
created new gowns that were mid-calf length, had a mock turtleneck and three-quarter length sleeves with snaps for women. She also created a gown with drawstring pants, a short sleeve shirt and a matching robe for men. in the same year, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
state Representative
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
Sam Gaskill attempted to push a bill that would have required hospitals to provide patients with gowns that would cover the body from the neck to the knee, a bill which never made it out of committee.