The clothing patients wear in a hospital is not a matter of style but a deliberate choice driven by medical necessity, hygiene, and accessibility. This attire must facilitate rapid medical intervention, allow constant monitoring, and meet rigorous infection control standards. The garments provided to patients are designed to balance these functional requirements with the need to preserve a patient’s comfort and dignity during their stay.
The Standard Patient Gown and Its Purpose
The most recognizable piece of hospital apparel, often called a “johnny,” is the standard patient gown. This loose-fitting garment is typically constructed from a durable cotton or polyester blend that can withstand the high-temperature industrial laundering required for sterilization and infection control. The design prioritizes easy access to the patient’s body for diagnostic procedures, physical examinations, and treatment.
The infamous open back serves a direct functional purpose, allowing healthcare providers immediate and unobstructed access to the spine, buttocks, or chest for procedures like epidurals, listening to the lungs, or placing monitoring equipment. Modern variations often include ties or snaps along the shoulders and sleeves, which allow the gown to be removed quickly without disrupting intravenous (IV) lines or cardiac monitoring wires. These gowns are standardized to ensure uniformity and cost-effectiveness in a high-volume setting, while also providing a basic layer of modesty.
Specialized Attire for Medical Procedures and Safety
Beyond the standard gown, patients may be required to wear specialized garments tailored to specific medical situations and safety concerns. For instance, patients undergoing surgery or procedures like labor and delivery are often given specific procedural scrubs. These items are designed to be easily removable and are used to ensure the patient is in a clean, standardized garment before entering a sterile environment.
A common specialized item is the anti-embolism stocking, often referred to as TED hose, which provides graduated compression to the legs. This firm pressure assists in circulating blood and is a primary method for reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots, in immobile patients. Furthermore, specific diagnostic tests require specialized clothing; for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, patients must wear metal-free clothing to prevent injury or image distortion from magnetic interference. Some hospitals also use color-coded gowns for patients in isolation to signal to staff the presence of a specific infection control requirement.
Bringing Your Own Clothing
While hospital gowns are mandatory for many procedures and for patients requiring constant, immediate access, personal clothing is often permitted as the patient recovers and becomes more mobile. Patients on non-critical care floors or those with long-term stays are often encouraged to wear their own pajamas, robes, or comfortable loungewear. Wearing personal items can significantly improve a patient’s sense of control, dignity, and psychological well-being.
Personal clothing is generally recommended for activities like physical therapy, where a patient needs greater mobility and coverage than a gown provides. When packing, it is helpful to bring items that are loose-fitting, easily removable, and comfortable, such as two-piece pajamas or a lightweight robe.
However, patients and their families should be aware that hospitals do not typically provide laundry services for personal garments. Additionally, personal clothing may be subject to contamination or loss during a hospital stay.