Anyone else call 'em johnnies?

ERnewbieRN, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2008

This is funny... I never realized they weren't referred to as "johnnies" outside of New England! I'm from New Hampshire and went to school in Connecticut, so people in both those places call them "johnnies." I tend to just call them gowns.

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Jul 28, 2008

New Englander here, we still call 'em johnnies and blue pads 'chux'

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2008

Here in Connecticut we call them Johnnies or Johnny coats in all the facilities I've worked in or did clinicals in.

However some nurses and techs did say to a patient "lets get you washed up and into a clean gown". Gown tended to be more of a hospital term and Johnny was the LTC.

For the record, the blue absorbant pads I've always know as and referred to as a "chux" or "chux pad"

morte, LPN, LVN · Jul 28, 2008

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38852

SheriLynnRN · Jul 28, 2008

Ok, so it's a New England thing! Good to know.... Here in Montana, where my hubby is stationed now, we call 'em gowns. I wonder where the term "johnny" comes from?

Coastie_wife · Jul 28, 2008

Wow, I actually never thought about it. I too am originally from MA and we always called them "johnnies". Why, I will never know. But know that you mention it, I have never heard that term in the south. We have been in VA, NC and TN over the past 3 years. I start a new job tomorrow in LTC here in NC, I let you know what they say here. I'm willing to bet it will be gowns though, that was what they were referred to in TN.

cariboujenny · Jul 28, 2008

I believe that Australian nurses call hospital gowns "Johnnies." I am currently reading a book by Suzanne Gordon Safety in Numbers (2008) ISBN: 9780801446832. This book about California and Victoria Australia mandated staffing ratios regularly refers to patient gowns as "johnnies."

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2008

I went to nursing school and was a CNA in Maine, and we always called hospital gowns "johnnies". When I got my first job out of school at a hospital in NC, I sure got some curious looks when I asked people where the clean johnnies were kept, usually they thought I was talking about a commode...hehehe
Anyway, my sister is in nursing school back home and we were chatting about this today, I was wondering exactly how regional of a term it is?

northeast term - hadn't heard that until I moved to Massachusetts. I just had this discussion last night with coworkers.... how weird is that.

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2008

I'm in Maine and the term "johnnies" is still going strong. That's what we called them in Nova Scotia too. Maybe it's a northeast thing. If they don't call them johnnies, what do they say?

hospital gowns.

leslie :-D · Jul 28, 2008

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38852

good to know, morte.

remind me to never offer a johnny to one of my british pts.:rotfl:

and yes, in mass- call them johnnies, chux.

those awful pink pads are transfer pads.

leslie

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2008

Ok, so it's a New England thing! Good to know.... Here in Montana, where my hubby is stationed now, we call 'em gowns. I wonder where the term "johnny" comes from?

see post by Morte - Johnny's also slang for a condom, coined by the Brits - which is another reason I don't feel comfortable telling someone to "slip into their johnny." Ha!!!! :yeah:

NurseKatie08, MSN · Jul 28, 2008

They're johnnies here in Boston...but then again, we drink tonic, push carriages in the grocery store & put jimmies on our ice cream...most of my friends from out of state never know what I'm talking about anyway!

We just call the pink quilted pads pads, and the blue smaller pads that go with the air mattresses pads. We have the blue chux, but don't use them for incontinence, I've seen them thrown down for dressing changes so we don't mess the bed.