Anyone else call 'em johnnies?

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

I'm originally from New Jersey, lived in PA and FL, and now am happily in Arizona. I thougt everyone called gowns, "johnny coats" but I haven't used the term again out here since I asked a CNA for one and she looked at me as if I was from another planet and said, "What???" Said she never heard such a thing.

I don't know if it's regional or being politically correct, but I do know you need a language course to get into the field these days. Johnny coats are gowns. And diapers are briefs and bibs are clothing protectors.

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Specializes in oncology, telemetry, urology.

I had a good time reading this thread! I am from CT and after many years of nursing there, the term "johnnie" is so natural for me. Now that I am in AZ, I get so many strange looks if I use the term johnnie, that I have to make a conscious effort not to say it!

I never realized it was a term so concentrated in just the New England area.

Now when it slips out, I'll say "It's a New England thing" and know I'm not the only one!

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Specializes in long term care.

I am from Massachusetts and we have always called the hospital gowns johnnies. the pads that others are referring to we call chux. of course now with state surveys and new regulations they could be called just about anything now.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
my area of boston we drink soda

What area of Boston? I find that many 20-somethings in my peer group say soda, however I come from a long line of native Bostonians, and it has always been tonic in my house. Generally, the older population I take care of at work would call it tonic. I find it all depends where your family may have originated from. It was tonic for my parents growing up. Often, my friends who call it soda have one or both parents that were not born around here.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

it's a new england thing. i grew up in CT, and i still say johnnie for a patient gown. ive since worked in FL and NC and people look at me like im talking about a toilet.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
Oh my goodness, I live in Oregon and I along with everyone in my family "push carriages in the grocery store". I am always made fun of for saying carriages. I had no idea where the saying came from, but it all makes sense now...My grandma was born and raised just outside of Boston. Now I can tell everyone that makes fun of me where the saying came from. :yeah:

.

i say carraige in the grocery store too, and after living in the south for almost 7 years, i still laugh when my friends call it a "buggy"....

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Specializes in Operating Room.
What area of Boston? I find that many 20-somethings in my peer group say soda, however I come from a long line of native Bostonians, and it has always been tonic in my house. Generally, the older population I take care of at work would call it tonic. I find it all depends where your family may have originated from. It was tonic for my parents growing up. Often, my friends who call it soda have one or both parents that were not born around here.
I think soda is a New England thing too. I worked in PA for a while and they didn't call it soda, they called it "pop".

Both my parents were raised here and everyone I know calls it soda too.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

While in PA, a friend of mine mentioned that he was out of milk, I said why didn't he just stop at the milk store on the way home? :confused:Apparently, this was the funniest thing he'd heard in ages. But, around here, it's not uncommon to call convenience stores "milk stores" I grew up saying it..

We also call hoagies "grinders", call milk shakes "cabinets" and put vinegar on our french fries, which is another thing people would give me funny looks for!:D

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What area of Boston? I find that many 20-somethings in my peer group say soda, however I come from a long line of native Bostonians, and it has always been tonic in my house. Generally, the older population I take care of at work would call it tonic. I find it all depends where your family may have originated from. It was tonic for my parents growing up. Often, my friends who call it soda have one or both parents that were not born around here.

My fam, from ireland. but all my friends in highschool called it soda to

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Specializes in medicine. icu.

I'm an English nurse working in Canada and havent heard the term used here, BUT in the UK 'johnnies' are the more common name for condoms.:imbar

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Wow- I am just flabbergasted! It never occurred to me that the term "johnnie" is used no-where else to mean a patient gown! I know we New Englanders have many, many regional expressions for everyday things-but never knew that was one! :chuckle

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Specializes in L&D,postpartum nursery.

two years ago we had a lady that moved from the new england area and she called gowns johnies as well, coiuldn't for the life of me figure out why she wnated a bedside commode when all we were doing was cleaning up a fresh c-section patient, we still get a laugh out of that

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