A hospital gown is a thin gown that has back ties. It can be made of cotton or paper and is frequently used by patients in the hospital. Doctors' offices may also ask patients to change into a hospital gown before exams, and hospital gowns are common garb for a number of outpatient tests and procedures, such as mammograms, CT scans, or sonograms.
Disposable paper or paper / plastic hospital gowns are most often used in doctor's offices, because if a patient has to wear one for a few hours, they may feel cold and uncomfortable. The use of cotton robes is more cost effective and environmentally friendly because they can be rewashed and used again. Although gowns come in a variety of sizes, to accommodate anything from infants to adults large and small, few would call a flattering hospital gown attire. They are designed primarily for the comfort of doctors and nurses, rather than to suit fashion or even the privacy needs of patients.
A frequent complaint regarding the hospital gown is that even with back ties or snaps, the back is rarely fully covered. On the one hand, this gives doctors and other medical professionals easy access to administer vaccines in the rear or to switch patients who have a need to use the bathroom. On the other hand, getting out of bed, especially in a room shared with another patient, can reveal more about yourself than you would feel comfortable letting a large number of strangers (or friends and family know) know. You may want to ask if you can wear underwear if you stay in a hospital; Choose oversized full-coverage briefs or boxer briefs, rather than revealing thongs or bikini pairs. Another option is to bring a gown,
Sometimes when a hospital stay is long, you may not need to wear a hospital gown all the time, although there are certainly some "designer" gowns now, which can give you some variety in fabric patterns. However, you may be able to wear your own clothes, pajamas, nightgowns, or robes, and some believe this lifts the mood and makes hospital patients feel less victims or ill people. If you need to stay in a hospital gown and feel a bit naked, you can wear two, one that closes in the front and one in the back for privacy. When privacy is not just a personal need, but a religious one, there are some gowns that provide more coverage. In the 2000s,
People visiting other people in the hospital are often a bit embarrassed by the frequent nudity caused by inadequate coverage. While nudity in other public settings and places is not generally acceptable, in hospitals it is fully expected. It may take a bit of imagination, but you simply have to behave and pretend that the person is not nearly naked or that there is nothing abnormal in that state. Even Miss Manners suggests that the only polite course of action is to ignore anything you might accidentally see, so as not to embarrass a person wearing a hospital gown.