[cccnurse]

Our ER is a small critical access facility with 7 beds, 2 nurses and 1 doc. We only allow 1 visitor with adults and maybe 2 with peds. We simply do not have the room and/or the people to play all the games the visitors want to play.

Of course we usually get at least 1 nastygram a week in regards to our visitor policy. Fortunately for us our manager also works along beside us, and doesn't just push paper. This and one of our docs is the medical director for the facility, so these nastygrams usually get chuckled at and deposited in the proper plastic bag lined file.

[TraumaNurseRN]

We have a policy that allows one visitor back with the patient until the physician exams the patient. Then a second family member can come back. Many times more come back and I am the 2 family member only Nazi and get them to take turns. If they don't comply.....I call security and they escort them out. It gets to be pretty damn tight in those rooms to begin with let alone when everyone else comes in and hovers over the bedside.

[Anagray]

We have no policy on number of visitors. My personal take is that I really like having family around and I don't mind if there are more than 2 , even if sometimes they can make it difficult to care for my patients.
In our ER as along as staff and family have an understanding that pt needs rest and staff need access to their bedside, things usually run very smoothly.

[debanam]

Our policy is one at the bedside. In special circumstances, maybe two. Security regularly goes thru the ER and clears everyone out. Sometimes we have to call security to eject visitors who won't leave or who carry on. Usually their family member isn't that sick, if they were that sick we'd let them stay. It's pretty hard to provide care when you're tripping over family members, not to mention those who practice unlicensed bedside nursing/doctoring. But that's for another post.

[rgroyer1RNBSN]

We only allow 2 also, and 2 with peds, 1 with criticals at a time and they are not allowed to come back for 30 minutes if ems brought there loved one or they are a chest pain or critical and we have to stabilize them, I work in a massive level 1 trauma center and were always packed, so there isnt that much room.

I also agree about the unlicensed family nursing/doctoring it drives me up a wall.

For example the other day I had this nice old grandma with you guessed it the granddaughter from hell. Anyway I walk in the room to start her IV and give her demerol for kidney stones, and little ms.priss tells me that shes a BSN student at my hospitals school of nursing and were going to run the show how she wants it done, Im like ok, then she proceeds to tell me that she will start the Iv and push the med. whether I like it or not, well I said oh really, well how bout this im a BSN Im also the supervisor, and if you dont leave then Ill have security help you leave, well she left thank god!!!!!!!!!!

[CanERRN]

Ours is as many as want to come in - no limit - customer satisfaction is our motto.

Let me put this out there...I don't want to start anything ..... but ......
has anyone else noticed that the problem with overcrowding is much worse with a lower socioeconomic population. Along with that (in general) there tends to be a lower education level - and when these two are combined translates into an over crowding issue in the ER

[LilgirlRN]

The book says 2 at a time but because no one ever enforces it there may be 10 in a room with a patient. They also allow the whole family in during a code, so they can see that we did everything we could.

I am the triage nurse, I have a tiny office, so tiny that I can't get a large wheelchair in there and 7 people wanna come in with Meemaw. I'll say 2 immediate family members onky they look at me like a small child I took candy away from.

But really, can you imagine going anywhere else and having that many people come in with you? The bank would never allow that many people in to your deposit box with you. If you and 7 of your friends went shopping, the Gap won't let 7 people in your dressing room. If you go to the dentist, you don't bring your mom, dad, aunts and uncles just to be sure you're gonna be OK.

I would like no visitors until after all the work is done, then you can have as many as you want.

[MN BigJ]

Our policy is 2 or per RN's discretion; for example, more than 2 for dying pt, 0 visitors for the drunk a-holes unless it is their sober ride.

[sharksgal]

Originally Posted by Anagray

We have no policy on number of visitors. My personal take is that I really like having family around and I don't mind if there are more than 2 , even if sometimes they can make it difficult to care for my patients.
In our ER as along as staff and family have an understanding that pt needs rest and staff need access to their bedside, things usually run very smoothly.

If only all our ERs could be in this perfect world of harmony between visitors and staff....
But back to reality..."excuse me, pardon me, I'm just trying to reach the Lifepak and the hands-free paddles, I hope you don't mind if I step in and try to save your loved one"

[Natingale]

Theyre FINALLY going to implement 2 visitors at the bedside NO ONE under 12 (visitors that is)

Cant wait