To Ruby V... let me say this to you. As an ICU nurse, I was every bit as adamant against open visitation as you are. To say I hated it was to put it mildly. As I progressed in my experience and education, I was forced to look at actual research (some very good research on this topic came out of Australia some years ago) and not just rely on my own experiences and feelings. The USA is largely the last remaining country in the first world where open visitation is not more the norm than otherwise. The data show that family members tend to visit less often and "impose" on the nursing staff less when they are allowed at least some control over visitaion. Perhaps you could try open visitation during daytime hours, with "patient and family rest time" at nights. Anything to help the family stay involved. I remember the first time I suctioned a patient with his wife at the bedside, and much later the first time I had a patient with an open chest (pediatric) with his parents at the bedisde as I changed the dressing, with them gowned and masked as well. No fainting, shouting, or mishaps. I cannot say that there is one right answer Ruby, but I can tell you that I hope you will be more generous if you are ever my mother, father or family member's nurse. I know you remember what it was like when your dad was in ICU, but I suggest to you that much of what you related could have/would have happened whether there was open visitation or not. Now that I am "older", I cannot imagine it any other way. I very much respect your beliefs and thoughts and hope that you will mine as well as one colleague to another!
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open visitation
