Locked I.C.U

U.S.A. Massachusetts

Published

Specializes in critical care.

Hi

We are having an issue with adminastration regarding visiting hours and our open ,unlocked I.C.U. administration refuses to lock our unit or limit vistors. We have lost control of our unit. People come in and out whenever.No matter what is going on ,the visitors have even been qawking at codes! We have privacy and saftey issues galore on our unit.(including a recent incident with a very unstable family member)

We feel we need to be able to control out enviorment during certain times,ie shift change, codes,adls,and so,on. At this time, It is an unlocked unsupervised "come on in and bring your nieghbors on in, too" kind of unit! Visitors are everywhere including listening to our verbal reports at shift change,or standing outside another patients room waiting for us. We need to know what is going on in other ICU's(note out E.R. is a locked unit)help. Also how are You dealing with this HIPPA In the Units?

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I work on a telemetry unit. But, our ICU is designed where charge report is given to staff nurses there. Sometimes, I see report given staff RN to staff RN on the unit. It is given at the desk between the 2. It does not seem to be an issue with HIPPA because visitors are not surrounding the desk. They do have a visitor policy: i don't know what it is. But, I do not think it is that strict. On telemetry, we do not enforce a visitor policy. But, our policy is no more than 2 visitors with a patient at a time. We usually have many visitors at one time.

I like to remind my patients that they need rest and can feel free to voice that need to me if not to their family. As a professional, I feel that you can use your own judgement and voice that judgement to the visitors. I am getting more comfortable with that as I get more experienced. My suggestion is if there is no policy, take that freedom and run with it using your judgement.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... We feel we need to be able to control out enviorment during certain times,ie shift change, codes,adls,and so,on. At this time, It is an unlocked unsupervised "come on in and bring your nieghbors on in, too" kind of unit!...

Management definitely needs to look into this, IMHO.

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Specializes in critical care.

THEY LOCKED US!!!!!!!!!

yahoo

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Specializes in ER.

Thank goodness, now make sure that they are only locking visitors OUT...and not you IN :p)

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Specializes in critical care.

rotflmao! With our mass exit out of the unit(11 in 3 months) I was wondering the rationale behind the locks. Now dawn hits..............,,,,,

!QUOTE=canoehead]Thank goodness, now make sure that they are only locking visitors OUT...and not you IN :p)

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