Total Disregard for Visiting Hours

Nurses Relations

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Just curious to hear about other nurses experiences with the total disregard patient families have for visiting hours and hosptial policies. I have been a nurse now for 3 years and have split time between ICU and CVICU. Patient families skirt the rules all of the time and get away with it. Moreover, nurses I know have been reprimanded for inforcing policies set forth by the hospital after family memebrs complain to administration. I understand that since I work in critical care that that patient acuity is high and family memebrs are worried about the patients well being but, how are we as nurses expect to perform our jobs at the highest level if we can't care for the patient because 100 family memebrs wont stop asking the same questions over and over or crowd the room to the point we can't even see the patient? I sometimes feel that rules people normally follow in far less important situations go out the window when they eneter a hospital. You don't go behind the counter at McDonalds and watch them cook your hamburger or stand over the cashiers shoulder while they process your transaction. Why is this behavior allowed in the hospital setting?

I'm a new nurse and I am finding visitors and family a difficult thing to navigate. I haven't had any horrible experiences, but it does stress me out when I go into the room and I can feel 10 pairs of eyes on me watching every move I make. I try to be accommodate especially if the situation calls for it...but it is annoying/unsafe when I physically can't have direct access to the patient. The other day I had a large family with the sickest patient I've ever had, coming in groups of 5. My patient ended up coding and thank goodness my preceptor was there to politely, but firmly invite the family to leave as she is running with the code cart. Yikes! I need to grow some cajones.

Specializes in ICU.

I am happy to accommodate parents at the bedside 24/7 and will bring blankets and water and get them involved in their baby's care as much as possible. However, what I truly can't stand is siblings running around, going into other bed spaces, screaming, digging in the trash, laying on the floor, nearly tripping nurses and visitors... ugh! If your kids can't behave to the point where they are making the environment unsafe for both the nurses and themselves (oh my god, think of all the germs), they should not be there. We have a FREE sibling playroom available, so not being able to to get a babysitter is no excuse.

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
Yikes! I need to grow some cajones.

You need to grow some drawers?? :D Change 'a' to 'o' ... Don't worry, I know what you meant, LOL!

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

We have visiting hours pretty much all day. They are from 09-2100 but I have seen family members stroll on in right at 0600...an family members stay way later than 2100. We do not let children under 18 stay with a parent because that is a liability...sorry to them but it is.

I personally hate having a bunch of family members in the room watching me like a hawk. It makes me uncomfortable.

Maybe one day I will have the initiative of kicking family members out. I took care of a Hispanic patient (family oriented) and the room was PACKED...not to mention there were some very young children in there and I almost ran over one with my COW because 1. They were hiding behind the curtain and 2. I didn't even know small children were there because they weren't there an hour ago when I was in the same room. The family was also huddled around the patient so it made it difficult to do things...just very annoying imo.

Specializes in Geriatric Psychiatric.

UGH! The FLOOR! ewww I can't even imagine what types of nasties are growing there...

We have this happening now. oncology, we have a man who has been expected to die for several days. His family members have been camped out in the waiting room for four days now. With a passle of children including a toddler, who screams constantly. Other patients have started complaining about the nouse.

DylanB,

You have obviously never been a patient.

Chill.

I had a patient who was in afib with a rate in the 190's and severe respiratory distress due to pneumonia. We were transferring him to ICU, and we literally had to fight off the family to care for the patient. They were at the bedside trying to control our every move, yelling at us, questioning us, and their family member was dying right in front of them. Would administration back us up if the family complained? Probably not.... Even if the family puts the patient's life in jeopardy by interfering with the patient's care. By the way, pt was intubated, recovered, and went home a couple of weeks later.

I cannot stand obnoxious visitors!

I work in psych and I am very grateful that:

We have limited visiting hours.

If the family wants more time-- or a different time, they need a decent reason and a doctor's order.

If it is an elderly gentleman who has trouble getting a ride during regular hours, the doctor is more than happy to write the order, and we are happy to let the gent visit his wife in "off-hours".

However, if you are just a complete wanker who is physically intact, obnoxious and/or intrusive, and the only reason you want special off-hours is because you think you just need to "hang out" or "keep an eye on things", then heck no!

I will call the psychiatrist, I will present your request, we will talk about it... and then we will laugh at you.

We can kick people out.

I have no problem kicking people out-- never have, never will.

I have never heard tell about any nurse, tech, counselor, etc. ever being reprimanded for being firm and no-nonsense.

We will kick you out, discuss your outrageous behavior... and then we will laugh at you.

I do not think I could ever work in another field.

While we are very polite and professional, we can (and are expected to) set limits and enforce those limits.

There is no sugar-coating.

If you are intrusive, loud, aggressive, insulting, snooping, trying to have sex :dead:, etc. etc.... we will kick you out.

Oh, yeah... and laugh at you.

And I still want to plant land mines all along the parameter of the nurse's station, because that's where the biggest offenders like to congregate.

I'm sorry that you other folks can't do what we can, because once we remove the riff-raff, it is actually quite pleasant to be left with quiet and respectful visitors that actually lend something to the therapeutic side of things.

I don't know how old you are, but you sound like an immature person.

"This behavior is allowed in the hospital setting" because we are NOT at McDonald's. Family members want to be near their loved one in a time of crisis... and the patient needs their family .

As professionals, we understand .. and should embrace that relationship.

However, the nurse-patient relationship also needs to be respected by the family. It's all in your communication with the family.

Too many family members in the room, too many family "demands".. etc. needs to be addressed by the individual case.

Simply stating.. " I need everyone to step out now".. or... "please direct your questions to the designated spokesperson" will resolve any nursing concern.

We are NOT just taking care of the patient.. we also need to take care of their support group.

Yeah I wish I had a dime for every silly story about how "that nurse put this HUGE bruise on mah arm, it took a week to go away!" I just act unimpressed and say "Yep, it happens, doesn't mean the nurse did anything wrong" and keep going. It pains me when a layperson visitor wants to discuss all the ills that some horrible nurse committed upon THEM when THEY were hospitalized while their family member is lying in bed feeling horrible, dying, etc.

I cannot imagine "acting unimpressed" when families approach you with "silly stories".

Or being"pained" by a visitor.

Review the new CMS guidelines for reimbursement.

Isn't 24/7 visiting hours kinda considered the latest and greatest new trend: IE "Family Centered Care". I have no problems with this as long as the family member arent too disruptive and the pt can still get rest. Ive personally had family members that were critical that wanted us there 24/7.. Specifically my middle aged dad who had VRSA sepsis and osteomylitis, on heavy pain meds for 6 months in the hospital, did better waking up and seeing a familiar face..he often didnt know what was going on..and being an independent person all his life, he took comfort having the perception that someone else was there to watch out for him.

Now more then one or 2 people after visiting hours is unnecessary.

Gosh...I just think it helps to throw the families a bone sometimes. A little bit of kindness goes a long way..and if you rush them out of the room with every procedure..they end up feeling suspicious that something not right is going on...Have confidence that if you are providing quality care then it shouldnt matter who sees what you do...in fact you can explain what you doing and sometimes it lessens the fear for them..with the pt's permission of course.

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