open visitation in critical care units

[grits]

I would like to respond to all the nurses working night shifts in critical care units. I have been a nurse for 25 years and I am now leaving my area of expertise because of the "open Visitaion" policy. That has been umplemented by young nurses trying to climb the ladder of management without the knowledge of patient care. Open visitation not only robs the patients of their privacy, it increases the liklihood of infection and overall poor outcomes for the patients. How many times have you been busy with your patient and your patient not properly clothed when another nurse allows visitors that come by your patient and look/ How do you feel about family camping out in your patients rooms-- food and beverages everywhere. Unable to get to your patient because of the visitors. Also, because of the scrutiny of the visitors, the patient doesnt get turned every 2 hours or suctioned as frequently and the overall care is less than optimal because of the mear presence of visitors. I am so discouraged that I wish I could leave this profession. I cannot do my job professionally and I do not feel good when my shift is over and I know that my patient did not recieve the care he could have or would have recieved if visitors were limited..

[pawashrn]

Open door policy allows families see exactly what we do and how damn well we do it. Always pull the curtain for privacy, teach the family the patient is the priority when it comes to your attention. set time lines for care and let the families know what they are. As far as drinks and food, your hospital is at fault, because if I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on specialized equipment I would not allow drinks and food in the room by staff or visitors. I plan may day in the morning with the family at the first visitation and I have never really had a problem. They only want what you want "what is best for the patient"

[Bontemps6]

The biggest problem we encounter with open visitation at the "nurses discretion" is the fact that we frequently have complaints filed at least with the Director's Office of various types of discrimination...ie a problem family member is asked to leave, they see other patients with visitors, make a bee line for the Director's Office. Since this is a government facility run by bureaucrats with nothing but CYA in their CSF, there is generally a nastygram (at best; at worst a counseling statement on improving staff communication skills) to follow due to the fact that we are always the ones in the wrong, and the individuals who was/caused the issue is likely to call/write their congressman with complaints...and of course we can't have that in a governmental Utopia. It ain't pretty, but it is what it is...and at least the benefits are good here...and the patients who make it all worthwhile. We provide excellent care despite the administrators and all the new theoretical nursing BS implemented to further someone's career or provide the data for the latest Master's thesis....and don't bother flaming me...I'm educated enough myself to grasp the concepts of current Nursing Theory...I just don't care to drink the Kool Aid...

[pawashrn]

with open invitation there must support from the administration of hospital. A proper pamphlet should be given to the families explaining that during periods of direct care the RN may ask that you leave the room for the privacy of the patient and the direct exposure that the person may come in contact with such as, blood, stool, urine and other body fluids and if the persons refuses the nurse should document that minimal care was provided due to the uncooperative family member and therefore visitation has been restricted for that patient. Don't leave it will just follow you, Nursing is only going down hill. We just had a camera installed to watch the nurses station. Smile your on candid f camera