Best way to get rid of visitors

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I have just started a new job doing double shift weekends.It is extremely hectic. It seems that everytime I get a chance to do something to a patient such as a dressing change, IV antibiotic etc I always have an audience.:banghead: I would like to be alone when I do these things. Having an audience just makes me so nervous. What exactly is the most polite thing I can say to get these people to leave the room?

you should ask visitors to leave the room not due to your lack of experience but because it is your job to provide the patient with privacy. this isn't about you but about the patient.

if you ask them them leave and they don't leave and the patient isn't requesting they stay then you call security. the patient has the right to privacy and it's your job to ensure that happens.

i totally agree, since when did nursing/patient care time turn into audience participation i want to watch everything and comment on everything time. the nurses, rt's, cna's, etc. are providing services to the patient and they do not have the luxury of scheduling the care of the patient around the schedule of the visitors. the minute a member of the healtht care team regardless of their job, the television should turned off, the phone should be hung up and the room should be cleared of visitors, so the care of the patient can be the total focus. god knows nurses have enough to do without adding crowd control to their list of duties. it is one thing if the patient feels they really must have someone there for whatever reason, they are scared, or something of that nature. other than that and only if really appropriate, out they go.

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Specializes in Emergency, outpatient.
I tell em if you don't sleep or live with em you don't need to be in here right now!

That's a good way to weed'em out!

It is a tough spot for some patients to ask their friends/family to leave the room...

That is SO TRUE! Pts so often don't want to be the bad guy; when I get a family group, I do my best to have a moment with the pt alone (like in the bathroom or something) to ask what they want me to do with all these visitors; I tell them I will take care of it for them. And I do, any way I can. I have sent family home to get Mom's favorite blanket and picture, or anything else I can dream up if the patient and I need time.

It was a great idea to get another nurse to assist/support, too. Maybe a visit from the charge nurse or an administrator/pt advocate might help, too, before you call security or the popo.

Privacy issues aside, the nurse's insecurity about performing a procedure is not sufficient reason to chase out family. If you are not sure about yourself with a certain procedure, get some help. Take the procedure manual out and review; maybe even take a copy in the room with you. I've known critical care nurses and other ED nurses to do that quite often, especially with procedures that involve a lot of specific steps. That's your responsibility as a professional. You can do it!!

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Specializes in CCU, CIU, Cathlab, EP lab.

If it is anything beyond passing routine meds, or mini-assessment, such as dressing

changes, etc.. I have always assembled my stuff outside the door, and drag it all in..

If they don't get the hint, I then ask them to step outside for a minute. Most of the time, they will ask me how long..and if it will be a while, I suggest the cafeteria..

I will say this though, I think there is some value in learning to ignore those visitors who have the client's permission to hang around...As the provider, I guess I have been taught to look at the client as a customer, who's wishes are to be respected.

The point of my last statement is that it is hard to get 'used to' something, if it is always avoided, and it turns out that just when I need to be 'used to' something, is when I will not be afforded the opportunity to change it...hence, my reasoning.

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Thanks all. I think I'm going to start with the "I need you to step out of the room for a few moments." What would you say to a visitor who says "No, I am not leaving. I'm going to watch what you are doing?"

I once had to insist the visitor leave. Not only was this lady a nurse and verrrrry intense... she was also one of the owners of the LTC this happened at! The patient was her parent who was extremely fragile and moving them was an excruciating and stressful procedure. It took every ounce of concentration to care for this patient and a hawk-eyed on-looker was not helpful. She made it worse.

I politely told her so. She got miffed but I stood my ground.

It, also, did INDEED take quite some time to position this patient properly with little pain as possible (though the patient still suffered so, poor dear).

I just didn't feel the daughter was going to be helpful and she was already fixed to criticize. I did not feel she could handle watching her parent in sheer torture, though we were SO tender with them. I feared she'd still accuse us of being "rough". I wasn't going there!

Her family (remember THE owners) came back to me afterward and apologized to me for her behavior (which was threatening and rude) and reassured me I had done the right thing!

Sometimes, you just know what works and what doesn't and you have to stand your ground.

To this day, when I say you "may" step out, I mean "scram"! And only because you can just tell who can handle it and who can't.

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Specializes in CCU, CIU, Cathlab, EP lab.
I once had to insist the visitor leave. Not only was this lady a nurse and verrrrry intense... she was also one of the owners of the LTC this happened at! The patient was her parent who was extremely fragile and moving them was an excruciating and stressful procedure. It took every ounce of concentration to care for this patient and a hawk-eyed on-looker was not helpful. She made it worse.

I politely told her so. She got miffed but I stood my ground.

It, also, did INDEED take quite some time to position this patient properly with little pain as possible (though the patient still suffered so, poor dear).

I just didn't feel the daughter was going to be helpful and she was already fixed to criticize. I did not feel she could handle watching her parent in sheer torture, though we were SO tender with them. I feared she'd still accuse us of being "rough". I wasn't going there!

Her family (remember THE owners) came back to me afterward and apologized to me for her behavior (which was threatening and rude) and reassured me I had done the right thing!

Sometimes, you just know what works and what doesn't and you have to stand your ground.

To this day, when I say you "may" step out, I mean "scram"! And only because you can just tell who can handle it and who can't.

I took report on a homeless client (who somehow had managed to have girlfriend who was visiting) who had come back from a three day battery of testing, which just happened to include various and sundry IV analgesics..i.e MS

the first day for angina, then the cath meds, bla bla.. Anyway, he was for discharge after the results of his

heart scan came back (ordered because he threatened to sue the doc that was so blessed to be assigned to him)

IF they were negative..And they were, so I had the distinct pleasure of getting him ready to travel.

When I walked in (first meeting) He immediately started feigning CP. I did a quick set of vitals and then

informed him I was aware of his recent history, and that Dr. So n So had discharged him.

He jumped out of bed and began pulling his pants on over his gown..screaming and throwing crap around the room.

His 'girlfriend' started her own set of 'symptoms', as I stuck my head out to my partner and 'asked' her to call security.

The man sort of settled down..and I tried to piece the situation back together...

We came to an agreement that if he would allows me to remove his heplock, and sign a AMA form,( the doc did want to say good bye) He could be on his way.

At some point in the signing of the AMA (with me standing there like a statue with my partner) he succumbed to the withdrawal a little more, and ripped the form and threw it, and some other stuff at us.. As he stomped down between the stations and the rooms towards the elevators, myself and a few other of the staff followed along..Me asking for the heplock, and we all converged at the elevators.

He had pushed the wrong buttons and was about to go up, instead of down..and when the correct doors opened, I pointed at them, and in he went...with me and four or five other staff members..It was too much for him, and we

tackled him, after locking the elevators between the floors.

We got the heplock, and he played possum on us. The two of us from the unit realized that he may in fact be

syptomatic..(unlikely, but possible) so we grabbed a gurney, and took him to the ER.

There, he peeked out long enough to notice the MD that was attending was a pretty new intern..So he quickly became A & O x 4.. ;) We managed to 'glean' enough reality out of the situation to get the AMA signed..

By the time he walked out into the ER parking lot, a nice deputy was there to escort him off the property..I then heard that his girlfriend was back up on the floor..with CP ...:banghead:

THEN..he was pulled back around tot he ER, by the deputies..and admitted to the 7th floor uh oh.. But the day was young.

At some point, he bashed a deputy in the face with something..so they took him to a now closed county operated

facility, infamously referred to as 'Wing E' *spooky music*

Visitors..Who needs em..:chuckle

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Specializes in LTC.

Be matter of fact and firm but courteous at the same time. I understand the family wanting to be there for the patient, but there are times when it's not really appropriate.

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Specializes in ICU,ICU stepdown, Private Duty.

I always say this..

I'm sorry you may have to step out for about x minutes and I will let you back in once I'm done.

If they are adamant- I lean on privacy- If I had a choice I would let you stay in, but for the sake of the patient's privacy please step out and I will be glad to let you back in...

I have never had issues as such... Knock on wood.

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I have had visitors stay even when I firmly tell them to step out. And I have pulled curtains on a few like this too. Never had any step into the patient area especially if the patient did not say no let them stay. And we do bedside report and I tell everyone to leave. I just say "We are about to do change of shift report and everyone needs to step out for x amount of minutes." Like I said earlier most go. My coworkers call me the kickout nurse. I have also had a many of patients tell me thank you for asking their visitors to leave for a while because they were being overstimulated or just needed some alone time or wanted to nap. Security works like a charm too especially in an emergency. I worked in an ICU and there were 4 family members in a room and the patient started to code. Now you all know ICU rooms are TINY. We did not have room to get the cart in and they would not budge. We had the cart right outside the room and one family member almost had her foot steped on when my coworker went to do CPR. Security was called and they were escorted out.

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what are you supposed to say if your hospital is really big on patient and family centered care? I've had families complain that we kick them out of the room when we have to do procedures on the pt and that we arent focusing on "patient and family centered care"!!!

Let 'em empty the Foley bag, and wipe up the code brown. That should quickly stop the desire to stay in the room and play nurse. :chuckle

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Specializes in ICU.
Years ago as a student nurse I asked some visitors if they had a home to go to.

:roll:rotfl: I had to share this one with my hubby - he wanted to know what was so funny!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I find that people clear out pretty quickly when I announce that I need to give a suppository.

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Specializes in med-surg, teaching, cardiac, priv. duty.

Saw this thread and had to share a story from about 5 years ago that I remember like it was yesterday. Families/Visitors USUALLY leave if I just politely ask them too. Generally not a problem. However, one time I had to do a urinary cath on a young (early 20's) female. She had a room FULL of visitors. First let me tell you a bit about the pt - She was at home and her boyfriend decided to shoot her in the arm with his gun. The he feels bad, and drives her to the hospital to have the gunshot wound treated. On way to hospital, they get in a car accident and the girlfriend now breaks her leg. The ER decides to do a tox screen and a pregnancy test. Both are positive! I forget what drug was in her system. She had NO idea she was pregnant. Anyways....she is admitted and I am the staff nurse. She needs a urinary cath done and has a room FULL of visitors. I am in the south, and these visitors are all what we would call "rednecks"! I politely ask everyone to step out. The PATIENT then protests that she wants all her visitors to stay in the room!!!!! I clarified that she understands the procedure I was going to do, and she did, and she insisted that everyone stay! Ugh! I then proceed to set up for the cath (feeling rather nervous with a big audience!) and when I look down there to clean her, she is full of yucky lady partsl drainage. She realizes I am having to do some "extra" cleaning and she asks me about it and I inform her of the drainage. Then she precedes to share stories with the visitors in her room about a friend of hers who had green lady partsl drainage once. Well, I had difficulties getting the cath in....ugh....had to go get help. Finally we got the cath in her. What a nightmare!!!!!!!!!

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