ED Visitors Policy

Specialties Emergency

Published

What kind of policies do you all have in regards to visitors in your Emergency Department? I am very interested in what you guys do in order to keep yourself, patients and other families safe as well as faciliating family relations. Thanks!!

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In our ED we allow 2 at the bedside at a time, the rest can wait in the lobby, and switch out as needed. It is not always enforced.

I do enforce it when: medical staff doesn't fit, the visitors are driving me nuts, they steal chairs from other rooms, the pt becomes agitated...and so on...

I don't when: there is plenty of room, my pt is disoriented and I could use the extra eyes, end of life situations....and so on...

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Excuse my ignorance. What is the difference between Emergency department and Emergency room?

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Specializes in Emergency.

Same as kxvr.

ed=er. New name/old name. ERs used to be just that, a room. Bigger now. Names interchangeable.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
In our ED we allow 2 at the bedside at a time, the rest can wait in the lobby, and switch out as needed. It is not always enforced.

I do enforce it when: medical staff doesn't fit, the visitors are driving me nuts, they steal chairs from other rooms, the pt becomes agitated...and so on...

I don't when: there is plenty of room, my pt is disoriented and I could use the extra eyes, end of life situations....and so on...

Ours is the same, although I looked up our policy and it is limited to only 1 visitor, but have never really seen that enforced except for in the fast track area where we can see them and treat them without their extended family there

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I control the visitors before they go back.

Only 2 per room and I always give the doc at least 10-15 minutes after they get into the room to be seen. Then I call or go back there to make sure a visitor is okay with the nurse before taking them back.

You have to have a badge to get into our ED.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Pretty much the same as kxvc (what kind of music on that station?). Policy says 2. If they behave I tend not to notice until it gets to be more than 3, then I quote the policy to them. Works out as a good balance between my time, me being a badass nurse, and keeping the suffering masses happy.

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Wow! Sounds fantastic. I think that having to check in with a photo ID to get a badge/visitors sticker is really a great idea as well. What do you guys think?

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Wow! Sounds fantastic. I think that having to check in with a photo ID to get a badge/visitors sticker is really a great idea as well. What do you guys think?

An ID would really serve no purpose.

I would just find it a hassle and I think if I had to ask for ID when a husband is freaking out over his wife, that would send him over the top. Some of them come riding in on the ambulance with the patient. Not everyone carries their ID in their wallet with them 24/7.

If I'm on the phone with 911 for my hubby, the last thing I would think about is, "Oh I need my ID so I can get a visitors pass."

:twocents:

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Also, in regards to keeping everyone safe, I am at a Level 1 Trauma Center. We have security right here. And we have a metal detector (used at night.)

We also have a lot of cops and detectives that come through the ED on a regular basis. I see one at least every 30 minutes, and that's during the day. I can only imagine the amount of cops here at night from patients that are also criminals caught in the act or whatnot.

However, most of the issues happen in the visitors lobby, not in the actual ED. Though patients have been restrained quite a bit in the ED, the larger security hassle comes from the visitors. Especially at night in the summer. Hence the metal detector and security guards right at the front visitors door.

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