FAMILY PAINS

[GRUNGE]

I work the night shift at a hospital. I was told during report that my pt family was complaining because the pt was not sleeping at night. I walked into the room and there was the pt curled up in the corner of the bed while her three family members were carrying on a rather loud conversation with each other with the television on full blast. Oy with the families and there nonsense. How is the pt supposed to sleep with them there till all hours of the night. They invented visiting hours for a reason i guess.

[lkwashington]

I have asked family members to leave if I feel they are interferring with my patient healing and resting time. A quiet environment is very important part of the healing process. You could have called the nursing supervisor handle the situation if you felt is was a problem. Other patients could have felt the same about the patient family members.

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

You can legally ask family members to leave as that is all part of patient care and healing.

I remember an old nurse telling me once that after any illness/injury whatever, that the best way for the body to heal is to actually properly REST and not do much - that is why hospitals have beds! And we seem to forget that this is part of nursing, informing the patient of such and that they must rest. I myself have stopped patients, with Drs/senior nurses support, going out for say a walk or cigarette breaks cos their BP was too high for example. The patients have always complied as I think deep down they like being ordered around in a nice way though.

In the hospital I was working at not long ago, visiting hours are strictly enforced and no visitors are allowed in confidential patient care areas. When the announcement comes on at 8pm to leave, visitors HAVE to leave. If they have a problem with that, security guards can and are called (I've only seen this happen once though). You as a nurse can actually enforce your own visiting hours too. I have told family members if I think my patient is too sick that they cannot visit, or to restrict visiting times. Many people understand because I always explain that quietly resting is very much a big part of healing.

No wonder your patient couldn't sleep. Do they think they were in a hotel?

[nursie nurse]

yes visiting hours need to be enforced.....these family members are really out of control! Unfortunately some hospitals (in my experience) are reluctant to **** anybody off in the name of their precious Press Ganey scores so they will bend to the family before they support the nurse....unbelievable!

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

I've had patients thank me for ejecting their posse. Somebody should tell visitors that a brief visit shows you care, a long visit stresses the patient who feels like they need to entertain or interact the well meaning visitors who camp out.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

that situation is a good argument for having -- and enforcing -- visiting hours!