Family and Visitation Rights

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In your professional experience, how has the definition of "family" come into conflict? Have you seen or experienced discrimination in a client's right to have their loved ones at their bedside? As nurses, we are obligated to care for our patients. What happens if the client is gay, and their partner wants to be present? Have you experienced any situations where you were not able to care for your client as well as you would like, due to policy or prejudice within the facility or the staff?

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Old saying; "God protect me from my friends, from my enemies I can protect myself." I let the patient decide what his family is. None of my business unless they interfere with care. Have had family decide they didn't like me based on looks, I guess. I just swap patients with another nurse. These are no win situations for the nurse, so I just refuse to play.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

Test, homework or interview?

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Non of the above. I think is interesting to hear different opinions about this topic that was bring out in my group of friends.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
in your professional experience, how has the definition of "family" come into conflict? have you seen or experienced discrimination in a client's right to have their loved ones at their bedside? as nurses, we are obligated to care for our patients. what happens if the client is gay, and their partner wants to be present? have you experienced any situations where you were not able to care for your client as well as you would like, due to policy or prejudice within the facility or the staff?

sounds like a homework assignment to me!

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
Non of the above. I think is interesting to hear different opinions about this topic that was bring out in my group of friends.

Awesome group discussion. Please share your groups opinions with us - it undoubtedly would make a great contribution.

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Well, the problem came out of working for Catholic Hospital vs working for a public hospital. there are regulations about visitations that don't apply to the privet hospitals. me and my friends were sad about something that happen to a same sex couple in the privet catholic hospital.

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Well is not a home work question. and if you don't feel like given an answer feel free to ignore the question.

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Well, the problem came out of working for a Catholic Hospital vs working for a public hospital. there are regulations about visitations that don't apply to the privet hospitals. me and my friends were sad about something that happen to a same sex couple in the privet catholic hospital.

I'm glad that you shared some context with us. We often have students post assignment questions who really expect us to fill in most of the blanks. As this robs them of an important learning opportunity, we are reluctant to do so. We do welcome the opportunity to discuss various options, once the information has been provided.

In your case, you might want to take a look into the hospital's Policy and Procedure manual to see if there are any specifics regarding visitation. You could also inquire about the source of the decision you were unhappy with. Was this an official hospital stance, or did it arise out of any particular person's objection. Is there a written rule or is this an unwritten "cultural" restriction.

That's a good place to start.

One question I have is did the incident take place with a patient who was conscious? The lines tend to blur with someone who is unconscious, especially if they have not named a Healthcare Power of Attorney.

The Catholic hospital I work for stresses respect for the patient and their family members. I have not seen the kind of limitations you are speaking of.

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if the pt decides the people at bedside are family, i dont ask and dont argue. family is like pain "it is what the pt says it is." no matter what i think about it! :)

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(sorry for the errors "typing from my phone")

Here is the deal. In the pass the PT wasn't allow to decide who he want at the bedside. in fact the the visitation regulations was only for Blood related family members and legal spouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ogA5zzi5c

After president Obama change the regulations only public hospitals are obligated to let the PT decide. who they want at the bed side, and to recognize same sex couple visitation rights.

Well not all hospitals are obligated, only those that work with federal funding.

There are privet hospitals and in my case a very Catholic Hospital that don't recognize same sex partners as a family members.

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(sorry for the errors "typing from my phone")

Here is the deal. In the pass the PT wasn't allow to decide who he want at the bedside. in fact the the visitation regulations was only for Blood related family members and legal spouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ogA5zzi5c

After president Obama change the regulations only public hospitals are obligated to let the PT decide. who they want at the bed side, and to recognize same sex couple visitation rights.

Well not all hospitals are obligated, only those that work with federal funding.

There are privet hospitals and in my case a very Catholic Hospital that don't recognize same sex partners as a family members.

So the question comes out again....

What happens if the client is gay, and their partner wants to be present? Have you experienced any situations where you were not able to care for your client as well as you would like, due to policy or prejudice within the facility or the staff?

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