Hospital that bans family members

[paramedic-RN]

Normally I don't mind family members that much however after a recent string of AWFUL, rude, demanding family members I'm feeling a little jaded toward them right now. A co-worker sharing in my frustration mentioned that she used to work in an ICU in Alabama that only allowed family members between the hours of 8-830. I"m assuming that was both am and pm although I didn't clarify. Granted ICU's tend to have more strict visitor policies then other department so maybe the rest of the hospital was different. But I thought to myself 'what a magical place, I would drive out of my way and take a pay cut just to work there.' So that got me thinking, does anyone know of any hospitals more specifically ICU's in and around Austin, TX that have similar visitor policies? Also, what do you think about that?

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Yeah, let's ban the nearest and dearest from their loved one's side because they annoy us. We'd all appreciate that when those we care for are ill.

Just saying, if I was getting in my loved one's nurse's face and asking for coffee while that nurse was trying to hang critical drips on my loved one, and trying to interrupt her and getting upset when she wouldn't stop what she was doing to get my coffee right then, I'd really hope someone would kick me out or at least put me in my place.

Sometimes the visitors are more than just annoying.

Random warning ahead: I don't know about you guys, but my workplace is always comparing healthcare efficiency and airline efficiency, feels like. One thing that strikes me is that on a plane, everyone has to behave. In a hospital, nobody has to behave, and visitors are allowed to interfere with critical activities being performed by hospital staff in the name of the almighty satisfaction score. If someone tried to screw with the pilot on a plane, you can bet an air marshal would have that person on the ground in cuffs in a hot minute. I'm a little tired of the airline comparisons when we can't treat our disruptive visitors like disruptive airline passengers are treated.

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I know family members can be annoying and demanding, but...

Picture your loved one being in a hospital bed, especially critically ill, and now imagine that you could not visit them at all or if so, only for a half hour. You have a half hour for every close family member to say their I love you's AND to ask questions of the medical professionals.

Now... picture that family member going into cardiac arrest and not coming back. You only got to spend a half hour with that person, and only 5 minutes talking to them directing because all the other family members wanted a turn. You won't get to see or talk to them again alive.

Now... Imagine you are the one IN the bed. You have been in ICU for days now and are a bit disorientated because of the medications and setting. You are unsure if your family has been present because during their half hour visit you were to snowed to hear or see them. You wonder if they even care about you since they aren't even visiting. Why should you get well if no one cares?

I realize family members can be a nuisance, but remember they are vital to patients healing and well being. They are the familiar face in the room when the patient is experiencing an uncertain time. When I have a high maintenance family member I tend to put them in their place sooner rather than later. I am not rude, but I also am not a door mat for them either. You would be surprised how well it works! I will say if my family member was in an ICU and the hospital said I could only visit a half hour or hour a day I would have them moved! It is our job as nurses to educate family members, especially if they are over visiting and not letting the patient get rest, but you can't shut them out totally that is not good!

Annie

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I didn't see where anyone advocated only a half hour or an hour all day for visitation. Did I miss it? The OP re deference sa 12 hour window.

[CaliBoy760]

Working the NOC shift will significantly lower your exposure to family members...

[BumbleBuddy]

Working the NOC shift will significantly lower your exposure to family members...

Or greatly increase your exposure to the CRAZY family members...

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

My opinion may be controversial...do I believe in visitation hours? Heck, yes!

I, too, have been the family member of the critically ill patient. My mother was in a coma while awaiting a liver transplantation and my father and I didn't know whether she'd live or die. In spite of our emotional states, we did not menace the staff or dare to ask them for refreshments. By the way, I was a factory worker back then, not a nurse.

A sick family member is no excuse for deplorable behavior toward nursing staff. The public needs to be kept in line and made to behave with common decency.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I have the experience of being both a nurse and a loved on who had a family member in the hospital. My loved one was on the brink of death for days and I pretty much lived in that ICU hospital room during that time. I left during shift change, never asked for anything from the nurses, and stayed the heck of out the way. The nurses were more than happy to work with me on this and I was never asked to leave, except when a procedure was about to be done, which I had not interest in being part of anyway. I think policies are in place for good reason, but if a family member is respectful, that should be taken into consideration.

Now when he was transferred to Med-Surge things were different. I had to return to work, but my hubby and I tried to pull shifts so that the majority of the day someone was there.. My biggest concerns was my father was NPO and they kept bringing him trays of food and water. He literally could not swallow and yet was desperate to eat (who wouldn't be) so anything they put in front of him he of course tried to eat. One episode led him being sent back to the ICU because he aspirated on his food again. There were signs on the door, orders in the chart, etc. Then there was the time they tried taking him for a scan, but he wasn't the right patient. I honestly thought they were going to kill him. It was scary. I still remained respectful, but you better bet I had more than one conversation with the Charge Nurses and Unit Manager about his "less than stellar" care.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Awkward story moment. They palliatively extubated my grandfather right before visiting hours were over. There were probably ten of us in his ICU room, waiting for him to die, when his nurse comes in to kick us out because visiting hours are over. We had to beg the charge nurse to let his kids stay. He died about thirty minutes after the rest of us left.

[nurseactivist]

Yeah, let's ban the nearest and dearest from their loved one's side because they annoy us. We'd all appreciate that when those we care for are ill. We often had no more than two visitors in patient's room at one time. It seemed to work well.

I agree. If I want or need visitors it should be allowed. (I am not talking critical care). I think L and D should allow the partner and others can visit after delivery.

However, I know the short comings of nursing and medicine. When m 80plus year old father had a total hip replacement, I stayed 24/7. Partly because of the shortcomings of hospitals but more importantly, he went in alert and oriented and I wanted to make sure he came home the same way. In addition, I know that he can be bit stubborn at times and I could get him to do anything.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Awkward story moment. They palliatively extubated my grandfather right before visiting hours were over. There were probably ten of us in his ICU room, waiting for him to die, when his nurse comes in to kick us out because visiting hours are over. We had to beg the charge nurse to let his kids stay. He died about thirty minutes after the rest of us left.

I am not a fan of black and white policies, at all. When my grandfather was dying in the ICU, we stayed with him from about 8PM, when the nurse called us to tell us the time was near, until 5AM when he passed away. No one said anything about visiting hours. It's a different situation when there is an imminent death.

When I was 19, I had brain surgery. I remember when they came to take me to pre-op, they told me that my Mom couldn't come with me because I was an adult. Fortunately, the nurse had a little bit of a heart when they took me away from her and we were both crying and let her come but c'mon, that's a little ridiculous to force a scared 19 year old (who was convinced that something horrible was going to happen to her in surgery) to spend an hour in pre-op by herself.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I've been the "family member" of a really sick hospitalized patient many times now. Most of which were before I was a nurse. NEVER would I have dreamed of acting like some family members do.

I work in the OR. So I rarely have to deal with family members. Generally it's 10 or so minutes to meet them and conduct my assessment and interview. And then all I have to do is help provide updates to families (over the phone... :) ). For some pedi patients, a parent will accompany them to the OR and be present for anesthesia induction. Once we've induced, we escort the parent out of the OR. It's always hard because you really have to watch parents - they're never really prepared to see anesthesia induction on their kiddo.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

We have open visitation; I don't know of any that have strict visitation hours. For most GSW/assault victims, we restrict visitation to 2 visitors; if the pt is intubated, their next-of-kin determines the two. Once the pt is extubated, they are allowed to choose the 2. This is for security purposes. Now if the assailant was a family member and apprehended, that's very different...but most of these cases are gang-related, or they don't know who the assailant is--THOSE cases we have tighter security.

Also, if the family member is difficult to the point of interfering with the care of the pt, we reserve the right to have them removed from the unit. If it's verbal aggression, we'll warn them about the behavior first; if they are actually making threats or getting physical (including getting in the RN's face), we get out of the room and have security take care of it immediately.