This turned out to be a lot longer than I'd planned, but I'm a little freaked out.
Our unit (L&D) has a 5 visitor policy, but it's 'up to the nurse's discretion'. Fine, I can come on shift, be the *mean nurse* and clear out the 6 extra people in my room. When they policy was made, we were told to ask them once and then call security instead of getting into a war of the wills. For safety and privacy of other patients, family members are not allowed to be hanging out in the hallway waiting to hear baby cry. They've either got to be in the room with mom or in the waiting room.
So, the other night at work the room next to mine had 3-6 people hanging in the hall all night. They'd been asked to leave at least twice, but came right back. I had to *excuse me* through the crowd to get into my room with heart tones down, as did the other 3 nurses who came in to help. After everything was good, the others were leaving and I could still hear the party going on in the hall, I lost my patience and called security. I told the dispatcher they were hanging out in the hallway, had been asked to leave but came right back and could the guard just ask them to go to the waiting room.... thinking that he could just walk down to the room, explain to them the policy and have them head out to the waiting area. Soooooooo not what happened. He walked back and forth between the nurses stations a couple times (down the hall right in front of the group) and was still there when I had to push my way through the crowd to get to the desk. He was a little testy, all "what do you want me to do?" I said clear the hall, they've been asked to leave and keep congregating outside the room. They either need to be in the room or out in the waiting room because it's a safety issue (in case we have to run a bed back for a crash c/s) and a HUGE privacy violation (because they were all in the hall and got a front row seat to my patient in hands & knees with her bum in the air when doc walked in and left the door wide open) I don't know what he said, but they all left.
That patient had been pushing for a long while, and was taken back for a c/s for arrest of descent. The family wasn't notified, so when one of them came back to check on her progress and she wasn't in the room... the crap hit the fan. Understandably, and I feel bad they weren't made aware of the situation. I would be really upset too. So, after they find out she's in the OR, and get the scoop that it wasn't a stat case, they come back to the desk, ask to speak to me and my coworker (who had cleared them the first 2 times) and read us the riot act. I know *KNOW* there's gonna be a complaint letter written. And now, that I don't have heart tones down and I can look back, I screwed up. I know it. I didn't call my charge before security (not that we have to, but I'm sure that'll be the issue) because she's pretty passive when it comes to visitors, and they weren't listening to us lowly nurses anyway. And what makes it better? One of the visitors is a nurse, in our building...
Any suggestions for getting through the "you messed up" meeting? I've never been called to the principals office before and I just know I'm gonna:uhoh3:
