I'm a graduate nurse (took my NCLEX last week) and I work on a postpartum floor in a rural hospital, and for the most part, I love it. I'm just a little baffled by some of the visitors we get -- we get them at all times of the day and night, regardless of when the delivery was. Visiting hours end at 9pm and people seem to think that they can just come waltzing in b/c the mom delivered after 9pm. It's like HELLO? This woman's been in labor all day, has been through a delivery and it's now BEDTIME!! I've had patients that have had probably 10 people in our little private rooms less than 5 minutes after we get them into the bed on the postpartum unit. And then, while you're doing frequent vital signs and have to check the patient's fundus, lochia, etc., the people in the room make a big deal of us asking them to step out! What's the deal? I realize this is a big thing, new member of the family and all that, but good grief! Provided there are no complications, mother and baby will be home the following day - does everybody and their dog really need to come visit in the hospital?
Anybody else feel this way? Thanks for letting me vent...
Just be glad that you have visiting hours. We do not. I asked "WHY?!?" Because we are a "family birth center!" ARGH! How completely ridiculous can you get? The family that is is being born is the mother-child (and hopefully, father). I do not need 20 people coming to visit the new mother at 0200!
mother kept calling ever 5 to 10 minutes asking her how much longer and when was she going to give in and get c/s.
WHAT A B**CH!!!!! I'm sorry, but if my mother pulled a stunt like that, she'd have some serious butt-kissing to do before I let her lay even an EYEBALL on her grandchild. Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that burns me up.
I felt the same way SHAY, you can only guess how burned up i got over it, i was so mad i could hardly talk . which is an amazing feat in it self for me,:)
**gasps in horror as the color drains from my face**
I cannot imagine not having visiting hours, that would make me absolutely insane...
It is horrid. I don't know who had the bright idea. I can see if it was just the FOB or one or two support persons. A few weeks ago I had a pt who had SROMed at barely a fingertip and high enough to need to have elbow length gloves. She had 6 or so people in her room all night. Get this, while she slept! They weren't the cleanest of people either, so the entire room smelled like feet. I gagged every time I went into the room!
I had just started working in L&D at a brand new, state of the art, "family birthing center" about 10 yrs ago. One day a lady passed me in the hallway holding a child about 18 mos old. I suddenly noticed the child was COVERED in a red rash a blind man couldn't miss. I turned and ran to her and asked her where she was going and was her child "sick" (it was OBVIOUS she was contagious with roseola)!! She snipped that she was going to visit her sister who had just given birth!!! She was furious that I should ask her to leave and she started to get upset. At that moment security came thru for their regular rounds and I told her the implications of her exposing the new baby, as well as ALL of our new babies. Matt, the security guard stopped by and she took one look at him and left in a huff. I always wondered if she was stupid enough to try to visit that poor baby at home and bring in the sick child. Some people just don't care or are too stupid to care. The problem is, we are the bad guys for trying to prevent disasters. The one thing I miss about the old days is the nurses had control over visitors and nurses were respected. It made a difference. I have had to step over little ones, sitting at the foot of the labor bed and chewing on toys in the floor (YUK)!! as I try to get to the pt. When I have been the bad nurse and tried to run them out, the docs (some of them) will let the "guests" back in and make me look bad!!! One day, when the entire neighborhood stays around and sees something they shouldn't (like a miss deformity or hemorrhage or seizure) it will be too late. I'm for more strict limits on who and how many in a labor room!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
we need to be family-centered and friendly, but, these people really DO stretch the limits beyond belief. ROSEOLA...omg the GENE POOL IS WAY CONTAMINATED, time for serious CHLORINE! OR A GOOD CAN OF RAID to get rid of these pests!!!! JEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!
By the way, ADN2002, CONGRATS on PASSING THE BOARDS!!! WELCOME TO THE GREATEST AREA OF NURSING THERE IS, IN MY OPINION!!!!! WAY TO GO!!!:biggringi :balloons: :blushkiss
And then, while you're doing frequent vital signs and have to check the patient's fundus, lochia, etc., the people in the room make a big deal of us asking them to step out! What's the deal? I realize this is a big thing, new member of the family and all that, but good grief! Provided there are no complications, mother and baby will be home the following day - does everybody and their dog really need to come visit in the hospital? 
I'm sorry, but if my mother pulled a stunt like that, she'd have some serious butt-kissing to do before I let her lay even an EYEBALL on her grandchild. Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that burns me up.
horror 
NurseyNursey
70 Posts
My first post...
Just be glad that you have visiting hours. We do not. I asked "WHY?!?" Because we are a "family birth center!" ARGH! How completely ridiculous can you get? The family that is is being born is the mother-child (and hopefully, father). I do not need 20 people coming to visit the new mother at 0200!