At our small ICU/Stepdown unit we have virtually unrestricted visiting and we give report at the desk at the nurse's station. At report time our unit secretary has not yet arrived, or has already left, since we are on 12 hour shifts and the secretaries are on 10 hour shifts. So, it's just 2 nurses reporting off to two other nurses.
We also have loose visiting policies, so visitors are routinely coming up to the desk interupting report. The other day the daughter of the patient who was too lazy to open her splenda packet appeared suddenly, and I'm pretty sure she overheard me discussing the patient's social history that included meth use at one time. I also was most likely making some editorial comments regarding the patients lack of motivation, and of her manipulative behavior.
It brought home to me the fact that unregulated visitors are big HIPAA violation risks.
I have seen hospitals that have an unlimited/unregulated visitation policy with ONE exception...during the time of a shift change (which one hour was alotted) NO visitation took place unless the patient was literally expected to die during that hour.
So, for example, in a hospital where there was 12 hour shifts, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 am, and 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, there would be no visitation.
It was posted on the front door, so everyone knew.
We have this same issue in our ICU. We finally after almost 2 years have gotten them to "lock" the unit during report. We can get report and do our assessments before they are allowed back in. Has made it much easier!! Now if everyone would start enforcing it!!!
Our visitation is closed, but we have visitation close to shift change, from 5-6. Some visitors tend to not leave, and are there for shift change @ 1845. Since we give report at the bedside, I usually have to make sure the visitors leave.
I wish some nurses would grow some balls and tell family members that they cannot stay all night at the bedside in the ICU. It irritates me to death when they allow families to stay. They get in the way when I'm trying to do something. Hate to be mean but I don't pay any attention to the family members that are staying at the bedside all night, if i need to turn the light on, I do. I don't care if it wakes up the family member.
justme1972
2,441 Posts
Here is a thought:
I have seen hospitals that have an unlimited/unregulated visitation policy with ONE exception...during the time of a shift change (which one hour was alotted) NO visitation took place unless the patient was literally expected to die during that hour.
So, for example, in a hospital where there was 12 hour shifts, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 am, and 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, there would be no visitation.
It was posted on the front door, so everyone knew.