No visiting hours?

Caffeine_IV · Jun 18, 2015

We don't have visiting hours on med-surg.

The critical care, psych and rehab units are the only ones with visiting hours. The psych unit is the strictest.

I don't mind visitors. Many are helpful but some just get in the way. Sound asleep with their CPAP on from home.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Jun 18, 2015

We don't have visiting hours on med-surg.
The critical care, psych and rehab units are the only ones with visiting hours. The psych unit is the strictest.
I don't mind visitors. Many are helpful but some just get in the way. Sound asleep with their CPAP on from home.

The Visitor had their cpap? That's something.

benegesserit · Jun 18, 2015

I don't believe the local hospital has limitation of visiting hours, but they do have "quiet hours" for 2 hours in the afternoon and at nighttime.

I'm in an LTC with no visiting hours, but we do have the right to kick visitors out if they are being disruptive. This is really pretty rare.

SubSippi · Jun 18, 2015

I work in critical care, and we have visiting hours. I hate it. I couldn't imagine being as sick as some of my patients are, and not being able to have my husband with me whenever I want.

Visitors aren't that distracting. The times they have been, I've politely asked them if they could stay quiet for a few minutes so I could focus, which they immediately comply with.

Also, I've found that sometimes visiting hours prevent a primary caretaker from being present when the physician rounds. It drives me crazy!!

But I am literally the only person on my unit who feels this way so I keep on enforcing the rules.

I do think that only allowing 2-3 back at a time is a good rule, though.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 18, 2015

Unlike my recent hospitalization on the med/surg floor where people flowed in and out of my roommate's side of the room all day and night, I remember being very limited on visiting hours when I was in the psych unit. We were only allowed visitors from 1730-1900 during the week, and 1300-1600 and 1730-1900 on weekends. It was just as well, it was hard on me to have them visit because I had to watch them leave, and I was SUCH a mess.....for once I was glad to be in an environment where everything was strictly controlled and I didn't have to think too much for myself until I got better. So visiting hours can be a good thing for both patients and the staff.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2015

Also, I've found that sometimes visiting hours prevent a primary caretaker from being present when the physician rounds. It drives me crazy!!
But I am literally the only person on my unit who feels this way so I keep on enforcing the rules.

You lost me on this one. It sounds like you believe a primary caretaker should be present when the physician rounds but if the physician doesn't round during posted visiting hours, you enforce the no visitors rules and don't allow the caregiver to be present.

thenightnurse456 · Jun 18, 2015

Yup, only palliative, children on an adult unit, or absolutely no spoken English are the only reasons our visitors get to stay over.

Yes good point about non English speaking family members being helpful.

Also it can be a cultural thing. I've nursed some Chinese patients who's family members take shifts and stay and take care of their loved one's hygiene and feeding cares etc.

rnsheri · Jun 18, 2015

Visiting hours. Previous floor (Med/surg) had none.

What's nice:

1. Family can alert us of change in status, or communicate with us when the patient can't understand that the call button isn't a remote.

2. They can help with feedings, ADL's, comforting patient, and calming patients when they turn into rubber and start to dart out of bed.

3. It's nice that the patient has company. It helps to pass the time for many.

4. Often, integrating family or loved ones in patient care at all hours prepares them for what to expect after discharge. I invite assisting with brief changes, bed charges, what to expect post-op, how to best maneuver a patient, etc. Great teaching time!

5. I really appreciate it when you help comb my patient's hair "the right way". It saves me SO much time.

6. Since a visitor is usually present in the absence of visiting hours, there's a good chance she/he/they will get to talk to the doctor if the patient is unable to understand what's being said.

7. Family support at all levels aids patients in recovery. The more they're there, the more they can be taught.

What's bad:

1. Visitor overload, hyper children, and arguments among the family, friends, and patient. No visiting hours = this can be an ongoing thing.

2. Making camp. No, I don't mean one family member. When there are sleeping bags on the floor and I have to contort impossibly because the IV is beeping and I have three hurdles in my way. The rooms at my old hospital were tiny! Why would so many people choose to stay on a dirty old hospital floor for a post-op knee patient with no complications?

3. There's no designated time that I can perform smelly duties without fear of poisoning the visitor(s) with the stench. It's not commonplace for them to smell that kind of bad stuff. And it sticks around.

4. I know, I know. If someone visits 24/7, he/she is subjected to the horrors of routine vitals and strange med admin times. Please stop with the withering look. The nurse is your friend.

5. Hassling me about the doctor's rounding times at all hours does not change those times, and no, I have no clue when he'll be here, and yes, I understand how busy you are but so is he (and so am I).

6. The PCA button is not for you, Kindly Aunt Viola! He's asleep! Also, the IV pole beeps, but leave the button pushing to me. Quit sneaking the patients out to smoke. I am on constant observation.

7. I have to admit, it would be nice to pass meds, dress wounds, and chat with my patient one-on-one in peace. There's a lot a patient might not want everyone to know.

All things considered, most of my patients seem to do well with unlimited visitations as long as those visitors are helpful, dedicated, and, er, reasonable in number. I have so many visitor stories, good and bad. Usually it's whatever is best for the unit.

wanderlustnurse88, RN · Jun 18, 2015

I think my floor has visiting hours but I couldn't tell you what they are. Some family members stay overnight if pt is unstable or confused. Some come in around 0700 to catch the one doctor who does his rounds around 0715. Palliative pts can have as many people as they want, within reason but that room is away from other pt rooms. People are usually pretty good about not overextending their visit and we let people stay as long as they aren't been too loud.

BonnieSc · Jun 18, 2015

Heh. I guess I really have seen it all since there aren't any other complaints yet about visitors smoking meth in the bathroom of a shared room, or physically threatening the roommate, or plugging their oxygen into the oxygen on the wall. It does always bother me when people complain about visitors speaking in a foreign language, as if that in itself is somehow offensive. Tell me they're being too loud, okay, but when you complain "His visitors have been speaking in Spanish all evening," you automatically lose some sympathy points. But probably worst, except for the meth, was the visitor our manager made us accept who regularly needed her depends changed and colostomy bag emptied. By us. She compared it to how we would get a visitor a blanket or a glass of water if they needed one, wouldn't we? (As if. But that reminds me of all the times I've been asked to bring five orange juices and three dixie cups of ice cream. Oh, really? That's all for you?)

Still pro-visitors, though!

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jun 18, 2015

At the LTC where I work we have very liberal visiting policies - 24/7 chlidren and pets welcome but thats LTC for you,

Same here. Some family members are rather surprised when they find out that yes they can stop in after getting off work at 0200 and yes it's ok to bring the family dog to visit as long as the dog is reasonably trained and kept on a leash. In reality though it's pretty rare to have late night visitors.

The only thing we draw the line at is overnight stays unless the resident is actively dying. In that case we try to move the resident or their room mate to an empty room to allow for family staying. On rare occasions if the room mates are rather attached to each other we will leave the resident in their own room if the dying resident's family approves.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Jun 18, 2015

Heh. I guess I really have seen it all since there aren't any other complaints yet about visitors smoking meth in the bathroom of a shared room, or physically threatening the roommate, or plugging their oxygen into the oxygen on the wall. It does always bother me when people complain about visitors speaking in a foreign language, as if that in itself is somehow offensive. Tell me they're being too loud, okay, but when you complain "His visitors have been speaking in Spanish all evening," you automatically lose some sympathy points. But probably worst, except for the meth, was the visitor our manager made us accept who regularly needed her depends changed and colostomy bag emptied. By us. She compared it to how we would get a visitor a blanket or a glass of water if they needed one, wouldn't we? (As if. But that reminds me of all the times I've been asked to bring five orange juices and three dixie cups of ice cream. Oh, really? That's all for you?)
Still pro-visitors, though!

Well...Amazing about the meth. Now, there is a good complaint. I'd be on that one, for sure.

I don't mind visitors...they do help and occupy the patient, etc. I was more concerned with late night visits and too much noise.