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Discussion

Thoughts on closing doors

Hello everyone!

The hospital where I work has started a new policy to keep all doors on the floor closed. The floor has 23 semi-private rooms. Doors are to be kept closed at all times, with only a few exceptions...basically only if the patient requests to keep the door open. Even if the patient is confused we are to keep the door closed, including those in observation rooms. Baker acts (involuntary psych holds), with sitters, are also to have closed doors, unless the patient is seen being combative. The nurses and PCAs do not feel comfortable closing the doors, but management and administration are very strict on this policy.

Is anyone else doing this?

Is this safe?

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    • Featured Replies

    Why are the doors to be kept closed?

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    • Author

    They are to be kept closed for patient satisfaction and privacy.

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    • Expert

    Whenever I've been in the hosp., I kept my door closed for privacy and noise-control.

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    what she said. i hated the idea that people were walking by and looking in and seeing me. privacy and quiet, both so necessary for healing.

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    • Expert
    what she said. i hated the idea that people were walking by and looking in and seeing me. privacy and quiet, both so necessary for healing.

    i work in an amish-intensive area. at one hosp. where i worked, they'd come in in big gangs, gawking into patient rooms, occasionally even walking in to the room if things looked interesting enough.

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    I do not work in the hospital anymore, but I used to as a PCA and would get floated as a sitter,i would not be comfortable with that policy. How did that come about?

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    I would ignore it like I ignore all the other stupid requirements.

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    With a 5-6 patient assignment, doors closed, one of your confused patients looses their call light. How do you meet their needs if you can't hear their calls for help. You just finished your hourly rounds on that patient and closed their door. Does privacy compromise safety?

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    I am not so sure I agree with this policy. For patients that are confused, this seems like a bad idea. I would pull the privacy curtain, but would not close the door the entire way.

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    We are actually have a rule in place where a door must stay open if the patient is a fall risk, confused, in restraints or any other way not completely intact. I work on a neuro floor so most of our patients have too keep the doors open.

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    How can that possibly be safe for the sitter doing the one to one on an involuntary psych hold? Who would want to to that job behind a closed door? I see very bad things coming out of that situation.

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    I gather you work on a psych floor.

    On medsurg, with all the confused people trying to climb out of bed, and the fall risks, the doors are usually left open.

    Rooms are private, and if they want the door closed they can have the door closed.

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