Visitation/Control

[shebbie]

Do you have set visiting hours? Is the number of visitors limited? if so, how do you control this? Do you have locked doors??

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

No visiting control or hours here. They also take offense when we ask them to be quiet if they "visit" at 10pm, although very often their visit has been a camping trip lasting days anyway.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

rule is visitors out by 9 p.m. but it is ignored and is hard to enforce. All doors locked at 8 p.m. except ER (of course all can be opened from inside). Cameras are at every exit.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

We're pretty lucky in this regard. We have a security officer that has to open the doors to our unit and maintains a log of how many people are in each room at a given time. Of course, it depends on who's out there whether or not this gets enforced, but at least we have someone out there.

One person can stay in the room all night, but regular visiting hours (4 people at a time per room) are from 1100-2000. No kids under 12 unless they're siblings of the baby. Most people respect this but when they don't I'm glad we have a security officer to enforce.

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

We have locked doors and visiting hours from 10-9. Laboring patients can have 3 visitors during labor and only the ones they have selected. They are given wrist bands for ID purposes and only those with the wrist bands are allowed thru the doors for labor and delivery. Post partum patients can have any amount of visitors, but are asked to leave when visiting hours are over.

[vivacious1healer]

Doors locked by 8pm. 1 visitor allowed to stay overnight, all others must be out by 9pm.

Security is suppose to stop visitors from going thru, and if they insist, they call up to our floor and will ask permission for the patient to have visitors.

As nurses, we have some discretion to when its appropriate to allow them up after visiting hours are over; if its a patient that is dying of course we will allow family to stay.

If its a brand new post op, and family has not seen the patient since before surgery, we will allow maybe a 30-60 minute visit, and allow 1 person to stay the night.

Last week we had a patient admitted, and within an hour there were at least 15 family members in the room, and half were on the cell phones calling in more people. The patient was not dying, and quite honestly, not even symptomatic with the admitting diagnosis. It was their culture (Roma) that dictated that the adult family members be present during this patient's illness. After several explanations of our policies on visiting hours/limited # of people visiting at this late hour (11pm), it was security that was able to strike a deal. 1 visitor in room over nite, and 2 allowed to stay in lobby. The rest could return in the morning after 10am. It worked!

[L/DRNinMO]

Our unit is not locked (the doors to the stairwells are alarmed). Our entire hospital has adopted the concept of Relationship Based Care and visitors are welcome on any unit any time of the day.