Visitor policies

[FoolsErrand]

I am wondering what the visitor policies are like at other hospitals and if they are actually enforced.

The visiting policy for all nursings units (except ICU, L&D and any peds) is supposed to be from 8a-8p. However, enforcing this "rule" can be difficult and time-consuming. It can take us quite awhile to get the visitors to actually leave. The hospital does an announcement at 8p, we then do another about 15 min later on our unit and since most of the visitors just don't care we have to start going room to room and telling them visiting hrs are over. Most of the time they just smile and say ok, but then do not leave and we have to go back around. Not only are we dealing with getting them to leave, but the amount of visitors they will squeeze in to these rooms sometimes astonishes me. Then, we have to waste our time telling them there is a 2 visitor/pt policy. They don't care about that either and we do not have private rooms. To make it worse, security will just send anybody up after visiting hrs with a pass without calling and asking. It is then put on us to have them leave and the family gets mad because obviously it is ok since security let them in.

I am really tired of dealing with this drama every night when I have much more important things to be doing with my time.... like taking care of pts

I am annoyed with hearing the complaints from the roommates of the pts that had 5 or more visitors all day because the other nurses are too scared, timid or just to plain busy to fight that battle or say anything. I really just do not get how they (the family) can be so inconsiderate of the fact that there is another pt in the room! I am sick of hearing the complaints from the family when I tell them that there should only be 2 visitors at a time because "nobody else said anything all day." We are also not supposed to let any visitors stay overnight unless for safety reasons or a pt is very ill or dying. But, that is also barely enforced. I feel like we need to hire someone just to deal with this!

Does anybody else have these issues at their facility? What is done to enforce the "policies" and can it even be??

Sorry this is so long.

Thank you for any replies :loveya:

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Everyone out by 9 pm - but of course many think that rule does not apply to them. Amazing how many people start their day at 9 pm

Two visitors at a time - also generally ignored unless they make noise or interfere with treatment

One visitor only with ER patient - sure.

ICU has posted times - generally ignored.

Basically, if people are not acting like fools they can come anytime.

[jessi1106, BSN, RN]

I work eves too, and visting hrs (til 8pm) are generally ignored.

My hospital is also moving toward "family centered care" --so that every pt will be able to have any advocate they choose with them 24/7. Not sure how that will work in semi-private rooms yet. I don't see things getting any better.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Technical visiting hours were 12pm-8am with parents/guardians welcome 24/7 and one parent allowed to sleep at the bedside. What this often turned into was a child being admitted at 11pm with both parents, 4 grandparents, aunties and uncles oh and it's not a little problem if the infant triplets spend the night, is it? Can't you just get them a crib?

It was a lose/lose situation. If you let more than one parent spend the night, manager would find out and you'd get yelled at for not following the policy. If you insisted that only one parent could spend the night and made the other one go home and bring the 2 year old sibling with them, the family would complain and you'd get called into the office and spoken to for not being sensitive to the family's needs.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

It was ignored at my facility until it became an issue. When one pt had 27 visitors lining the hallway and ignoring our requests to leave as visiting hours were over, we finally just call security and let them wrangle to family members so we can do our jobs.

[Kay28]

I work in a locked psychiatric unit and visiting hours are strictly enforced. Visiting hours are from 6p-7a all week and then 12p-1p and 6p-7p on the weekends. Visits can only happen in the common areas (no going into the patients rooms, EVER). The max number of vistitors are 2 and you must be at least 16 yrs or older to visit. Hope this helps.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I worked in pedi for several years and the whole fam damily wants to be there, even for a 2 month old who has no idea who these people are. They want to be seen, not see. I worked nights, and once I fell over some people sleeping on the floor. The next time I entered I turned on the overhead light. A few finally went home.

[Merlyn]

8a-8p but no one pays attention.

[*4!#6]

Always climbing over patients family members. Yesterday it was a lady and her 8+ children, including a few in strollers. I found one of her toddlers roaming by himself around the unit across the hall. This was at 8p.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Visiting "hours".. are a guideline in every facility I've been.

In this day of customer satisfaction..

We will roll out the red carpet, make you a bed, and a meal ...and ANYTHING the visitor wants!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

What are visiting hours? Seriously, it's a free for all at my hospital- there are no restrictions on hours, other than at 9pm the only way in is through the ER and security has to let you in the main hospital. The only restriction is in ICU, who has quiet time from 2-4. So the families move from the patient room and overflow the ICU waiting room instead. The only true enforcement of department specific rules is that and the no more than two visitors at a time in preop. Other than that, anything goes.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

24hours 7 days a week of fun. unless it is a semi private then if the room mate complians we can ask the visitor to leave but i have never ever seen this done. the guest's guests can roam around at all hours and do , i think the only places that might have some enforcement are probably LD and peds for more obvious security reasons.