Visitors and patient privacy

MistyBlue · Mar 5, 2008

My current job has a code that is given to the family at admission (or whenever the emergency contact shows up) and we ask them to limit the number of people that they give the code to and to have someone who is will relay info to those who need to know so that there aren't 50 people calling the unit. My former job allowed the family to set up a password of their own and if they called with the pt's last name and the password we could give them info.

lucky1RN · Mar 5, 2008

Thanks Misty. We have the "code" too and I always strongly encourage the family member I give it to to guard the info and not give out the number to anyone else. They usually agree when I explain that the more time I'm on the phone, the less time I'm in the room with the patient.

My problem is more with the visitors at the bedside. We get all kinds of people claiming to be family wanting updates on the patient status. With no policy in place to identify which family members are entitled to that information (when the pt is unable to give consent), I'm in an awkward position. My first priority (of course) is to protect my patient's privacy. However, I'm also empathetic toward the stressed-out family wanting to know how the patient is doing. I could just ask everyone for the "code" but you know what'll happen...everyone will hassle the person who has the code and they'll end up giving it out and we'll start getting too many phone calls, etc.

meandragonbrett · Mar 7, 2008

Generally (at least in my situation), the people who show up for visitation are in the know and it's okay to give a patient update to a certain extent. If the next-of-kin is there during visitation also, I don't see why not giving an update. I generally walk in at first chance I get during visitation and give an update, if anybody has any questions during switching out, I will answer but I don't give an update to each individual group as they come in. Hope this helps. Also, my unit has initiated a NO information over the phone except for "Critical but stable" or "Critical". That's how we did away with 50 calls during our shift.

MistyBlue · Mar 18, 2008

Last week I had five calls within the first 90 minutes of my shift from family members who all had the code and wanted updates. That's when you tell the contact person that someone neds to take the role of updating family so that the nurses aren't spending all of their time on the phone.

There is never going to be a way to please everyone in a situation like this. The PICU ecnouraged families to create a carepage. This allowed families to give loved ones an update without having to retell the same info over and over again. I know that this doesn't work in the adult world but it shows that this is something that family needs to deal with to allow nurses to take care of patients.

As far as people visiting the hospital, I agree with Brett. These people usually already know what going on. When orienting patients/families to the unit I always ask the patient or spouse if there is anyone that they do not want to visit/get updates. I also tell them that we give an update at visiting time so they need to let the nurse now if there are people there with them who do not need to know the whole story and we will just update the primary outside of the room.

Like I said before this is an area where someone will always feel like they have lost out. Some families call every other hour and do not realize how much time is being taken away from patient care. Some families don't care.