Who’s who: Patient Visiting hours and Visitors
For years the idea of visiting hours ruled family members and patient visits. Tight controls over times when people could visit friends and families was strictly adhered to like rules of the local community pool - general swim, adult swim. Over the years the rules have become a bit softer, and in some cases the rules i.e. visiting hours hardly exist at all.
Progressive hospitals have broken the mold on visiting hours and visitors, and instituted innovative ideas such as pet visits, and they allow small children that are cold symptom free in such previously forbidden places as the intensive care unit. Still today some hospitals that live on the fringe of current medical practices go through the arduous stance of implementing archaic rules for visiting patients.
Well it is time for a paradigm shift in regards to visiting. Patients that are admitted to the hospital typically have friends and family that are well known to them. During hospitalization these people are keenly interested in the patient’s well being and general condition. They are familiar to the patient. These people who come to the hospital to see the patient have a significant relationship with the patient, these people are family and friends. You may say yes O.K. and so what. The point here is that the hospital staff – nurses, hospitalists, and other members of the healthcare team are the visitors.
A novel idea perhaps, or is it just a different way of looking at what is already there using a new perspective. So who are visiting hours for? The visitors are not the family members and friends. Family members don’t visit each other. That being said, when caring for patients healthcare providers should be cognoscente of the idea that they are the visitors and the care that we are delivering should be incorporated into family centered approach as much as possible.
About the Author
Mike Pringle is the author of Healthcare Today where he offers commentary and insight regarding today’s healthcare issues. Additionally he provides regular commentary for Red Scrubs and editorial content for Future Healthcare. He has over 20 years of nursing experience working both domestically and internationally. Mike has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a Healthcare emphasis. He specializes in both Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. He currently works at Falmouth Hospital as a Shift Manager for the emergency department.
