Visitors are worse than the patients!

[Sapphire Silk]

I've told many a new mom that I'm happy to be the heavy and kick the family out if they're driving her crazy and she wants to sleep.

Quite a few have taken me up on it

[Amina516]

It's times like these I'm glad management finally listened and instituted a 2 visitor per patient policy in the ER last year. It's the nurses discretion to enforce it or not (if there's 3 and the room is big enough and they're nice, then I usually don't have an issue.) The general floors are a free for all as far as visitors go for some reason and the critical units are 2 at a time and no one under 12.

[PuckLizardRN]

An update: Found out that this patient's sister decided to stay overnight in the room, AND kept her young infant in the room all night as well. Other patients were complaining about the screaming baby disturbing them. Management did not seem to want to do anything to fix it, other than suggesting we keep the door closed. We were telling the other patients to write letters of complaint. Of course no one is going to follow the rules if management won't even enforce them.

[Sapphire Silk]

Oh, HELL no. On a med surg floor? I don't think so, Timmy.

I've I'd been a patient on that floor, I'd be raising bloody hell. I can sleep through anything but a screaming baby.

[mathnerd]

Maybe it's different being the parent of a pediatric patient, but I've always been offered coffee, sodas and snacks when my boys were in the ER or surgical floors. One hospital even had the Ronald McDonald house physically in the building, so I could go down and cook whatever I could find in the pantry or fridge any time I wanted, even if I wasn't staying there. Of course, I'd never demand anything if it wasn't offered, but so far (and way to many hospitalizations to count), it's never *not* been offered.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Maybe it's different being the parent of a pediatric patient,

Very different. The nurses probably don't want you leaving, they would have to baby-sit in addition to providing health care. When I've been in hospital for my son they actually sent in two meals or snacks each time, one each for him and me. Of course the last time he was in hospital he was 2 years old, I really couldn't leave him alone.

When my husband was in hospital they would bring me the odd cup of coffee but otherwise I would leave him to go get my own food and drink.

[Sapphire Silk]

Maybe it's different being the parent of a pediatric patient, but I've always been offered coffee, sodas and snacks when my boys were in the ER or surgical floors. One hospital even had the Ronald McDonald house physically in the building, so I could go down and cook whatever I could find in the pantry or fridge any time I wanted, even if I wasn't staying there. Of course, I'd never demand anything if it wasn't offered, but so far (and way to many hospitalizations to count), it's never *not* been offered.

Not all hospitals have them. But they're great when they do. Bigger hospitals have been investing in them for adult patients with serious medical issues that require long term hospitalization. UNC Chapel Hill University Hospital has one for the Burn Center; they're great!

[mathnerd]

Having had to travel the country for medical care, I'm pretty familiar with RMH. I was really surprised to see the one that was physically inside the hospital. I'm used to them being a house or something similar nearby, but not actually in the building. It's a really nice perk though. Unfortunately for my hips, there was the one location that was kept fully stocked with all varieties of Girl Scout cookies year round by the local GS council. Yeah, I gained a little weight during that hospitalization.

[Sapphire Silk]

Very different. The nurses probably don't want you leaving, they would have to baby-sit in addition to providing health care. When I've been in hospital for my son they actually sent in two meals or snacks each time, one each for him and me. Of course the last time he was in hospital he was 2 years old, I really couldn't leave him alone.

Parents are an important part of pediatric health care. The kids just do better if a parent is there most of the time, especially the younger kiddos. We don't care about babysitting; a big part of being a pediatric nurse is actually playing with the kids (something I loved about peds when I worked there); it's part of their therapy, not a chore to be done.