Waiting for the fallout........

[Amina516]

Im not sure why but the hospital I work for has just decided on a new rule. No overnight visitors. That means, no one sleeps over, which people routinely do. All the time. For various reasons.

So unless the patient is underage, dying or confused, we need to kick all family out and tell them not to come back until 9am.

Its convenient that no main management is around @ 9pm (when visitor hours "end") and we'll have to start rounding people up and telling them to leave.

Its really not a bother, so I dont see why people cant stay. Actually its nice when most people have family, b/c they can help Grandma to the bathroom or give them some water and stuff like that. As long as theyre not annoying and arent in my way, i could honestly care less.

I had an admission to one of our private rooms, the other day who was a non english speaker, who had 2 family members with her. She came @ about 1am and her family wanted to stay. The other nurse told me I had to kick them out, but I made the argument that she needed a translator (not entirely true) but she relented and didnt make a big deal out of it.

On the other hand, I had an admission a while ago that was admitted to a semi private room (ie with a roomate) and had a 13 yr old with her and wanted him to stay. We couldnt because A. There IS a no overinght guest clause for semiprivates b/c theres no space OR privacy for the roomate. B. The kid was of the opposite sex of the roomate, so definately a no no.

She complained. Wanted him to sleep in her bed (..ummm..no?) and bitched that she had to call someone @ 330am to get him. We told her it was either that or we could call social services to come for him. (Mean, maybe..but the issues with an unattended minor in the hospital in the middle of the night..I dont even want to think about.)

So basically, Im waiting for the first big fallout when people realize we can no longer be an overnight field trip for the family.

[LillFilly]

Wow; that would be a problem; especially for someone who might actually need the support/translator, etc.

I understand the issue; I would think it would be a bigger one when they're not private rooms, but then, you have one exception then you have to make others. Still, I think it should be allowed for serious illnesses, children, etc.

I guess I was lucky the first time I was in the hospital. All I had was my boyfriend and was too ill for hanky panky anyway. He stayed overnight with me for days until my parents could drive-down, then someone always stayed overnight with me. I'm glad the nurses let them, I never did know what their policy was on that issue, but I was scared that I was going to die and I was in a town & state I'd only been in 2-months.

[telecom_goddess]

what about mothers in labor, who are in labor all night, and want their partner there? Are they going to be kicked out?

[Lindsey]

Wow. I spent nights at the hospital when my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and nobody had a problem with it, even when I couldn't sleep and ended up roaming the oncology floor at 3am. ETA I'm surprised they let me get away with that since I was a minor at the time.

That sucks for the patients and family, and it sucks for you since you'll be the one stuck kicking them out.

[jedimaster91]

Being on this side of healthcare, I understand the reasoning here. I for one HATE dealing with patients' families. I don't mind the ones that are just there for support, but the vast majority ask more questions than the patient, are awfully rude, and sometimes seriously impair my ability to do my farking job and make their loved one better. I get that family members are worried, but the sooner they shut up and let me do my thing, the sooner the doctor can figure out what's wrong and the sooner treatment can be started. I really can't stand the ones that continuously demand to know test results and such. I can't even tell the PATIENT that because I don't have the letters MD after my name. And HIPPA says I can't release any medical info to anyone but the patient without written consent from said patient.

On the other hand, I wouldn't want to spend the night in the hospital alone. I know what goes on there.

Perhaps your hospital might be open to patients having ONE designated person to stay overnight?

[Magpie]

Perhaps your hospital might be open to patients having ONE designated person to stay overnight?

When my mom was in the hospital this was the policy. And she had been under a general, so she really needed to have someone there. I think my dad came home later (I had been the "significant other" there, but he came and took over after a while), but we were really close. I'd hate to have left here there after anasthetic on her own (and yes, I know that there's staff and volunteers, so she's not really on her own, but the nurses aren't there to sit with her, the volunteers are mostly there during the day, and I doubt she'd have been high on the list of people could devote a lot of time to).

[wagegoth]

After I had my baby, I had a semi-private room. My doctor signed off to have me stay the full four days (I had a c-section) and I really appreciated the rest. However, the last night a woman came in the room who had just a c-section. She was moaning and miserable, but the entire family showed up to visit. Grandmas, grandpas, nieces, nephews, etc. There were only supposed to be two visitors to a patient, but all of them piled into the room at the same time. They would not shut up, they wouldn't leave, they cranked up the TV. I called the nurses station, who called security, who didn't show. I called again. Security showed up 45 minutes later, by which point most of them had left. Then the husband stays the night, leaves the TV on and falls asleep.

And the poor woman just kept moaning and crying for hours. People suck.