The Impact of Hospital Visiting Hour Policies on Pediatric and Adult Patients and Families

Background

Policies around restricted or open visiting hours appear to be a controversial subject in health care
practices internationally, with no apparent consensus (Knutsson, Otterberg, and Bergbom, 2004).
These rules which govern practice are often based on the assumptions of hospital staff, and in one
review the authors concluded that they may have little or no evidence to support them (Clarke &
Harrison, 2001). Policy and practice related to visiting hours is of pressing concern in Canada, and in
Ontario specifically, following the reaction to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak
and subsequent changes in visiting policies in most health care settings. Locally our clinical partners
have requested a synopsis of the current state of knowledge in order to ensure their policies are
guided by best available evidence, however this area will be of interest more generally for many
centres.

http://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/Fulltext/2006/04101/The_Impact_of_Hospital_Visiting_Hour_Policie
s_on.9.aspx

Introduction

Visitation policies on intensive care units establish the groundwork for balancing the

needs of a critical patient and family members as well as the unit staff. The units specific policy

on visitation hours sets the tone for interactions between all parties and can have a significant

effect on patient outcomes, family satisfaction, and stress for nursing staff. A growing body of

evidence points toward better outcomes for patients and families on units with more open

visitation policies yet there are a number of hospitals, patient care units, and individual nurses

that still support restricted visitation hours. While many intensive care units have legal backing

to establish visitation policies, it becomes an ethical battle when balancing the needs and

satisfaction of nursing staff, patients, and family. It is important to understand the rationale

behind arguments on both sides to better address the issue, especially to understand why some

units do not follow evidence-based practice guidelines that support open visitation policies. The

purpose of this paper is to explore the relevant research regarding visitation policy on intensive

care units to better understand the status quo and to clarify major rationales. This will be

accomplished by a review of literature that will discuss the topic and a conclusion that provides

nursing implications for practice in light of the research presented.