Podcast: Play in new window | Download
MP3
This blog post was first published at INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM a resource and support website for Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care!
Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives of Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can have real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
This is another episode of “your questions answered” and in last week’s episode I was showing you “The 5 things you need to know if your loved one is confused, agitated and delirious in Intensive Care”. You can check out the episode here
In this week’s episode I want to answer a question that has been asked by many of our INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM visitors. And the question is “What are normal visiting hours in Intensive Care?”
Are visiting hours Family friendly?
I get the feeling that many of our visitors that seek help while their loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care and ask this particular question about visiting hours in Intensive Care, that many Intensive Care Units are trying to restrict or limit Family members’ visiting their critically ill loved one during their ordeal in Intensive Care.
Generally speaking, after having worked in Intensive Care for more than 15 years in three different countries, I often felt that Intensive Care Units could do better with more liberal and Family friendly visiting hours. There is the good old saying that Hospitals have been built for doctors and not for Patients and their Families. Go figure…
Many Intensive Care Units have been very old fashioned with visiting hours from 10-12 and from 4-8 pm or something limiting along those lines.
Those Intensive Care Units often operate with a limited mindset and often with a mindset along the lines of
• We are making the rules
• We determine when you can see your loved one
• You are a nuisance for us and we don’t want you to be around and ask difficult questions
• We don’t value the Families of our critically ill Patients
• If we have something to hide, we certainly don’t want you to find out, therefore we limit our visiting hours
If you are finding yourself “locked out” of Intensive Care with restricted visiting hours and if you feel that the culture in the Intensive Care unit is screaming out loud things such as
• We are in control and we only want you to be here when it’s convenient for us
• We don’t want you to participate or have a say in your loved one’s care
• We know what is best for your critically ill loved one and we don’t want you to question it
• We keep you at arm’s length and we make sure you know it
Then it’s time that you question the Intensive Care Unit’s approach.
You probably wouldn’t be looking for answers on the topic of visiting hours in Intensive Care if you were happy with the way the Intensive Care Unit where your critically ill loved one is being treated at is handling visiting hours to your, to your Families and to your critically ill loved one’s satisfaction.
If you feel like the visiting hours in Intensive Care limit and restrict you and your Family from being with your critically ill loved one, you not only need to ask yourself why the Intensive Care team has such limited visiting hours in the day and age of transparency and in the day and age of customer service?
Does the Intensive Care Unit have something to hide?
You need to also ask yourself whether the Intensive Care Unit has something to hide from you and from your Family.
It’s very important that you and your Family have pretty much unrestricted access to your critically ill loved one, as your loved one needs you and your Family and you certainly don’t want to be kept at arm’s length by the Intensive Care team!
Most modern and customer centric Intensive Care Units have unrestricted visiting hours and those Intensive Care Units generally also have a “better feel” about it!
Visiting hours speak loudly about the culture in a unit
Generally speaking, my experience has shown that nothing speaks louder about whether an Intensive Care Unit has a positive or a negative culture than how Intensive Care Units handle visiting hours for Families of the critically ill. What the doctors and the nurses behaviour in Intensive Care is telling you about the culture in a unit http://intensivecarehotline.com/what-the-doctors-and-the-nurses-behaviour-in-intensive-care-is-telling-you-about-the-culture-in-a-unit/
You should also make sure that “what you see is always what you get” whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care and you certainly can’t achieve that if you’re finding yourself “locked out” of Intensive Care (How to make sure that “what you see is always what you get” whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care)
Don’t take “no” for an answer and question
If you are finding yourself “locked out” of Intensive Care and if you are finding that the Intensive Care is really limiting your access to your critically ill loved one, you need to not only ask for more time and you need to ask for a visiting schedule that is more Family friendly. Limited visiting hours also limit access to doctors and nurses that you can ask questions!
The bottom line is that limited visiting hours should be a thing of the past and in the day and age of transparency and customer service you shouldn’t take “no” for an answer.
It’s very important that you and your Family feel comfortable with how much access to your critically ill loved one you have. I’m certainly not advocating that you should be with your critically ill loved 24 hours a day, but during daylight hours, you want to be there when it’s convenient for you and not when it’s convenient for the Intensive Care staff!
The Intensive Care team should also not limit visiting hours if your loved one is really critical or if your loved one is dying. What you need to do if your loved one is dying in Intensive Care(part one and part two)
As a rule of thumb, you should never give your critically ill loved one’s destiny outside of your hands and you should make sure that you have the most power, control and influence there is. How do you do that? How can you leverage your level of power, influence and control whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
You’ll get to that all important feeling of power, control and influence when you download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report NOW by entering your email below!
In Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report you’ll learn quickly how to get real power and real control and how you can influence decision making fast, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care! Our FREE reports help you with in-depth insight that you must know whilst your loved one is critically ill or is dying in Intensive Care! Sign up for your FREE membership and download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT now! In your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT you’ll learn how to speak the “secret” Intensive Care language so that the doctors and the nurses know straight away that you are an insider and that you know and understand what’s really happening in Intensive Care!
In your FREE reports you’ll also discover
• how to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
• how to eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
• 5 “killer” tips& strategies helping you to get on the right path to control, power and influence in your situation
• you’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
• how you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care(it’s not what you think)
With your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report you’ll also get 4 other FREE reports and the reports you will be receiving are
- The 6 questions you need to ask the most senior doctor in Intensive Care
- 10 things you didn’t know doctors and nurses are talking about while you are not at the bedside with your loved one
- The 7 answers to the 7 most FAQ if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- 9 myths of being a critically ill Patient in Intensive Care
Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode of “your questions answered” and I’ll see you again in another update next week! Make sure you also check out our “blog” section for more tips and strategies or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Sincerely,
your Friend
Patrik Hutzel
For more information and to get your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” Report, visit INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM