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Visiting Policies in ICUs

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Nursing in Critical Care Setting

Abstract

Over the past two decades, ICUs have been rapidly transformed by the technological development of medicine. Nevertheless, in ICUs the human dimension of the patient and the relationships between healthcare professionals, patients, and their families remain extremely important. For this reason, visiting policies in ICUs need a critical examination. Drawing from insights developed in the fields of medical humanities and the more recent HEROIC Bundle, in this chapter we will analyze the most prominent studies about open visiting policies in ICUs, as an important step toward the humanization of care. Particularly, advantages and disadvantages of open visiting policies will be taken into consideration from the point of view of families, patients, and healthcare professionals, reflecting upon crucial aspects including communication methods, the access of children, and the presence of the family during CPR. Aspects such as visiting hours, number of visitors, and dressing procedures will also be examined, with a particular focus on the levels of infections. We will argue that patients, their families, and healthcare professionals can benefit from open visiting policies. ICUs should become welcoming wards where humanity has high priority and all human rights are respected, as requested by various scientific societies, institutions, and bioethics committees.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Hub Pain Service, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Matteo Manici

  2. Research Fellow, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Francesca Ghillani R.N., B.S., M.A.S., O.N.N.-C.G.

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Manici, M., Ghillani, F. (2018). Visiting Policies in ICUs. In: Nursing in Critical Care Setting. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50559-6_16

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