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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 last week’s 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.
Related article:
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
Related article:
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.
Related articles
- What you need to do if your loved one is dying in Intensive Care(part one)
- What you need to do if your loved one is dying in Intensive Care(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 get PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence really quickly, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
If you want to have control, power and influence whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care and if you want to be perceived as strong, influential, impactful and knowledgeable by the Intensive Care team and if you want to be in control of your and your critically ill loved one’s destiny and if you want to make an impact, download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT NOW by entering your email below!
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!
- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- 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 PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to your and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- 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)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s blog and I’ll see you again in another update next week!
Make sure you also check out our “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” section where we answer your questions or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Also check out our Products section where you get more Ebooks, Videos and Audio recordings and where you can also get 1:1 consulting!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Your Friend
Patrik Hutzel
Related Articles:
- The 3 most dangerous mistakes that you are making but you are unaware of, if your loved one is a critically ill Patient in Intensive Care
- How to always achieve your goals whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- Why you must make up your own mind about your critically ill loved one’s situation in Intensive Care even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse!
- Follow this proven 5 step process on how to be in control and influential if your loved one is a long-term Patient in Intensive Care
- How to quickly take control and have real power and influence if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- Be more selfish if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- 3 quick steps on how to position and prepare yourself well mentally, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- How to stay positive if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- How to get what you want whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- 5 steps to become a better negotiator if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- 5 Ways to have control, power and influence while your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- 6 phrases you should never say when your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- The questions you need to ask the most senior doctor in Intensive Care, if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care
- Family overjoyed as top court rules doctors must seek consent before taking a patient off life support
- How to make sure that your values and beliefs are known whilst your loved one is critically ill in 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
- What the doctors and the nurses behaviour in Intensive Care is telling you about the culture in a unit
- How to take control if your loved one has a severe brain injury and is critically ill in Intensive Care
- Family Meetings in Intensive Care or the Elephant in the Room
- What you need to do if your loved one is dying in Intensive Care(part one)
- What you need to do if your loved one is dying in Intensive Care(part two)
- How INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM Can Help You
- What you and your Family need to do if your critically ill loved one is very sick in Intensive Care and faces an uncertain future