Abstract

Visiting hour�¢����s policies in Intensive Care Units: Exploring participants�¢���� views

Author(s):Shiva Khaleghparast, Soodabeh Joolaee, Majid Maleki, Hamid Peyrovi, Behrooz Ghanbari and Naser Bahrani

Visiting patients is a positive and effective strategy to help patients and their families to adapt better with stress and crisis of Intensive Care Units. This study designed with the aim of "exploring the perception of patients, families and staff of Intensive Care Units about visiting hour’s policies”. In this qualitative study, the perspective of 51 participants including patients, their families and staff regarding “Visitation Policies” investigated using semistructured interviews. Conventional content analysis method used. Two categories of restricted and non-restricted visitation obtained from the data. Based on the comments received from participants, fourteen subcategories including advantages and disadvantages of visitations obtained from both restricted and non-restricted visitation categories. Restricted visitation is a policy of visitation that allows the visitor to be present in a specified time while non-restricted visitation is a kind of respect for the wishes and needs of patients and families. It is recommended that with more studies, the foundation of visitations should be established in a way that harmonious balance between the concerns of patients and families on one hand and concerns of staff on the other hand should be obtained.

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