Nursing ethics isn’t just about ethical standards for nurses; it’s also about the stances that nurses and nursing organizations take on issues of health policy.
See this story, from the BBC: RCN wants longer hospital visiting hours
Hospital visiting times should be extended so patients’ relatives can become more involved in their care, the Royal College of Nursing has said.
RCN head Peter Carter said he did not want relatives performing tasks nurses were employed to carry out, but that there were “real benefits” for patients when family members helped with care.
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But patients’ groups warned such a move could be “the tip of the iceberg”….
Make sure to read the comments under the BBC story — they reveal lots of additional reasons for and against extending visiting hours.
What do you think?
The Nursing Ethics Blog 
Restrict number of visiters? Yes. Restrict visiting hours? No. When my aging mother was in the for three days to take tests (and find out she had less than six months to live), I stayed with her, day and night. She had company, someone to talk to, someone to take care of minor needs. (get her a drink, hand her a tissue) and the assurance that we cared enough for me to be there.
Mohinder
I don’t like restricted visiting hours, sometimes there are family members who fly overseas just to visit their parents. When my father had a stroke, I went to visit him and they restricted my visiting hour there was no exception. When I was there I was able to feed him and get him up to the chair and take him down for a walk in the wheelchair, I even made his bed and clean the bedside area for him. The nursing staff was way to busy to perform this minor duties which was actually very important for my father. Me being there had helped him so much, it actually prevented him from getting DVT and depressed and for a 70 years old man staying in hospital all day long was very difficult.
When your visiting hours are restricted obviously all the families members are going to come and visit within the visiting hours, then you are restricting the visitors which is very inconveient for the family members. Neither should be restricted.