Visitation Policy

John Ed Chambers Memorial Hospital, Inc.

Purpose:

John Ed Chambers Memorial Hospital policy is designed to protect patients’ privacy and increase their comfort.

The purpose of this policy is to create a reasonable, enforceable policy that provides all patients with the opportunity to rest and recover in comfortable, quiet, private surroundings while enabling family and friends to participate in the healing process; to enhance the cohesiveness of the family unit and the patient’s support systems; and to provide access control that protects the rights of patients, visitors, and employees, to a safe, secure, and orderly environment.

Policy:

At Chambers Memorial Hospital, visitors are welcome 7:00AM-9:00PM.  Visitation will be restricted for the following reasons:

• At patient request or legal guardian if patient is under age or becomes incapacitated.
• Patient is undergoing a medical procedure.
• Restrictions initiated by social worker due to a crisis or special situation.

Failure to follow the Hospital’s restrictions or to cooperate with Hospital staff may result in removal from Hospital property.

Guidelines:

1. General Visitation Guidelines:
   1. The visitors should be free of communicable disease (fever, rashes, etc.)
   2. All food items brought into the hospital for patients should be reported to the nurse.
   3. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to visit without the consent of the patient’s physician or nurse in charge.
   4. The nurse in charge may ask a visitor to leave if he becomes disruptive or hampers the medical well-being of our patients or the operation of the hospital.
2. Surgery Guidelines:
   1. If patient is going to surgery, one visitor will be allowed in the Holding Room prior to the patient being taken into the surgical suite.
   2. Visitors are not allowed in the surgical suite.
   3. During the recovery period following surgery, nursing staff will be present and one parent may be allowed to stay with infant or small child to help alleviate stress of an unfamiliar environment as the child awakens from anesthesia.
3. Monitored Rooms- The same policies are in effect for the monitored rooms as for the other patient rooms.

4. Isolation:
   1. Visitors to patients in isolation should check with the nurse before entering the patient’s room. The nurse will instruct them in the appropriate procedures necessary for entry into and departure from the room. Visitors should not bring food into an isolation room. Visitors should be screened by nurse to ensure they are free of communicable diseases, open sores, etc.
   2. Nursing personnel should instruct visitors in proper isolation procedures and assist them in complying with them. Good hand washing should always be stressed.
   3. COVID positive patients are not to have visitors. COVID pending patients are not to have visitors until a negative test result is obtained.
5. Emergency Room – Only one visitor is allowed to stay with patient in the Emergency Room.
6. Overnight Visitors – Visitors who wish to stay overnight to help care for their family member should have prior consent by the nurse in charge. Parents of pediatric patients are encouraged to stay with their child during the hospitalization.

2/23/2022