Vis­i­ta­tion Guidelines

March 25, 2024

Visitation Update

March 25, 2024: Visitor restrictions on children under the age of 12 have been lifted at Onslow Memorial Hospital.

Visitation Update

Onslow promotes and supports a patient and family centered approach to care. We recognize and encourage family members as partners in the care of the patient. Onslow remains committed to patient-centered, safe care for all patients and their family members. Patients have the right to designate visitors, regardless of whether the visitor is related or legally married to the patient. Onslow will not deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. To protect everyone’s safety, our visitation guidelines have updated during this public health emergencies (COVID-19 pandemic). The most current visitation guidelines are also posted at www.onslow.org. At times when visitation must be limited for safety reasons, virtual visitation options will be encouraged. For the purpose of this document, “Onslow” is defined as all inpatient and outpatient facilities of Onslow Memorial Hospital and Onslow Ambulatory Services.

Inpatient visiting hours

1. Visitors are encouraged to visit during the hospital visitation hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. To help patients recover and to not overly tire patients; visits should be brief, quiet and pleasant.
2. Compassionate care visits may include extended visiting hours as determined by the CNO or house supervisor if after 5 p.m.
3. The patient or the patient’s designated representative, in conjunction with the primary nurse and health care team, may make limitations to visiting hours.
4. Visitor restrictions for children less than 12 would be enacted by RSV/flu levels.

Entry Process Applicable to All Visitors

For the health and safety of everyone in the hospital, all visitors:

1. with respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, cold or flu like symptoms) should not visit patients. However, if there is no other option, the visitor should wear a mask.
2. should wash hands each time they enter and leave the patient room or unit
3. will be educated on and expected to follow all isolation precautions as instructed by nursing staff or physicians

Behavior that creates a direct risk or threat to patients, visitors, staff, or others in the immediate environment or is disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit will not be tolerated. Disruptive visitors will be asked to leave the facility.

Procedure for Inpatients

1. Patients or their representative will be offered a copy of their right to visitation upon admission.
2. Patients are asked to designate their visitor(s) and how they will be involved in care and decision-making. Any available designated representative, such as an individual acting under a valid power of attorney for health care, will be identified. Patient preferences will be clarified regarding who may be present during rounds, bedside shift report, exams, and procedures. These preferences will be documented in the chart and communicated consistently and comprehensively to all who are involved in the patient’s care.
3. The patient may change the preferences during the hospital stay. The patient shall be informed of his or her right to withdraw, grant, or alter his or her preferences regarding the identity of visitors and the scope of visitation by those designated by the patient to be visitors and family. The identity of visitors and the scope of visitation may be limited based on the professional judgment of the hospital’s staff while taking into account the best interest of the patient. Any limitations determined by hospital staff and the reason for such limitations shall be disclosed to the patient.

Considerations

1. There may be times when it is clinically necessary or reasonable to restrict or limit visitation. Examples of those are listed below:

1. Ongoing public health pandemic such as COVID-19
2. Clinical and emotional needs of the patient. Examples include exhaustion, overstimulation, or marked increase in agitation
3. Infection control policies
4. The need to maintain a sterile environment during beside procedures
5. Limitations as requested by the patient or patient’s representative
6. Space limitations in patient rooms that may hinder care being performed by clinical staff members
7. There is a legal reason that is documented in the chart, (e.g., a restraining order or the patient is in legal custody with a court order prohibiting visitors).
8. Behavior that creates a direct risk or threat to patients, visitors, staff, or others in the immediate environment or is disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit. Disruptive visitors will be asked to leave the facility
9. A patient in a shared suite who requires immediate lifesaving measures or a sensitive/private discussion needs to occur
10. Shared Suites: Visitors whose loved ones are in a shared suite are expected to be respectful and honor their privacy. There may be times when families and visitors are asked to temporarily step out of the room to honor the privacy and special needs of the other patient. If the patient is in a shared suite and has a roommate, overnight visitation requests will be considered with input from all parties for same sex visitors only.
11. Decisions to restrict or limit presence are left up to the discretion of the staff and physicians and must be discussed with the patient and documented in the medical record.
12. Behavior that creates a direct risk or threat to patients, visitors, staff, or others in the immediate environment or is disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit will not be tolerated. Disruptive visitors will be asked to leave the facility.

Filing a Complaint

1. A patient has the right to file a grievance through the Patient Advocacy Department by phone at 910-577-2345 or email at patient.advocacy@onslow.org when they have concerns about visitation.
2. A patient has the right to notify the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation (NC DHSR) of a complaint by telephone at (800) 624-3004 (within N.C.) or (919) 855-4500, fax (919) 715-7724, or mail to Complaint Intake Unit, 2711 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2711. A patient has the right to notify The Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting organization, about complaints regarding patient safety or quality of care: fax - Office of Quality and

Patient Safety (630) 792-5636; mail – Office of Quality and Patient Safety, The Joint Commission, One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181; or at www.jointcommission.org, using the “Report a Patient Safety Event” link in the “Action Center” on the home page of the website.