Recommendations on specific precautions for companions/ visitors of patients hospitalized: characteristics and barriers to implementation / Recomendações sobre precauções específicas para acompanhantes/visitantes de pacientes hospitalizados: características e barreiras para implementação / Recomendaciones sobre precauciones específicas para acompanhantes/visitantes de pacientes hospitalizados: características y barreras para su implementación

Justification and Objectives: despite the importance of companions/visitors for hospitalized patients under specific precautions, it is noted that risks of exposure and dissemination of microorganisms in health services by this population are still incipient in the literature. Thus, the objective was to characterize the current recommendations on specific precautions for companions and visitors of hospitalized patients and to analyze the barriers to their implementation from infection preventionists' perspective. Methods: a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach, with 89 infection preventionists, between March and June 2020. Data collected by electronic questionnaire, "snowball" sampling and analyzed according to frequency of responses. Results: hand hygiene was the most recommended recommendation (>95.0%). As for non-conformities, staying in the room without attire (78.6%), going to other rooms (53.9%) and keeping doors open as aerosol precaution (51.7%) stood out. Regarding the strategies adopted to guide companions/visitors, there was a predominance of individual verbal guidance (92.4%). The main barrier cited was the lack of institutional policy (56.2%). Conclusion: there was no uniformity in the recommendations, and non-conformities and barriers were listed. The importance of specific prevention guidelines for this public and effective educational strategies for its implementation are highlighted.(AU)

Justificativa e Objetivos: apesar da importância dos acompanhantes/visitantes para pacientes hospitalizados em precauções específicas, nota-se que os riscos de exposição e disseminação de microrganismos nos serviços de saúde por essa população ainda são incipientes na literatura. Dessa forma, objetivou-se caracterizar as recomendações vigentes sobre precauções específicas para acompanhantes e visitantes de pacientes hospitalizados e analisar as barreiras para a sua implementação sob a ótica de prevencionistas de infecção. Métodos: estudo descritivo e exploratório, de abordagem quantitativa, com 89 prevencionistas de infecção, entre março e junho de 2020. Dados coletados por questionário eletrônico, com amostragem tipo "bola de neve" e analisados segundo frequência das respostas. Resultados: a higienização das mãos foi a recomendação mais indicada (>95,0%). Quanto às não conformidades, destacou-se permanecer no quarto sem paramentação (78,6%), frequentar outros quartos (53,9%) e manter portas abertas em precaução para aerossóis (51,7%). Referente às estratégias adotadas para a orientar os acompanhantes/visitantes, houve predomínio da orientação verbal individual (92,4%). A principal barreira citada foi a falta de política institucional (56,2%). Conclusão: não houve uniformidade nas recomendações, e não conformidades e barreiras foram elencadas. Destaca-se a importância de diretrizes de prevenção específicas para esse público e estratégias educativas efetivas para sua implementação.(AU)

Justificación y Objetivos: a pesar de la importancia de los acompañantes/visitantes para pacientes hospitalizados bajo precauciones específicas, se advierte que los riesgos de exposición y diseminación de microorganismos en los servicios de salud por parte de esta población son aún incipientes en la literatura. Así, el objetivo fue caracterizar las recomendaciones vigentes sobre precauciones específicas para acompañantes y visitantes de pacientes hospitalizados y analizar las barreras para su implementación desde la perspectiva de los preventivos de infecciones. Métodos: estudio descriptivo y exploratorio con enfoque cuantitativo, con 89 prevencionistas de infecciones, entre marzo y junio de 2020. Datos recolectados por cuestionario electrónico, muestreo "bola de nieve" y analizados según frecuencia de respuestas. Resultados: la higiene de manos fue la recomendación más recomendada (>95,0%). En cuanto a las no conformidades, se destacó permanecer en la habitación sin atuendo (78,6%), ir a otras habitaciones (53,9%) y mantener las puertas abiertas como precaución contra los aerosoles (51,7%). En cuanto a las estrategias adoptadas para orientar a los acompañantes/visitantes, hubo predominio de la orientación verbal individual (92,4%). La principal barrera citada fue la falta de política institucional (56,2%). Conclusión: no hubo uniformidad en las recomendaciones, y se enumeraron las no conformidades y las barreras. Se destaca la importancia de pautas de prevención específicas para este público y estrategias educativas efectivas para su implementación.(AU)

Role of birth companion in COVID-19: indispensable for her and an auxiliary hand for us.

The pandemic of COVID-19 has proved to be a global catastrophe. Pregnant females could be more vulnerable to the infection owing to the immune modulation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pregnant females including those with COVID-19 suspicion or confirmed status have right to 'safe and positive childbirth experience' which includes a companion. The birth companion, is present at all times with the patient, from the initiation of labor till breastfeeding. The COVID-19 crisis has taken its toll on the healthcare system. The number of infected antenatal females are expected to increase. If a birth companion is trained in basic intrapartum and postpartum observation and care, he/she can be utilised to minimize unnecessary patient-clinician interface and optimize manpower in this critical time.

Infection control precautions for visitors to healthcare facilities.

Infection transmission in healthcare facilities is a growing concern. Visitation to healthcare facilities is very common, though the potential role of visitors in the transmission of infection is unknown. Although transmission-based precautions are generally used to prevent the spread of organisms in healthcare settings by healthcare staff, the applicability of these precautions to visitors is unclear. Decisions regarding whether to implement transmission-based precautions among visitors should take into account the organism of concern and means of transmission as well as factors pertaining to the visitor and the healthcare setting. The role of visitors as vectors for organism transmission in the healthcare setting and the potential benefits and adverse consequences of visitor adherence with transmission-based precautions are important areas for additional research.

Hand-touch contact assessment of high-touch and mutual-touch surfaces among healthcare workers, patients, and visitors.

BACKGROUND: Unlike direct contact with patients' body, hand hygiene practice is often neglected by healthcare workers (HCWs) and visitors after contact with patients' environment. Contact with hospital environmental items may increase risk of pathogen transmission. AIM: To enumerate the number of hand-touch contacts by patients, HCWs and visitors with any hospital environmental items. METHODS: All contact-episodes between person and item were recorded by direct observation in a six-bed cubicle of acute wards for 33 working days. High-touch and mutual-touch items with high contact frequencies by HCWs, patients, and visitors were analysed. FINDINGS: In total, 1107 person-episodes with 6144 contact-episodes were observed in 66 observation hours (average: 16.8 person-episodes and 93.1 contact-episodes per hour). Eight of the top 10 high-touch items, including bedside rails, bedside tables, patients' bodies, patients' files, linen, bed curtains, bed frames, and lockers were mutually touched by HCWs, patients, and visitors. Bedside rails topped the list with 13.6 contact-episodes per hour (mean), followed by bedside tables (12.3 contact-episodes per hour). Using patients' body contacts as a reference, it was found that medical staff and nursing staff contacted bedside tables [rate ratio (RR): 1.741, 1.427, respectively] and patients' files (RR: 1.358, 1.324, respectively) more than patients' bodies, and nursing staff also contacted bedside rails (RR: 1.490) more than patients' bodies. CONCLUSION: Patients' surroundings may be links in the transmission of nosocomial infections because many are frequently touched and mutually contacted by HCWs, patients, and visitors. Therefore, the focus of hand hygiene education, environmental disinfection, and other system changes should be enhanced with respect to high-touch and mutual-touch items.

Improving family-centered care practices in the NICU.

Family presence and participation in care in the NICU is fundamental to the recovery and well-being of the sick neonate and family. However, some NICU visitation policies are not supportive of families. A new visitor-management program was initiated at a local hospital. The program included open visitation for parents and others chosen by parents to be a support during their hospital stay. This quality-improvement project evaluated if there was any improvement in parents' perceptions and experiences of family-centered care after the implementation of the new visitor-management program. The NICU parent survey data revealed a modest positive difference in parent responses after the implementation of the program.

Receiving family of a patient in intensive care.

Pierre is currently working in the intensive care unit (ICU). The rules for visitors are strict. Visiting time is short and only two persons are allowed at a time, in the patient's ward. Standards of hygiene have to be respected carefully. This evening Pierre accompanies the husband of a Japanese tourist whose health is in a critical condition.

La enseñanza clínica: el caso de la recorrida de sala / Clinical instruction: the case of the bedside rounds

Posiblemente la enseñanza al lado de la cama del paciente sea tan antigua como la medicina misma. Grandes maestros de la medicina como F. Silvio o Sir W. Osler abogaron por un uso intenso de la misma destacando sus virtudes. En la era moderna se le reconoce a la enseñanza en las recorridas múltiples aspectos que no pueden ser enseñados en el aula, como el aprendizaje de las habilidades de la comunicación, de la exploración física, la enseñanza de los aspectos humanísticos, etc., pero también múltiples barreras que dificultan una exitosa implementación. En este artículo se detallan las barreras que con mayor frecuencia impiden que el docente promueva un aprendizaje significativo y profundo, y una serie propuestas prácticas que favorecen su adecuada implementación

La enseñanza clínica: el caso de la recorrida de sala / Clinical instruction: the case of the bedside rounds

Posiblemente la enseñanza al lado de la cama del paciente sea tan antigua como la medicina misma. Grandes maestros de la medicina como F. Silvio o Sir W. Osler abogaron por un uso intenso de la misma destacando sus virtudes. En la era moderna se le reconoce a la enseñanza en las recorridas múltiples aspectos que no pueden ser enseñados en el aula, como el aprendizaje de las habilidades de la comunicación, de la exploración física, la enseñanza de los aspectos humanísticos, etc., pero también múltiples barreras que dificultan una exitosa implementación. En este artículo se detallan las barreras que con mayor frecuencia impiden que el docente promueva un aprendizaje significativo y profundo, y una serie propuestas prácticas que favorecen su adecuada implementación(AU)

Family members' satisfaction with critical care: a pilot study.

AIM: the aim of this pilot study was to describe family members' satisfaction with the care provided in a Swedish intensive care unit (ICU) based on the following needs: assurance, information, proximity, support, and comfort, which are all included in the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey (CCFSS). BACKGROUND: knowledge concerning satisfaction with care among family members with a critically ill relative in an ICU is important if the family is to be met professionally. DESIGN: the study design was descriptive and retrospective, with a consecutive selection of family members of critically ill people cared for in an ICU. In total 35 family members participated. METHOD: quantitative analyses based on 20 questions, and a qualitative analysis, based on two open questions was used. The median, average value and percent were computed for every question. The open questions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: the family members had a high level of satisfaction regarding all groups of needs. They were especially satisfied with flexible visiting hours and the high quality of treatment that the ill person received. The shortcomings that emerged were that family members wanted the physician to be more available for regular talks, the room for relatives was felt to be uncomfortable; and it was felt there were deficiencies in the preparations before the patient's transferral to a ward. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: the results highlight the family members' need for regular information and the need to improve the environment in the waiting rooms for family members. The ICU staff's competence and their way of encountering the ill person and their family seem to be important for family members' satisfaction with the care.

Registered nurse and health care chaplains experiences of providing the family support person role during family witnessed resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an in-depth exploration regarding the Registered Nurse (RN) and Healthcare Chaplains' (HCC) perspective of the role of the family support person (FSP) during family witnessed resuscitation (FWR). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: A phenomenological approach utilising in-depth interviews were undertaken outside of the work setting. A purposive sample of 4 RN's and 3 HCC were recruited from four sites within the United Kingdom. All interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed utilising Husserl's framework. FINDINGS: Seven key themes emerged which included assessment, managing choice, navigating the setting, on-going commentary, coming to terms with death, conflicts and support. CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided an insight regarding the intense clinical engagement associated with the role of the FSP and highlighted the importance of this role for family member's optimal care and support. It is vital that adequate professional development is instigated and that support mechanisms are in place for those health care professionals (HCP) undertaking this role in order to help family members through this difficult experience.

Visiting the mentally ill: volunteer visitors at Saskatchewan hospital, Weyburn 1950-1965.

This article offers a glimpse into the lives and activities of some of the patients, volunteers and staff in the Saskatchewan mental health system during the period of deinstitutionalization. Drawing on her own experience as a patient in psychiatric wards as well as ongoing research in the history of mental health, it features the role of Regina Volunteer Visitors in Saskatchewan Hospital, Weyburn and examines the importance of occupational and recreational therapies and activities in improving the lives of the patients in that institution. It emphasizes the perspectives of patients and volunteers who actively worked to develop recreational activities, with the intention of helping individuals connect with the surrounding communities. The views and perspectives presented here are drawn from a variety of historical and oral interview sources, including views from visitors to the asylum and patients who lived within its walls. The author has also been a consumer of mental health services, and spent time in the Provincial Mental Hospital in North Battleford. The article therefore makes an important contribution to enhancing our understanding of the social history of deinstitutionalization, not only for its unique source base, but also because those sources have been examined and explained to readers through the perspectives of a former patient herself. This article draws significant attention to the changing opportunities for patients as they interacted with the women's volunteer groups, as well as to how the changes brought about by the encroaching deinstitutionalization, care in the community, and decisions from "above" affected the individuals on the ground.

Family centred care? Facilities, information and support for parents in UK neonatal units.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how UK neonatal units address parent communication, support and information needs during neonatal care and the early months after discharge. DESIGN: All units were invited to participate in a survey of practice and policy relating to the needs of parents with babies admitted for neonatal care. SETTING: Neonatal care, UK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions of units by unit level providing specific facilities, information, policies and support mechanisms. RESULTS: Facilities, information and support for parents vary and can be quite limited: units may have as many as 10 babies receiving intensive or high dependency care in one room; 24% have no rooms in which to accommodate one or two babies only; 96% have at least one room for parents to stay overnight, 27% of rooms have ensuite amenities; 72% have written information about the equipment used, 64 % on ventilation and 91% on breastfeeding; parents have free access to notes in 20% of units and in 14% parents are excluded from ward rounds; 27% have a policy on keeping in contact with parents, 47% did not have the services of a social worker, psychologist, counsellor or psychiatrist and only 15% have a unit-based family care nurse. CONCLUSIONS: Elements of unit policy and practice that support family-centred care are variably in place currently and units need to address the gaps.

Health care providers' attitudes regarding family presence during resuscitation of adults: an integrated review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Family presence (FP) during resuscitation is a controversial practice that leads to disagreement among health care professionals. A systematic review of the literature was performed to answer the question: What are the attitudes of health care providers regarding family presence during resuscitation of adults? METHODS: MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL databases were searched using the following terms: family, family presence, family witnessed, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nurses, personnel, patient, attitudes, attitude of health personnel, and ethics. Criteria for inclusion consisted of research studies addressing health care providers' attitudes toward family presence during adult resuscitation conducted in the United States that were published between 1998 and 2008. RESULTS: The literature search produced 480 titles. Thirteen full-text articles met criteria for inclusion in the evidence tables. Findings of this integrated literature indicate that: between and within discipline differences in attitudes, perceived burden on staff, perceived effects on family, lack of medical knowledge of family, and existence of a hospital policy influence provider attitudes toward FP. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: More research is needed to determine if FP is evidence based; however, there is sufficient evidence to consider implementing FP. There is wide variation in support for FP among health care professionals, although nurses generally are more favorable. If an institution elects to implement an FP policy or evidence-based practice guideline, it must carefully consider the many provider, patient, family, and system-level factors that can hinder or promote the success of this initiative.

Multicultural family members' experiences with nurses and the intensive care context: a hermeneutic study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to illuminate the experiences of multicultural family members in intensive care units in hospitals, when a loved one was critically ill. An increasing migration from non-Western countries to Norway and potential double-stress for multicultural families experiencing critical illness are pre-understandings. METHODS: The study utilised a Gadamerian hermeneutic design. Data were collected through in-depth-interviews (n=5) and interpreted, inspired by Lindseth and Norberg's phenomenological hermeneutical method. FINDINGS: Multicultural family members' experiences of their encounters with nurses were understood as: 'Struggling to preserve the families' cultural belonging within the health care system', based on four themes: (a) filtering information to reduce concern; (b) understanding and being understood; (c) protecting cultural traditions and (d) interaction between roles, rules and expectations. CONCLUSION: Family members with a non-Western ethnic background experienced several challenges within the complex ICU environment. Multicultural family members had distinct strategies to deal with the hospitalisation of a critically ill loved one. Interaction difficulties and cultural traditions were not influenced by the environment alone, however the challenges seemed to deal with universal human interaction independent of the context. Nurses need to be sensitive to the families' cultural customs in order to meet their expectations in a respectful way.

Family presence during resuscitation and invasive procedures.

The practice of allowing family to be present during patient resuscitation or invasive procedures (Family Presence) is gaining acceptance in North America and the United Kingdom in controlled circumstances. Research into Family Presence has demonstrated multiple benefits for the patient, family and health care team. These advantages include helping the family to understand the severity of the illness/trauma and to see that appropriate attempts were undertaken to save their loved one. Family Presence can also facilitate improved communication between the health care team and family. In spite of evidence supporting Family Presence as a useful practice for patient, family and health care team, the use of Family Presence is uncommon within Australian emergency departments and hospitals. Clear expectations at organisational, governmental and professional levels are essential to effectively implement this approach. To be supported in the clinical area, the success of a Family Presence program requires an inclusive approach to program development. A critical component of a successful Family Presence program is a family facilitator who is adequately prepared for the role and committed to supporting the family during resuscitation or invasive procedures. Research exploring Family Presence in Australia is lacking and highlights the need for context specific research in this area.