Family and Visitation Rights

1 In your professional experience, how has the definition of "family" come into conflict? Have you seen or experienced discrimination in a client's right to have their loved ones at their bedside? As nurses, we are obligated to care for our patients. What happens if the client is gay, and their partner wants to be present? Have you experienced any situations where you were not able to care for your client as well as you would like, due to policy or prejudice within the facility or the staff?
Old saying; "God protect me from my friends, from my enemies I can protect myself." I let the patient decide what his family is. None of my business unless they interfere with care. Have had family decide they didn't like me based on looks, I guess. I just swap patients with another nurse. These are no win situations for the nurse, so I just refuse to play.

Test, homework or interview?

Non of the above. I think is interesting to hear different opinions about this topic that was bring out in my group of friends.

Quote from monkago2009in your professional experience, how has the definition of "family" come into conflict? have you seen or experienced discrimination in a client's right to have their loved ones at their bedside? as nurses, we are obligated to care for our patients. what happens if the client is gay, and their partner wants to be present? have you experienced any situations where you were not able to care for your client as well as you would like, due to policy or prejudice within the facility or the staff?

Quote from monkago2009Non of the above. I think is interesting to hear different opinions about this topic that was bring out in my group of friends.

Well, the problem came out of working for Catholic Hospital vs working for a public hospital. there are regulations about visitations that don't apply to the privet hospitals. me and my friends were sad about something that happen to a same sex couple in the privet catholic hospital.

Well is not a home work question. and if you don't feel like given an answer feel free to ignore the question.

Quote from monkago2009Well, the problem came out of working for a Catholic Hospital vs working for a public hospital. there are regulations about visitations that don't apply to the privet hospitals. me and my friends were sad about something that happen to a same sex couple in the privet catholic hospital.

if the pt decides the people at bedside are family, i dont ask and dont argue. family is like pain "it is what the pt says it is." no matter what i think about it!

I have been in situations where family members were not allowed to visit, but the pt. had a court appointed POA. As said by rn/writer, there are many factors to consider. You speak about family as well as loved one or significant other. Legally those are not at all the same. Of course for homo sexual couples it is mostly impossible to legally become a family. Ask yourself if you have all the information. Was the partner denied visitation because of sexual orientation or was there another reason? Floor staff is not always given all the info. Since this is a catholic hospital I must conclude that the couple was females ( no way I was gonna let this one go ).

(sorry for the errors "typing from my phone")Here is the deal. In the pass the PT wasn't allow to decide who he want at the bedside. in fact the the visitation regulations was only for Blood related family members and legal spouse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ogA5zzi5cAfter president Obama change the regulations only public hospitals are obligated to let the PT decide. who they want at the bed side, and to recognize same sex couple visitation rights.Well not all hospitals are obligated, only those that work with federal funding. There are privet hospitals and in my case a very Catholic Hospital that don't recognize same sex partners as a family members.

(sorry for the errors "typing from my phone")Here is the deal. In the pass the PT wasn't allow to decide who he want at the bedside. in fact the the visitation regulations was only for Blood related family members and legal spouse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ogA5zzi5cAfter president Obama change the regulations only public hospitals are obligated to let the PT decide. who they want at the bed side, and to recognize same sex couple visitation rights.Well not all hospitals are obligated, only those that work with federal funding. There are privet hospitals and in my case a very Catholic Hospital that don't recognize same sex partners as a family members. So the question comes out again....What happens if the client is gay, and their partner wants to be present? Have you experienced any situations where you were not able to care for your client as well as you would like, due to policy or prejudice within the facility or the staff?