Visiting in intensive care units and nurse's beliefs

Hospitalization in intensive care units is regarded as a critical problem for patients and their family. The issue of visiting in these units is one of the most basic issues in promoting holistic care to patients. Although evidences show the benefits of visiting، it is forbidden in intensive care units of Iran. Visiting is always a challenging matter for nurses; consequently، they show different reaction to it. For changing the policy of visiting in intensive care units، it is important to pay attention to nurses’ beliefs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the nurses’ beliefs toward the open visiting in intensive care units.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 127 nurses working in intensive care units of educational hospitals affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences in Rasht in 2014. Data collection instrument form to access nurses’ socio-demographic information and BAVIQ questionnaire to assess nurses’ beliefs. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS ver. 21 by t test and binomial test and (P<0. 05) was considered as significant.

Results indicated that 80. 3 and 78. 7 percent of nurses have more negative beliefs to open visiting due to hampering adequate planning interfering with direct nursing care. But 59. 80 percent of nurses believe that open visiting policy decreases family’s anxiety (p<0. 05).

Most nurses believe that open visiting due to bad effects on patient and increasing their work load، is not useful and therefore insist on its prohibition.