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As you can imagine, the care of the critically ill patient is much more demanding and time-consuming than that of the less ill patient. Therefore, the visitation policy for the critically ill patient is different for that of the rehab patient. The nurse or doctor can tell you which category your loved one is in. Since our unit is both an intensive care unit and a general care unit, we must structure our visitation guidelines to meet the needs of both patient populations.

Step-down / Rehab Patient Visitation
Visitation for the rehab patient is from 9 am – 9p.m. We ask that you please try to limit visitors to two at a time. We may ask you to leave the room during dressing changes or other procedures, or to meet the comfort or privacy needs of the patient. One family member may stay overnight with pediatric patients. Children are welcome to visit after proper screening and under adult supervision.

Intensive Care Patient Visitation
Our number one concern for the critically ill patient is to provide optimum care for the patient. You may notice that there is a lot of equipment in the patient’s room to monitor their vital systems, give them intravenous fluids, assist in meeting nutritional needs, and perhaps to even aid in breathing. The nurse or doctor will be glad to provide explanation for the equipment being used to help care for your loved one.

You must check in with the medical receptionist before visiting Intensive Care patients. Visitation is limited to immediate family members and clergy. Children must be 14 years of age or older to visit. Two persons may visit at a time. If other family members wish to visit, you may divide the visitation time among them. You may occasionally be asked to delay visitation if patient needs arise. Visitation times are:
9:00 am to 9:15 am
1:00 pm to 1:15 pm
5:00 pm to 5:15 pm
8:00 pm to 8:15 pm

Note: Preventing infection is a major concern for all of our patients, especially for our ICU burn patients, as they may have major skin loss. Skin is our first defense against infection. For optimum infection control, all persons entering the patient’s room must wear the gowns and gloves provided. The gowns and gloves must be discarded in the red trash bags inside the patient’s room before leaving the room. Please do not enter the room without a gown and gloves, or leave the room with the gown and gloves on. The nurse or other staff member will be glad to show you how to properly use them.

Visitor’s Lounge
There is a visitor’s lounge located in front of the elevators on the 11th floor. It is there for your convenience and comfort. Our service associates make every effort to keep it clean and comfortable. We ask that you do your part by disposing of trash properly, supervising children, etc.

Telephones/Phone calls
Phones are located in the visitor’s lounge in front of the elevators on the 11th floor for visitor use. Dial “9” to obtain an outside line for local calls. Dial “0” to reach a Vanderbilt operator to place all other calls.

While we try our best to keep you informed of your loved one’s condition at all times, we ask that you limit phone calls to the intensive care unit. We ask that one family member be the spokesperson for the patient and assume the responsibility for keeping the rest of the family and friends informed of the patient’s progress. This helps to eliminate repetitiveness and confusion, and allows the nurse to spend more time at the patient’s bedside. We wish to respect the patient’s rights of confidentiality, so no information will be given over the phone to anyone except immediate family. The phone number in the lounge is (615) 343-5884. Family members are encouraged to give this number to persons who wish to call them at the hospital to check on the patient’s progress.

If your family member is not in the intensive care unit, you may dial his or her room directly. Ask the nurse or other staff member for the direct number.

Snacks and Meals
There are vending machines in the basement in front of the elevators offering a variety of snack foods and beverages. A specialty coffee shop is located in the main lobby. McDonald’s restaurant is just outside the second floor entrance. In addition to these, there is a full service cafeteria on the 2nd floor.

No Smoking
For the safety of our patients and visitors, Vanderbilt Medical University Medical Center is a smoke-free facility. You may smoke only in the outside designated smoking area located across the 2nd floor sky bridge in the Capers Parking Garage. Thank you for your cooperation.