Intensive Care Unit

You may enter at anytime to visit a patient, however we encourage you to please read the guidelines posted below.

ICU Family & Visitor Guidelines

Wadley Regional Medical Center has Open Visitation in our ICU so you may visit at any time. Our
goal is to give you unrestricted access to your loved one during this critical time as much as we
possibly can.  We understand the healing process includes the love and support from you ---the
family!

In order to provide the best and safest care for your loved one, we want to partner with you
through the following guidelines:

Privacy: We ask family and visitors to stay inside the patient’s room when visiting, rather than waiting in hallways, to ensure privacy and confidentiality for all of our patients.

Children: Although there are no age restrictions, please prepare children for visiting in this critical area and they MUST remain with the supervising adult. 

Code Word: Upon admission to the ICU, the patient and the family present will establish a word that will be used by anyone making a phone call to check on the patient.  Without the code word, to ensure confidentiality, no information can be given.  The patient or family member present at the time of admission should share the code word with others they deem appropriate.

Nurse Communication:  When you want to talk to the nurse, please be aware that between the hours of 6:30-7:30am and 6:30-7:30pm nurses have shift change and will be passing on critical information, which means that nurses may not be readily available to speak to visitors.   These times allow the caregivers to share clear and accurate information regarding your loved one --- information that is essential for safe care.

Need for Privacy: The nurse may ask visitors to step out of the patient’s room when a bath or medical procedure needs to be done.  The nurse will notify the family when they can return to the room.  There will be signage on the closed door if staff are engaged in one of the above to indicate the need for privacy.

Family Spokesperson:  Patients with a large family may need to identify a spokesperson to be the point of contact between the nursing staff, family and friends.  The family spokesperson will help by:

• Taking phone calls regarding the patient’s condition
• Relay the information with other family members.

Support Person: Patients have the right to designate a support person for visitation. This person can exercise the patient’s visitation rights on behalf of the patient with respect to their visitors when the patient is unable to do so.

• Working with us to plan individual visiting guidelines for the patient as needed. 

Infection Control:  For the safety of the patient and the visitor, please wash your hands as you enter and exit the ICU.   Hand washing is the single most important way to cut down on the spread of germs.  There is a hand washing station conveniently located as you enter and leave the unit.

Special Circumstances: There may be times when visitation needs to be limited due to infection concerns, procedures, clinical issues as determined by the physician, or safety of care.  If it is determined that limited visitation is best for the patient, the reason will be communicated to the Support Person and/or next of kin.

Waiting Room: Please notify any nurse if the ICU waiting rooms are becoming too crowded and we can help you find a place where you can comfortably wait.

PLEASE NOTE:  The two ICU waiting rooms are shared by family and visitors of 16 patients-this can add up to a lot of people!  

We suggest the Main Lobby and Cafeteria for additional seating if you have a large group.