Visitors: a smouldering issue for burn unit personnel

Recent acknowledgement by medical care providers of the psychosocial role in health restoration has brought the issue of patient visiting to the forefront. The intense environment characteristic in critical care areas such as burn units has necessitated a carefully balanced 'compromise' between scientifically sound medical care and psychosocially oriented interventions. This is a current area of attention in the development of policy for burn unit operations. However, the 'compromise' seems to have been individually interpreted by professionals. This study investigated visitor policy components involved in shaping the staff-visitor-patient constellation. It also probes the consequences of this shaping process. Surveys were mailed to all 174 American burn units listed in the Directory of Burn Care Facilities (January, 1979). Our completed study reflected data reviewing the following characteristics: demographics (that is, age specification and bed distribution, bed allocation); visitor policy determination; visitor policy specifications (that is, who, when, how many); visitor policy, regulation and enforcement; and visitor integration (that is, rooming-in, programme involvement).