[Intensive care and resuscitation: visits to hospitalized patients]

The nurse's opinion and their feelings and attitudes toward the parents visits in coronary (CCU) and intensive care (ICU) units was evaluated. A questionnaire with closed questions was sent to 60 coronary care and intensive care units respectively. 50 questionnaires (41.6% were returned). Patients access to the wards is very dishomogeneous, with greater variability among ICUs. On average, patients are allowed to visit their relatives 1.35 hour/day, divided in two entry times. Only in 19% of wards (38 wards) there are exceptions to these rules. Nurses are not allowed to give any kind of information to relatives in 25% of wards, because this is considered a doctors' task. Probably the part of the limitations to the access of the relatives are due to organizative problems, but, according to the nurses, there are major opportunities for improvement.