Open visitation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a recommended practice that holds promise to enhance the outcomes of families of the critically ill. More than 3 decades of research capture the psychological and informational needs of family members of the critically ill. Recent recommendations from professional organizations support open or unrestricted visitation in the adult ICUs. With limited direct evidence on the benefits of open visitation, the authors sought to discern if open visitation in a neurological ICU addresses the needs and enhances the experiences of the family members.

To perform their study, the authors recruited family members 48 to 72 hours after a patient’s admission to a neurological ICU. The Critical Care Needs Inventory, the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit survey, and a set of questions to assess the experience related to open visitation was administered to 45 participants at baseline and 2 months after...

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