Challenging restricted visiting policies in critical care.

The need for family members to visit their loved ones when they have been admitted into the critical care unit was identified in 1979 by Molter in the critical care family needs inventory (CCFNI). This need has been the centre of controversy for critical care units for many years. This article provides an overview of literature that refutes some of the rationales that have been used to restrict family visiting in the critical care unit. An overview of a liberalized (open, contract, inclusive or structured) visiting policy is discussed as an option to the restricted visiting policy.