Background: Few topics have existed for decades and created as much of a debate as when discussing appropriate visitation policies for patients. Studies have continued to document the conflicted opinions of nurses to commit to fully open visiting hours for various reasons. Family members are very definite in their desire to be at their loved one’s bedside. Objective: To review the visiting policies of acute care hospitals in California and compare them to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recommendations. Methods: This descriptive study collected data from California acute care hospital websites about critical care visiting hours to assess visiting hours and the type, age, and number of visitors. Results: Review of 363 hospital websites demonstrated a wide variation in policies when listed. Those that did post their visitation rules had no consistent policies regarding visiting hours or age, relationship, or number of visitors. Conclusions: Hospital visitation policies in California are inconsistent and not evenly enforced. They do not reflect current evidence and practice guidelines. Implications for Nursing: Ethics require the nurses to advocate for their patient. In this role, nurses need to become proactive in implementing policy changes in their institution based on current evidence and practice guidelines.

Educators have a responsibility to encourage diversity in nursing education, including students with disabilities. There is a paucity of data regarding experiences of the students with physical challenges in nursing programs. These case studies present the self-reported experiences, outlooks, and perceptions of three physically disabled baccalaureate, pre-licensure nursing students. This was a representative convenience sample of all three self-identified students with physical disabilities in the two participating nursing programs. The perspectives shared will further educate faculty in the extraordinary challenges faced by the physically disabled nursing students, and inform ideas about inclusiveness in nursing education.

Background: In the hospital setting, patients are usually cared for by a nurse and multidisciplinary teams which may include physical therapists, social workers, and public health workers. However, students in health care programs usually will not experience interdisciplinary scenarios developing needed skills. Combining classes and replacing certain curriculum activities with patient simulation projects that include several departments may improve their educational experience and success. Simulation is technology used to enhance instruction resources for all students. Simulation not only captures the attention of the video-game generation but actively engages students in the learning process. Simulation can be a valuable experience to keep students actively involved in learning by offering the opportunity to apply knowledge learned to the clinical setting, thus making it real. It is compelling to consider the impact of simulation in increasing the competency of students when they are in the work force while decreasing error rate and impacting the quality of care.Methods: A mixed method approach involved simulation experience followed by data collection via survey.Results: Students across all disciplines reported increased ability for collaboration and communication.Conclusions: Demonstrated the value of introducing the students to teamwork and collaboration experiences via simulation.

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