• Zahra Tayebi, Leili Borimnejad, Nahid Dehghan-Nayeri, and Mahmoud Kohan.
• Z Tayebi, Nursing PhD candidate, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
• Nurs Crit Care. 2014 May 1; 19 (3): 117-25.

BackgroundToday, critical care visitation is considered an important aspect of patient-centred care and its positive effects on patients and their relatives have been demonstrated. However, restricted visiting hours in the intensive care units (ICUs) is often an adopted norm. The reasons for such restricted policies in Iran still remain unknown.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to identify the rationales for restricted visiting hours in adult ICUs in Iran.MethodsA qualitative design using a thematic analysis approach was used for data gathering and analysis. Participants in this study were six nurses, three head nurses, two patients and four visitors. They were chosen through purposive sampling method. Data were gathered through semi-structured individual interviews.FindingsThe data analysis resulted in three themes: 'health protection', 'safety promotion' and 'privacy preservation'.ConclusionThe result showed that through restricted visiting hours, nurses try to protect vulnerable ICU patients from physical, psychological and legal risk. Although the ICU nurses' concerns seem reasonable in some cases, a review of visiting policies in order to meet the needs of patients and their families is essential.Relevance To Clinical PracticeEffective supervision by charge nurses and regulation of environmental activities with visiting hours can resolve many concerns. Health care professionals, especially nurses, are required to create the conditions in which patients' family members are informed about the patients' health status and patients can be visited in suitable ward conditions.© 2014 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

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