Visiting Guidelines 

Inpatients:

• Up to two (2) visitors at the bedside at a time.
• Visiting hours are flexible and guided by the patient’s care needs and unit activity. Patients, families, and Care Partners are encouraged to consult with the Team Lead/Clinical Resource Nurse (CRN) to determine appropriate visiting times.
• Children under 12 years of age are permitted to visit in consultation with the care team.
• Care partners supporting patients overnight (8:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m.) are asked to remain in the patient’s room and notify staff when entering or leaving the unit.
• All visitors and Care Partners are expected to follow STEGH’s Code of Conduct and treat patients, families, staff, physicians, volunteers, and others with courtesy and respect. Behaviour that interferes with safe, compassionate care will not be tolerated.

Patients who are acutely palliative, actively dying or critically ill:

• Unlimited visitors, visiting two (2) at a time.
• Anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Obstetrical patients during Triage, Labour, Birth, and Recovery Postpartum:

• If any care providers are feeling unwell or nursing staff deem them as unwell, they will be asked to wear a mask for the duration of the patient’s stay.
• Obstetrical Triage: One (1) care partner is permitted at a time.
• Labour, Birth and Recovery: Two (2) care partners are permitted. These care partners must be the same two care partners for the duration of the labour, birth and recovery.
  • In the case of a surrogate birth, a doula, birthing coach or support person for the gestational carrier is permitted, in addition to the two permitted care partners.
• Cesarean Section: One (1) care partner is permitted in the operating room and the immediate recovery phase. In the case of a general anesthetic, no care partners will be permitted in the operating room.
• Postpartum: Primary care partner and two (2) additional care partners that will remain the same are permitted to visit.
• Siblings are allowed to visit and will not be included in the 2 additional care partners.
• The two additional support people will be named and placed on the chart.
• One (1) care partner is permitted to stay overnight.
  • Children are not permitted to stay overnight.
• To keep patients safe during times of unit or community outbreaks, further visiting restrictions may be put in place.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit:

• Parents and siblings aged six and up may visit the NICU, with a maximum of two visitors at a time (e.g., one parent and one sibling).  Due to space limitations, only two additional relatives identified by the parents may visit, and these individuals must remain consistent throughout the infant's stay. Further restrictions may occur during periods of unit outbreak.
• Visitors must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian, unless previously indicated by parent/legal guardian in writing.
• Siblings aged 6 and greater are permitted to visit but must be accompanied by a parent.
  • An up-to-date immunization record must be shown and a copy placed on the first visit. If vaccines are not up to date, siblings will not be permitted to visit.
  • Health screening questionnaire must be completed by the parent/legal guardian for each sibling prior to each visit. If the parent/legal guardian answers “No” to question 2, or “Yes” to any of the remaining questions, the sibling will not be permitted at that time.
• Children under the age of 18 (other than siblings) are not permitted to visit.
• Visiting may be interrupted to provide appropriate patient care.
• Visiting will be restricted to protect the privacy rights of other patients or to maintain safety and security.
• To keep patients safe during times of unit or community outbreaks, further visiting restrictions may be put into place.

Outpatients and Emergency Department:

• One (1) visitor to accompany the patient at any time.

Visitors who feel unwell should not enter the hospital (unless seeking care in the Emergency Department, or if prior approval has been granted by a leader, i.e. visiting a patient who is critically ill or palliative, or a woman in labour). Please postpone visiting loved ones until you are feeling well.