Visiting a VIP in hospital

FishyBiscuits

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Hi guys!

Two of my characters are involved in a serious accident and are rushed to hospital for treatment. They're both considered VIPs in their country, and they're placed in private treatment rooms with pretty high security to prevent the media having access to them.

My question is, when they're first brought in theyre both unconscious and therefore not able to tell doctors/nurses who they want to visit them - what would be the general protocol for allowing family and friends to see them before they wake up? Would it be reasonable for the hospital to require visitors to have ID to access their rooms? I'm not sure how this sort of thing works.

A bit of background - the place the story is set is based on 2013-ish New York. One of the characters is 18 and the other is 21.

Thanks!
 

Cyia

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If they're not conscious, then they're probably going to the ICU, which is a closely monitored wing of the hospital. Everyone's got their own cubicle-style room with glass walls that allow the central nurses' desk to keep an eye on them.

If they're VIPs, then they may have something in their wallet that identifies the hospital they'd prefer to be taken to. Likely one that' s used to handling celebrities. Like Lenox Hill or Mt. Sinai.
 

ap123

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In NY hospitals, you must be prepared to show ID and state where you're going upon entering the hospital. In some, you can't walk past the lobby without a visitor's pass, in others, if you look like you know where you're going, you can walk in without stopping.

Most Manhattan hospitals have multiple entrances and buildings, sometimes security is more/less tight depending on which entrance is used.

In general, visiting rules and hours for the asst ICUs are different than other wings, and having been in several of these (as next of kin), these nurses aren't playing. They need clear access to the patient at all times, no piling of stuff, getting in the way, no "just one extra person" in the (often separated by curtains instead of walls) cubicle. If it's only one visitor allowed, it's only one (depending on the type of ICU and space, it might be two visitors at a time). Some of the hospitals have separate waiting rooms for the ICUs with phones that connect to the nurses station, and you must call in and be ok'd by the patient's primary nurse before you're buzzed in.

Often VIPs will have their own security onsite and the general security of the hospital will be tighter, depending on the VIP. If it's known the person (people) are there, but haven't been for weeks, odds are there will be news crews outside the main entrance.

I'm pretty sure most of the bigger &/or very specialized hospitals have special fancy rooms for the special fancy VIPs, but I think those are used after the patients are past the ICU point. (Not sure about this last bit, I'm not a VIP)
 

MaeZe

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Only the family can visit in most ICUs. Pick a hospital and look up their visitor policy. It should be online.
 

blacbird

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It's also possible that these "VIPs" might have their own private security, or police protection, depending on who they are. Theoretically such security measures would be coordinated with the hospital security.

caw
 

frimble3

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If they're known VIPs from another country, someone representative from their government is probably around, communicating (or not) with the press, co-ordinating between security groups, signing for things, etc. They probably have a list of approved (or at least known) visitors, and be updating 'home office', families, etc.
If it should turn out that they are aliens or fantasy species, they will probably be transferred to some secret government facility ASAP.