Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Talking to Patients and Families

Visiting hours

Meaning in nursing, with examples

nounCore term

In nursing, visiting hours means: The times of day when friends and family are allowed to visit patients on a ward.

In Turkish: ziyaret saatleri, ziyaret saati

How it is used

Usually posted at the ward entrance. Many wards have 'protected mealtimes' when visitors are asked to leave, and some allow open visiting or extra time for patients who are very ill or dying. Nurses may need to explain the rules politely: 'I'm afraid visiting hours finish at eight.'

Example sentences

  1. Visiting hours are from two till eight, with two visitors at a bed at a time.

  2. We can be flexible about visiting hours for your mother while she is this unwell.

Common collocations

  • during visiting hours
  • outside visiting hours
  • open visiting
  • visiting hours finish
  • next of kinThe person closest to a patient, usually a family member or partner, who is contacted first with news about them.
  • reassureTo say or do something that makes a worried person feel calmer and less afraid.
  • wardA section of a hospital with beds where patients with similar needs stay and are cared for by a team of nurses.
  • palliative careCare that aims to relieve pain and other symptoms and support quality of life for people with a serious illness that cannot be cured, together with support for their families.

More terms: Talking to Patients and Families

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.