Who Let the Dogs Out? Utilizing Animal Therapy for Stress Relief in Nursing Teammates

If you ask a nurse if they are experiencing stress in the profession, the likely answer will be a resounding “yes.” Healthcare organizations have placed a major focus on wellness initiatives for their nursing teammates during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. A multitude of resources are offered, but how often are they utilized when they need to be coordinated directly by the nurse? Organizations can reach their nurses during a stressful shift by delivering real-time stress relief resources such as animal therapy. With the current presence of animal therapy offered in many healthcare organizations for the patient population, it can be a readily available and cost-effective wellness initiative to provide to nursing teammates. Animal therapy is a managed interaction with a trained or certified animal and volunteer handler¹. On-site animal therapy is often offered through site-based volunteer programs or external organizations, making it an accessible wellness initiative for nursing teammates.

Effects of Animal Therapy

Dating back to Florence Nightingale, she noted the importance of animal therapy as a therapeutic connection to the sick population. Over many years, pets have proven to demonstrate a positive correlation between health and satisfaction of life. Animals can provide a sense of security and safety to people². Physiological benefits include a decrease in elevated heart rate, blood pressure control, reduction in cortisol levels, and increase in oxytocin. People are often exposed to animal therapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression with euphoric effects³. Animal therapy has been integrated as a holistic approach to patient care, improving mental and physical health during their time of distress in the healthcare setting.

Animal Therapy — Not Just for the Patients

Nursing teammates work in ever-changing, stressful environments to provide safe and quality care to patients. Stress is often self-proclaimed in nursing professionals in a variety of medical-surgical healthcare environments, especially following the patient care demands during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing teammates have an increased risk of obesity and obesity-related illnesses, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These risks can lead to multiple health problems, caffeine and medication dependency, and workplace-related injury⁴. Overall, nursing teammates are feeling stressed and burnt out, putting them at major risk for serious physical and mental health issues.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus on healthy work environments has been at the forefront of healthcare organizations’ strategic plans and department needs. Nurses are leaving the profession at an all-time high due to the demanding nature of their roles, elevated levels of stress, and burnout. Strategies like employee assistance plans are being utilized but rely on nursing teammates to coordinate themselves beyond their scheduled shift time. The stress and burnout feel real during shifts, and animal therapy promotes positivity and a healthy work environment during demanding times. While animal therapy varies within healthcare organizations, this is an accessible resource at often low or no cost. Animal therapy services can be delivered to nursing teammates while also serving patients or with specific time set aside for the nursing teammates. Instead of the nurse needing to coordinate these efforts, they are readily available in their time of need.

Healthcare organizations can partner with their animal therapy providers to coordinate the opportunity for nursing teammates to connect with the animal. Careful consideration of nursing teammate allergies and comfort with animal interaction is a high priority in coordinating the experience of animal therapy. Providing a specific space for animal interactions may ensure these considerations are addressed. Participation in animal therapy is an optional solution to nursing teammate stress and burnout. Most often dogs are the chosen therapy animals, but the experience does not have to be exclusive to our canine companions. Animal therapy organizations offer miniature horses or goats as animal therapy options. Coordination efforts can be brought forth through leadership, professional governance, or clinical nursing teammates.

Healthcare organizations have described success in providing animal therapy in real time during stressful events. Providing animal therapy immediately following a patient decline or code can help manage physical or psychological symptoms of stress in nursing teammates. Utilizing animal therapy in these scenarios can be used as the primary resource or as a support measure in conjunction with traditional employee assistance resources. Depending on availability of services in the healthcare organization, animal therapy can be scheduled throughout the varying shifts to proactively address stress and burnout or can be requested on demand for an identified nursing teammate need.

Volunteer departments are a vital resource for utilizing animal therapy. Whether dogs are brought in by a single volunteer or external volunteer animal therapy service, the handler and dogs are serving their purpose of servicing others. Volunteers, handlers, and their dogs find pure enjoyment from their interactions with patients and nursing teammates alike. Volunteer departments contribute to decreasing mental and physical health issues and stress of nursing teammates by providing animal therapy services. In turn, it provides a valuable and rewarding experience for the volunteer department.

Nurses continue to prove their resiliency in times of high stress — from caring for acutely ill patients and providing positive patient experiences to balancing their own physical and mental health. While some nurses make that look easy to manage, that does not mean they do not need a helping hand — or paw — during a difficult shift. A healthy work environment requires addressing nursing teammates’ need for relief proactively and in real time. Animal therapy is a valuable option to provide to nursing teammates to promote their well-being.

References

1. Coto, J. A., Ohlendorf, E. K., Cinnamon, A. E., Ellis, T. L., Ondrey, M. A., & Bartuch, P. (2022). A correlational study exploring nurse work anxiety and animal-assisted therapy. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(9), 498–502. https://doi.org/10.1097/nna.0000000000001188
2. Krause-Parello, C. A. (2018). Human-animal connections and nursing science: What is the relationship? Nursing Science Quarterly, 31(3), 239–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318418774901
3. Machová, K., Součková, M., Procházková, R., Vaníčková, Z., & Mezian, K. (2019). Canine-assisted therapy improves well-being in nurses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health/International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(19), 3670. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193670
4. Yordy, M., Brandon, A., & Harmon, L. (2020). Animal-assisted therapy: Promoting a healthy work environment. Nursing Management, 51(4), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000657248.63754.fc