Therapy Pet Visits Reduce Nurse Stress Levels
By Debra Wood, RN, contributor
Feeling stressed? Nothing beats a cold nose and a wiggly butt for easing the hassles of a busy day. Travel nurses often take their pets on assignments and enjoy spending their off hours together, but nurses and physicians at a couple of hospitals have also experienced the joy of leaving the unit to interact with dogs and cats in special pet sessions while at work.
Pet visits at the Hospital of UPenn
It all began at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, when Heather Matthew, MSN, RN, a clinical nurse specialist in the emergency department, came up with the idea. She had noticed the difference registered therapy dogs made with patients and in boosting morale for ER nurses and other staff.
“It made people so much happier, so I thought this is what we need--a dog,” Matthews said. “The lifespan of an ER nurse is not long, with stress and burnout. The only way I unwound was I would come home and have a dog.” Her name was Annabella.
Matthews went to her director, who asked for a formal presentation. She reached out to the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). The organization brought adoptable dogs to the presentation, and management gave their approval to the idea. Matthews made posters and sent out emails. More than 100 staff members came to the first session, and some adopted pets brought in by the SPCA.
“I would see people walk in miserable and light up,” Matthews said. “One girl came in with a headache, and she instantly felt better.”
The SPCA temperament tests the dogs and makes sure they are clean and up to date on vaccines. At Halloween and other holidays, the dogs come dressed up. Matthew also has raised about $15,000 plus donations of blankets and toys for shelter pets at the SPCA. The hospital sessions last about an hour and a half; Matthews makes sure the animals have water and treats, and environmental services cleans the area afterward.
Matthews’ advice to others is simple: “Try it.” She said the program costs the hospital nothing, yet it brings many benefits.
Pet Pause at Rush University Medical
Recently, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago began offering a similar program called Pet Pause, after learning about the Penn program. At Rush, companion dogs of volunteers at a local shelter and Canine Therapy Corps, an animal therapy group, bring three to five dogs monthly. They stay for about an hour-and-a-half to visit with 60 to 100 people.
Melissa Browning, RN, DNP, CCNS, director of the Magnet program at Rush, and another nurse are conducting a study to learn about the effect the pet visits have on nurse stress and that of other staff. Participants fill out a questionnaire rating their stress level, and the nurses take each person’s blood pressure before and after the session.
“Everything we have heard has been very positive,” Browning said. “Most people anecdotally say their stress level has decreased.”
Other employee programs
While the Rush study is still underway, Randolph T. Barker, PhD, professor of management in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, has studied the effect of dogs in a retail setting. He found stress declined for people working with their dog present as compared to employees without pets and compared to their stress when their dogs stayed home.
Karen Allen, PhD, at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, found owning a pet lowers people’s blood pressure in response to stress. Other studies have shown dogs can reduce patients’ pain levels and improve mood. Dogs can give people a reason to get out and exercise.
Travel nursing with pets
While an occasional visit by a pet at the hospital can relieve the pressures of a busy day, don’t forget how beneficial it can be to have your own pooch or kitty greet you every day you arrive home. Travel nursing with pets is very common; just talk to your recruiter so he or she can arrange for pet-friendly housing. You and your pet will be less stressed and happier for striking out on your adventures together.
Related articles and resources:
Travel Nursing with Pets: How to Make It Work
Moral Distress in Emergency Nursing Found Unique
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