The Perceptions of Animal Therapy in the College of Nursing

Abstract

AAT has been used for several decades as a resource for patients in various settings but there is a little research about it in the academic setting, including in a college of nursing. Burnout in the field of nursing is high and it is important to explore more interventions available to retain nurses, as the demand continues to increase. AAT is an intervention that must be researched to provide relief to nursing students. A qualitative content analysis was performed to understand the perceptions and emotional responses to a therapy dog in a college of nursing setting. The site chosen was the University of Arizona College of Nursing and the population was 20 students in the Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program. Focus groups were used with a semi-structured interview guide. Results revealed that the perceptions and emotional responses to a therapy dog were overwhelmingly positive. Five benefits, four drawbacks and four suggestions of improvements provided the themes for the perceptions included in the study. The students’ emotional responses to the dog included positive emotions and relaxation. These findings indicate that AAT may be an effective intervention for burnout and that further research is needed in this area of AAT.