Pet therapy: dogs de-stress students.

Area of Science:

• Animal-assisted interventions
• Nursing education
• Psychological well-being

Background:

• The human-animal bond is recognized for its therapeutic benefits across various contexts.
• Pet therapy is increasingly explored as a supportive measure in educational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of pet therapy on nursing students' test anxiety.
• To assess the effect of pet therapy on nursing student academic performance.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of pet therapy sessions involving a Golden Retriever named Goldilocks prior to examinations.
• Collection of anecdotal evidence to evaluate the intervention's effects.

Main Results:

• Pet therapy demonstrated a reduction in test anxiety among nursing students.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests an improvement in nursing student performance following pet therapy sessions.

Conclusions:

• Pet therapy shows promise as an effective strategy for mitigating test anxiety in nursing students.
• The human-animal bond, exemplified by pet therapy, can positively influence academic performance and student well-being in nursing education.