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Therapy Dog Effects on Nursing Student Stress: A Mixed Methods Study.
1Author Affiliations: Professor (Dr Hall), Amarillo College, Texas; and Doctoral Graduate and Professor (Dr Duke), University of Texas, Tyler.
Nurse Educator
|December 21, 2020
Summary
Therapy dogs can decrease stress for nursing students. This study found that a campus therapy dog intervention improved student outcomes by reducing stress and enhancing focus.
Area of Science:
- Animal-assisted interventions
- Student mental health
- Nursing education
Background:
- Nursing students face significant stress impacting academic success.
- Therapy dogs show potential for stress reduction, but standardized interventions are lacking.
- Existing outcome measures for therapy dog interventions often rely on self-report questionnaires.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of a campus therapy dog program.
- To investigate the impact of a therapy dog on nursing student stress levels.
- To enhance understanding of therapy dog interventions in higher education.
Main Methods:
- Embedded mixed-methods research design.
- Quantitative stress measurement via smartphone application and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale.
- Qualitative data from focus groups and graduate surveys to contextualize findings.
Main Results:
- The campus therapy dog intervention was effective in decreasing nursing student stress.
- Quantitative data supported a significant reduction in perceived stress.
- Qualitative data provided insights into the student experience with the therapy dog.
Conclusions:
- Regular presence of a therapy dog on campus can positively impact nursing students.
- Therapy dog interventions may improve academic outcomes by mitigating stress.
- Further research into standardized therapy dog interventions in educational settings is warranted.
