Pediatric Nursing Commons^™

Efficacy Of Animal-Assisted Therapy Across Pediatric Care Settings: A Systematic Review, Holly Howser, Thomas Dixon, Jessica Nunez

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With alternative therapies and complementary medicine becoming increasingly popular and supported by research, it is important for healthcare workers to be prepared to encounter and use these therapies in practice. A common problem in the pediatric healthcare setting is stress in patients and families during healthcare treatment. Animal assisted therapy (AAT), more commonly known as pet therapy, is a form of complementary alternative therapy that has been examined in this population. The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the effect of AAT on treatment outcomes in pediatric patients across clinical settings. The methods used to guide this systematic …