The effects of facility dogs on burnout, job‐related well‐being, and mental health in paediatric hospital professionals

Abstract

Aims and objectives To examine the effect of working with a facility dog on paediatric healthcare professionals’ work‐related burnout, job perceptions and mental health. Background Due to their roles caring for ill children and distressed families, paediatric healthcare professionals often experience substantial depression and burnout. According to prior research, facility dogs in children's hospitals may provide significant benefits to paediatric patients. However, their potential effects on healthcare professionals have been minimally explored. Design A cross‐sectional design was used in adherence to the STROBE checklist. Method Among 130 participants, n = 65 paediatric healthcare professionals working with a facility dog were compared to n = 65 control participants matched on age, gender identity, job position category and pet ownership. Hierarchical regression assessed the effect of working with a facility dog on standardised self‐report measures of work‐related burnout, job perceptions and mental health. Results For work‐related burnout, working with a facility dog was associated with higher perceived personal accomplishment, but had no effect on emotional exhaustion. With respect to job perceptions, working with a facility dog was associated with more positive job descriptions and lower intention to quit, but not with perceptions about co‐workers or workplace social support. Finally, in relation to mental health, working with a facility dog was associated with more positive emotions, better perceived mental health and less depression, but had no effect on anxiety. Conclusion Findings suggest that facility dogs may be related to several benefits for healthcare professionals’ work‐related burnout, job perceptions and mental health, but that they do not influence all components of these areas. Relevance to clinical practice The present research functions to inform personnel in paediatric hospitals with existing facility dog programmes on the scope of their effects, in addition to shaping the expectations of hospitals considering the addition of a facility dog programme.

Animal-Assisted Intervention and Health Care Workers’ Psychological Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…In the mixed-method study by Etingen et al [64], a small group of American multidisciplinary nurses and physicians showed better real-time mood scores (p = 0.0001) and lower patient-related burnout scores (p = 0.002) after participating in AAI programs. In the Jensen et al [65] study, pediatric nurses who worked in a children's hospital with a pet dog felt greater personal fulfillment at work (key dimension of burnout) and reported more positive descriptions of work, greater work-related enthusiasm, and less work-related depression than the control group who worked without a facility dog. Other studies examined the effects of AAI/ATT on various work-related aspects and nurses' well-being and job satisfaction [65][66][67][68][69][70][71].…”

“…Most of the included studies had a quantitative approach (n = 11) [60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71] and one had a qualitative approach [72]. Four studies were RCT (two had a cross-over design), one had a quasi-experimental design, four were before-after studies, one was a mixed-method study, one had a cross-sectional design, and one relied on qualitative data (Table 1).…”

“…In two studies, AAI was conducted in a room separate from clinical care [60,61], whereas in the study by Yordy et al [63], the dog had access to the ward and break room of the cardiovascular unit and to all areas of the nurses' station in the medical clinic. In the Jensen et al [65] study, health care workers were taught how best to work with dogs in their facility during a two-week partnership session. The dogs varied in size, age, and breed, but all were trained and/or certified to conduct therapy work.…”

“…Three studies measured the impact of AAI/AAT on burnout risk or its key dimensions (EE and PA) and compassion fatigue using standardized questionnaires (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory-CBI, Maslach Burnout Inventory-MBI) [62][63][64][65]. Ginex et al [62] examined the impact of animal-assisted therapy on the psychological well-being of staff in a surgical oncology ward.…”

The Research of Standardized Protocols for Dog Involvement in Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review

“…and psychological (i.e., treatment of post-traumatic stress) [ 20 ]. Most studies focused on the benefits that a therapy dog can provide in different areas, such as autism spectrum disorder [ 21 , 22 ], stress [ 23 , 24 ], Alzheimer’s disease [ 25 ], the school environment [ 26 , 27 ], rehabilitation [ 28 , 29 ], the hospital environment [ 30 , 31 ], and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [ 32 , 33 ].…”