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Description
Pet therapy is a complementary type of therapeutics in which a person and animal have a guided interaction with the purpose of helping someone cope with physical and/or mental illness. Animal-assisted therapy is used in numerous settings and has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and decrease anxiety and depression (Husson University, 2022). In particular, pediatric oncology patients have enormous amounts of stress in their lives, which leads to increased anxiety and decreased quality of life (Children's Cancer Cause, 2023). While evidence shows that integrating pet therapy in pediatric oncology patients produces significant benefits on anxiety levels and perception of quality of life, there is a lack of substantial research regarding how these benefits lead to increased treatment adherence. It is pivotal for nurses and other healthcare professionals to understand the impact of pet therapy on pediatric oncology patients in order to implement a holistic approach to treatment that aims to address both the physical and psychological needs of the patient.
Department
Nursing
Publication Date
2024
Sponsorship/Conference/Institution
Scholar & Creative Works Conference, Dominican University of California
City
San Rafael, CA
Keywords
pet therapy, pediatrics, oncology, treatment adherence
Disciplines
Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Animal-Assisted Therapy | Nursing | Oncology | Palliative Nursing | Pediatric Nursing | Pediatrics
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Animal-Assisted Therapy Commons, Oncology Commons, Palliative Nursing Commons, Pediatric Nursing Commons, Pediatrics Commons