Who Let the Dogs Out in Nursing?

Dogs have long been considered man’s best friend. Sometimes “yes” and sometimes “no”. This article discusses the differences between service, therapy and support dogs and provides examples of dogs at work in nursing practice settings.

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Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE dogs (especially black labs)! My daughter, Lauren, is 28 and diagnosed on the autism spectrum. She has a service dog from Canine Companions for Independence. Mr. Toy (Toyon is his real name) has helped Lauren in many ways and quickly became the love and joy of our family.

But all dogs (wearing a vest) are not the same!

Service dogs work tirelessly to assist people with a variety of disabilities and healthcare challenges. Service dogs assist people with paralysis, hearing loss, vision loss and PTSD. They alert people who suffer from epilepsy or diabetes and help to deescalate behavioral challenges for people on the autism spectrum.

Service dogs are considered a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act- if the service dog's work or task is directly related to the person's disability. The dog's handler is trained and responsible for the dog's care and behavior.

"Under the ADA, State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go. For example, in a hospital, it would be inappropriate to exclude a service animal from areas such as patient rooms, clinics, cafeterias, or examination rooms. However, it may be appropriate to exclude a service animal from operating rooms or burn units where the animal's presence may compromise a sterile environment." (ADA, 2010)

Service dogs

A service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Tasks performed can include, among other things, pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, alerting a person to a sound, reminding a person to take medication, or pressing an elevator button.

Service dogs at work

A pediatric nurse practitioner works with her service dog at a children's hospital in Colorado. Staff and patients have come to know and love her dog as much as she does! (Canine Companions for Independence).

A hospital administrator, who suffered a spinal cord injury, works with his service dog making rounds throughout the hospital. Pollyanna, an almost-white yellow Lab has been trained to turn on lights, open and close doors, go for help, warn about obstacles and retrieve keys or dropped items (Associated Press, 2015).

A nurse with vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa works as a diabetic nurse educator. She graduated with a master's in nursing education. She recalls" I don't know whose smile is bigger in the graduation photo--my guide dog's or mine....the entire audience gave us a standing ovation as we crossed the stage to receive our degree" (Maheady, 2006, p.46).

A nursing student who suffers from dysautonomia (which causes her to fall) relies on her service dog to maintain her balance, get help and help her up. The student recently graduated with her BSN. (Happy Hudson).

Therapy dogs

Emotional support, comfort, and therapy dogs are not considered service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual's disability.

Emotional support, comfort or therapy dogs are often used as part of a medical treatment plan, but they are not considered service animals under the ADA. Support dogs can provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.

Pet therapy programs staffed with volunteers bring dogs to pediatric oncology units to provide support and comfort to patients. In other programs, volunteers bring therapy dogs to residential/ mental health treatment centers.

A nurse in Illinois and her therapy partner, Tori, the Labradoodle, bring joy and comfort to patients going through chemotherapy (Larson, 2011). They can't walk down the hall without drawing a crowd!

In a nursing home, a poodle goes door to door visiting patients while her owner works as a medication assistant. "Nala" jumps on beds and laps to offer kisses. The residents love her (Swartz, 2015).

Some service dogs crossover roles

A nurse with multiple sclerosis uses a scooter and has a service dog "Georgia". They both volunteer at a local hospital's rehabilitation center. Georgia comforts patients and works with the physical therapist to assist and motivate patients involved in therapy sessions. Georgia crosses over in her roles...she is a service dog to the nurse, but she also "volunteers" as a therapy dog with patients in the rehabilitation center.

Dogs have proven (with proper training) to be an asset to independence for many people with disabilities. In addition, they can facilitate wellness, provide comfort and unconditional love. Dogs can connect with people in special ways.

So...the dogs are "out"!

Are service dogs working where you are employed? If so, in what type of setting? Hospital floor? Rehabilitation center? Community center for children with disabilities? Health Department? Long term care facility? Hospice?

Love to have you share your thoughts and experiences related to this topic.

References

ADA, (2010). Accessed July 14, 2015 ADA.gov homepage

Associated Press (2015). Service dog forges friendship with paralyzed man. Accessed July 14, 2015

Canine lifeguards doggie paddle to the rescue Companions for Independence (n.d.) Accessed on July 14, 2015

Hudson Valley (n.d.) Happy graduation for nursing student. Accessed on July 14, 2015 Happy Hudson Valley | Our news is good news,

Larson, J. (2011). Pet Therapy Programs Benefit Patients Physically and Emotionally. Accessed on July 14, 2015 NurseZone.

Maheady, D. (2006). Leave No Nurse Behind: Nurses working with disAbilities. New York: iUniverse.

Swartz, A. (2015). Poodle goes door to door at nursing home. Every day. All by herself. Accessed July 14, 2015

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Appreciate you sharing your perspective.

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Thanks for sharing your "Dog Day"... do you call it bring your dog to work day:)?

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise :)

We have volunteer dogs who "visit" (and are well-loved) in our acute care facility, but I never understood the difference between Service dogs (ADA protected) and Therapy dogs (non-ADA). Now I get it.

I love dogs, Bob and I are currently housebreaking our newest family member, Mickey, a Cavalier King Charles. Max, our older dog, same breed, is not in love so far. But I digress.

What I really love is giving hope to nurses and anyone with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations to help them be the best they can be.

To me, it seems at some time we ALL will experience loss of optimal body function/stamina and perhaps before we are ready to retire!

Hope you will write about options and opportunities for those in this demographic.

Looking forward, Nurse Beth

Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Our facility has a therapy dog and the patients love her!

What about patients who have dog allergies? No problem if the NP's therapy dog is a labradoodle or other hypoallergenic breed, but very quickly it becomes a case of one person's rights imposing on another's in some instances?

Thanks for explaining Service (ADA) vs Therapy (non-ADA). It has been interesting to see when flying how some passengers will demand their therapy dog fly with them in the cabin, and the pax even says it is a "therapy dog for PTSD" and the befuddled flight crew sends the dog in the cabin crowded at the pax's feet in economy, then try to move them to a bulkhead so the dog isn't smooshed (I loved it because I got to play with the dog the whole flight while the owner slept).

Love it! I am a new nurse and I really really want to find a way to get involved in pet therapy. I work on an ortho/rehab unit and I think it would just be great to see the service or therapy pets helping out!

I'm curious as to how to get this process rolling or how to even get myself involved in pet therapy!

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Thanks Nurse Beth,

I have to look up Cavalier King Charles! Sounds large and very regal!

Appreciate your insight into the needs of all with disabilities....it can happen to any of us in a second.

I plan on writing more about opportunities for nurses with disabilities...thanks for the encouragement!

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Organizations like Canine Companion for Independence (there are many others) provide facility dogs.

You might want to consider contacting one of the organizations and talking to them about the process.

Or, look at organizations that provide pet therapy in your area. Invite them to give a demonstration at your facility.

My mom and I work at the same nursing home and she's been taking her shih tzu to work with her since she was a puppy (my mom is the activities director for the ALF). The residents absolutely adore her and treat her like a princess. She's always on task and behaves so well at work. There are actually several nurses that take their dogs to work and since the residents have been there for years, they love seeing their "friends".

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Love it!!!! Keep bringing in the friends of the residents!

I work in an acute inpatient hospital setting. We don't have dog visits but I wish we did. Once in a blue moon a patient will have a service/therapy dog and the dog is allowed to stay with the patient. The staff loves it when that happens. We typically fall over each other volunteering to take the dog out for his/her potty break.

One of the night shift nursing supervisors has a dog that is trained as a therapy dog. She brought her to work one night and made rounds with her in tow. The staff loved it and I noticed a marked stress reduction when the dog was around. It reduced my stress, for sure. I would love it if hospitals allowed pets to visit regularly. I think patients might heal more quickly.

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Evidence! It works! So, what can you do to get more regular visits? Is there a group in your area?

Perhaps..put a blurb in your hospital newsletter. Who knows a great dog could be sleeping on the sofa somewhere more than eager to help and share some love!

Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I just want to chime in with my experience. As a nursing student who did clinicals at a snf, I observed nurses bring their dogs to work and pts who had dogs with them.

As a nurse with an "emotional support" dog d/t PTSD, I think dogs can be very helpful. I don't bring her to work, restaurants, etcetera, but she definitely helps me to be healthier.

Dogs can be amazingly therapeutic!!!