Pups Assisting Wellness for Staff (P.A.W.S.): Evaluating the impact of canine-assisted interventions on critical care staff wellness

Abstract

Acute care settings can expose staff to job-related stressors. Pups Assisting Wellness for Staff (P.A.W.S.) has been designed as an innovative approach to support acute care staff in the emergency department and intensive care unit. Initially, P.A.W.S. was implemented as a Comfort Dog Pilot and then expanded into a Therapy Dog Model. The Therapy Dog Model incorporated learnings from the Comfort Dog Pilot to evaluate the impact of the following: more dogs, using certified therapy dogs, and visiting at different times of the day. Results throughout the project demonstrated a positive impact on staff morale, staff stress, overall and staff satisfaction, and a strong desire for the project to continue. As a result and with a collaborative effort between a multidisciplinary team, P.A.W.S. has now been operationalized as a permanent program to support staff in acute care.