Subject
Alternative Therapies; Chronic Heart-failure; Psychiatric-patients Pediatrics; Animal-assisted Therapy; Hospitalized Children; Pet-therapy; Evidence-based Practice; Dogs; Complementary; Suffering; Intervention; Nursing; Companion Animals; Anxieties; Palliative Care; Cancer-patients
Animal-assisted Therapy; Pediatrics; Palliative Care; Interventions; Suffering; Evidence-based Practice
Description
Animal-assisted therapy is an emerging complementary strategy with an increasing presence in the literature. Limited studies have been conducted with children, particularly those with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. Although outcomes show promise in decreasing suffering of children receiving palliative care services, more work is needed to validate evidence to support implementation of animal-assisted therapy with this vulnerable population.