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Junça-Silva A, Galrito M. Pets at work: integrating pet-friendly initiatives into human resources for enhanced workplace harmony. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:374. [PMID: 38956720 PMCID: PMC11218162 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01854-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS The representation of companion animals, or pets, has been changing recently. Research concerning how pets influence employees' work-related well-being has also started to take its first steps. This research aimed to analyze (1) how managers perceive pet-friendly practices and their main effects at work, and (2) the impact of such practices on employees' well-being and work engagement. Relying on the social exchange perspective and the self-determination theory it was hypothesized that pet-friendly practices would positively influence employees' well-being and work engagement by satisfying their three basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). METHODOLOGY Two studies with mixed methods were conducted. The first and exploratory study resorted to semi-structured interviews with six managers. The second was a two-wave study conducted with a large sample of workers (N = 379). RESULTS The first study highlighted the primary advantages and disadvantages of pet-friendly practices, along with the various obstacles and limitations, and proposed managerial strategies to overcome them. Managers generally expressed interest and enthusiasm about the topic but also pointed out challenges in implementing a pet-friendly strategy due to the limited number of empirical studies demonstrating its benefits. The second study's findings indicated that pet-friendly practices positively impacted employees' work engagement and well-being by fulfilling their needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. ORIGINALITY Overall, Portugal is seen as having a conservative culture, which slows the dissemination and implementation of these measures. To overcome these challenges, several managerial recommendations have been proposed. Raising awareness and fostering discussion on the topic are crucial steps toward integrating pet-friendly policies into human resources management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Junça-Silva
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal.
- Business Research Unit - BRU (UNIDE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Marisa Galrito
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal
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De Vries N, Lavreysen O, Boone A, Bouman J, Szemik S, Baranski K, Godderis L, De Winter P. Retaining Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review of Strategies for Sustaining Power in the Workplace. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1887. [PMID: 37444721 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11131887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The shortage of healthcare workers is a growing concern. The COVID-19 pandemic and retirement wave have accelerated turnover rates. This systematic review aimed to identify and analyse the existing interventions for job retention of healthcare workers, in terms of nurses and physicians, in a hospital setting. A comprehensive search was conducted within three electronic databases, guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines, this resulted in 55 records that met the inclusion criteria. The intervention outcomes are categorized into substantial themes: onboarding, transition program to a different unit, stress coping, social support, extra staffing, coping with the demands of patient care, work relationships, development opportunities and department resources, job environment, work organization, recruitment approach, and technological innovations. Considering the literature, onboarding programs and mentoring for nurses and physicians are recommended. Additionally, other interventions described in this review could positively affect the retention of nurses and physicians. When selecting an intervention for implementation, managers and human resources should consider the intervention that matches the determinant of intention to leave of their healthcare workers and the hospital's mission, vision, and values. Sharing the success stories of implemented interventions may benefit healthcare organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje De Vries
- Department of Internal Medicine, Spaarne Gasthuis, P.O. Box 417, 2000 AK Haarlem and Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
- Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, P.O. Box 417, 2000 AK Haarlem and Hoofdorp, The Netherlands
| | - Olivia Lavreysen
- Centre for Environment and Health, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), P.O. Box 952, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anke Boone
- Centre for Environment and Health, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), P.O. Box 952, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - José Bouman
- Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, P.O. Box 417, 2000 AK Haarlem and Hoofdorp, The Netherlands
| | - Szymon Szemik
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Kamil Baranski
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Lode Godderis
- Centre for Environment and Health, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), P.O. Box 952, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- IDEWE, External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter De Winter
- Spaarne Gasthuis Academy, P.O. Box 417, 2000 AK Haarlem and Hoofdorp, The Netherlands
- Department of Paediatrics, Spaarne Gasthuis, P.O. Box 417, 2000 AK Haarlem and Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
- Leuven Child and Health Institute, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), P.O. Box 3717, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), P.O. Box 611, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Townsend L, Heatwole JK, Gee NR. Reactivation of a Hospital-Based Therapy Dog Visitation Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12141842. [PMID: 35883389 PMCID: PMC9312259 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined human−animal interactions during the reactivation of a hospital-based therapy dog program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from human−dog interactions at an academic medical center in Virginia. Interaction length, participant role, age group (pediatric or adult), and observed gender were recorded. Handler adherence to human and animal safety protocols (donning personal protective equipment (PPE), using hand sanitizer, and limiting visit length) was measured. Observations from 1016 interactions were collected. t-tests and analysis of variance were conducted. Most visit recipients were healthcare workers (71.69%). Patients received longer visits than other participants (F(4880) = 72.90, p = <0.001); post hoc Bonferroni analyses (p = 0.05/4) showed that patients, both adult (M = 2.58 min, SD = 2.24) (95% C.I = 0.35−1.68) and pediatric (M = 5.81, SD = 4.38) (95% C.I. 3.56−4.97), had longer interaction times than healthcare workers (M = 1.56, SD = 1.92) but not visitors (p = 1.00). Gender differences were not statistically significant (t(552) = −0.736), p = 0.462). Hand sanitizer protocols were followed for 80% of interactions. PPE guidelines were followed for 100% of visits. Most interactions occurred with healthcare workers, suggesting that therapy dog visits are needed for this population. High adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols supports the decision to reactivate therapy animal visitation programs in hospitals. Challenges to safety protocol adherence included ultra-brief interactions and crowds of people surrounding the dog/handler teams. Program staff developed a “buddy system” mitigation strategy to minimize departures from safety protocols and reduce canine stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Townsend
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
- Children’s Hospital of Richmond (CHoR), Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Jennifer K. Heatwole
- Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
| | - Nancy R. Gee
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
- Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
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Animal-Assisted Intervention and Health Care Workers’ Psychological Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12030383. [PMID: 35158706 PMCID: PMC8833329 DOI: 10.3390/ani12030383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare settings have recently increased the use of companion animals in the workplace to provide emotional support to people with disabilities, but there is limited empirical research on the effects of these programs on healthcare workers. However, it is reasonable to speculate that Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) may have positive effects on health care workers (HCWs) by buffering the negative effects of work-related stress and other occupational psychosocial risk factors. The aim of this review was to examine the beneficial effects of AAIs on the psychological well-being of HCWs. A systematic review was conducted in December 2021 to gain insight into the positive effects of pets on HCWs in the workplace. Searches were conducted in the following databases: Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, including studies between 2001 and December 2021, and 12 articles were included in the review. The results indicate that implementing the AAI program in a busy clinic is feasible and that the program is accepted by medical professionals because of the immense psychological benefits it provides. However, the healthcare professionals disliked the experimental design that forced them to leave their workplaces at a certain time.
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Rodriguez KE, Bibbo J, O'Haire ME. Perspectives on facility dogs from pediatric hospital personnel: A qualitative content analysis of patient, family, and staff outcomes. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2022; 46:101534. [PMID: 35051806 PMCID: PMC11141326 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of children's hospitals feature full-time resident facility dogs, which are specially trained to work alongside pediatric healthcare professionals to improve the patient experience. This qualitative study aimed to describe the role that facility dogs play in the lives of patients, families, and hospital staff. A total of N = 73 pediatric healthcare professionals that worked with 46 facility dogs across 17 children's hospitals in the US completed a set of open-ended questions in an online survey. Responses were analyzed via a conventional thematic analysis and organized into themes and sub-themes. Facility dogs were described to benefit pediatric healthcare professionals' daily lives through improving stress and wellbeing, staff relationships, and job-related morale. Negative impacts included increased burdens and responsibilities in the workplace. Facility dogs were also described to benefit patients and families by helping build rapport, providing a comforting presence and positive resource, and normalizing the hospital environment. In conclusion, facility dog programs were found to be a promising complementary intervention to benefit both staff as well as and patients and families. Future research is warranted to examine short-term and long-term implications of facility dog programs for staff, patient, and family wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerri E Rodriguez
- Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jessica Bibbo
- Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Marguerite E O'Haire
- Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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Santaniello A, Garzillo S, Cristiano S, Fioretti A, Menna LF. The Research of Standardized Protocols for Dog Involvement in Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092576. [PMID: 34573542 PMCID: PMC8468867 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Dogs are considered the most important species involved in animal-assisted therapy (AAT), and the scientific literature focuses on the benefits linked to the involvement of dogs in various therapeutic areas. In this study, we carried out a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, exploring the scientific literature from the last 5 years (2016-2021) on three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to highlight the characteristics of the dogs involved in AATs. Based on the scientific literature relevant to such dogs, we considered different parameters (i.e., number, age, sex, breed, temperament, methods of choice and training, health status, research goals, and activities with dogs) to include studies in our paper. After screening 4331 papers identified on the searched databases, we selected 38 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the included articles showed that the characteristics of the dogs were neglected. Our findings indicated a lack of information about the dogs, as well as the absence of standardized and univocal criteria for dog selection, training programs, and health protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Santaniello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy; (S.G.); (A.F.)
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (L.F.M.); Tel.: +39-0812536134 (A.S. & L.F.M.)
| | - Susanne Garzillo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy; (S.G.); (A.F.)
| | - Serena Cristiano
- SInAPSi Center, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Fioretti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy; (S.G.); (A.F.)
| | - Lucia Francesca Menna
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy; (S.G.); (A.F.)
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (L.F.M.); Tel.: +39-0812536134 (A.S. & L.F.M.)
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