Study shows therapy dog program works as needed mood-booster for health care workers

Therapy dogs have long been known to brighten the moods of patients in hospitals. But could these furry four-legged friends help support the health care providers who care for patients?

A new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, College of Medicine and College of Nursing proves the mood-boosting benefits of Buckeye Paws, a therapy dog program that many health care workers say helps reduce emotional exhaustion and improve work engagement.

Their pilot study found that self-reported positive mood nearly doubled among the health care workers who engaged with highly trained dog-handler teams in the Buckeye Paws program.

The 64 study participants included physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation therapists, patient care associates and unit clerks in two intensive care units and two medical surgical units.

All the handlers for this study were hospital employees who volunteered their time with seven certified therapy dogs to provide the animal-assisted intervention three times a week for eight weeks.

The study evaluated the acceptability and impact of an animal-assisted activity using therapy dogs on health care worker stress, burnout, work engagement and mood.

“There was free interaction with the dogs that people could spend as much or as little time as they wanted with the dogs. Prior to their interactions, we asked them to fill out a basic one to 10 mood scale. And then, after the interaction, they did that again,” said Beth Steinberg, Ph.D., RN, principal investigator of the study.

Findings are published in the International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine.

Buckeye Paws launched in March 2020 for Wexner Medical Center employees, shortly before the pandemic started. As the program grew, researchers conducted a pilot study to gauge its impact.

“The recruitment for this study was incredibly easy because as soon as you said, ‘We’re going to do a study assessing your response to therapy dog interaction,’ people were like, ‘I’m in!'” Steinberg said. “Even before COVID-19 hit hospitals so hard, the staff were already struggling with stress, burnout, lack of work engagement.”

Steinberg co-founded Buckeye Paws with Mary Justice, chief administrative officer with Ohio State’s College of Nursing. Steinberg routinely rounds hospital floors with her yellow labrador retriever Brienne, while Justice visits staff with her English cream golden retriever Shiloh in tow.

Their interactions with staff are generally brief—only a few minutes at a time at their clinical workstations, team rooms, conference rooms or break rooms—but make a big impact.

Many study participants self-reported an immediate decrease in perceived stress, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and burnout.

“We brought the dogs to the units and many times we had staff in tears sitting with the dogs, telling them about their day,” said Steinberg, senior researcher with Ohio State’s Center for Integrative Health.

Amid growing physician and nurse shortages nationwide, researchers hope this program will improve workplace satisfaction and retention.

“For the most part, people have an affinity to a non-judgmental, warm, furry animal that can come and just sit with them and listen. Dogs don’t care what you look like, how you’re feeling that day; they just know that when you need them, they’re there,” Steinberg said.

Due to the success of the program, in March 2022 Buckeye Paws expanded to provide therapy dog assistance to students, faculty and staff of The Ohio State University. There are now 29 dog-handler teams in the program, with an additional 11 teams on-boarding and another eight ready to begin the process.

All Buckeye Paws dog-handler teams must pass basic and advanced obedience training, earn the Canine Good Citizenship certification from the American Kennel Club, and be certified by a national therapy dog organization, said Aimee Mitchell, program manager with Buckeye Paws.

This research proving the benefits of therapy dogs for health care workers at Ohio State sets the stage for expansion across the country. Already, directors of the program used Buckeye Paws as a model to launch a similar program at a hospital system in Fort Wayne, Indiana.