Page 428 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

PeT THeRAPY n 395

their patients. In addition, nursing research human services professional that uses ani-
focuses on understanding the symptoms of mals to achieve specified goals and objec-
acute and chronic illness, finding ways to pre- tives through measured progress. Also used P
vent or delay chronicity of physical or emo- are AAA, which are more commonly used
tional illness and finding overall approaches in hospitals through infrequent pet visits.
to achieve and maintain good physical and The difference lies in the absence of prede-
emotional health. In other words, nurses termined treatment goals and inconsistent
understand the interconnectedness between practice.
emotional, mental, and physical health and Dogs are most frequently used in AAT/
through alternative modalities can reduce or AAA because of their general social nature,
ameliorate stressors, allowing the body to do trainability, and size; however, horses are
what it was designed to do—heal. used extensively in a variety of remedial
Nursing’s unique role in both the psy- fields. Horses are categorized and certified
chological and the physiological dimensions by the Delta Society, but overall jurisdiction
of disease and stress places it in an ideal resides within the North American Riding
position to examine and use the role of com- for the Handicapped Association, its sub-
panion animals in clinical interventions. section the equine-Facilitated Mental Health
Practitioners of animal-assisted therapy or Association, and its affiliate partner the
animal-assisted activities are often involved American Hippotherapy Association (AHA).
in pet visitation and animal-facilitated ther- equine-facilitated psychotherapy is facilitated
apy programs in hospitals, nursing homes, by a credentialed health professional work-
hospice, assisted living centers, and more ing with a credentialed equine professional.
(Spence & Kaiser, 2002). Research has dem- Hippotherapy, which is often incorrectly
onstrated that animal-assisted interventions used synonymously with equine-facilitated
and therapies have been highly effective psychotherapy, uses neurodevelopmental
among young hospital patients, troubled ado- treatment and sensory integration based on
lescents, individuals with acute or chronic the movement of the horse to improve bal-
illnesses, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and ance, coordination, fine motor skills, posture,
elderly residents living in long-term care improving articulation, and increasing cog-
facilities. nitive skills (Kruger & Serpell, 2006).
Despite the long history of using thera- Historically, AAT and AAA are believed
peutic animals, the custom of animal-assisted to have been practiced as early as the ninth
therapy is still being defined today. literature century in Gheel, Belgium, with handicapped
searches reveal dozens of definitions of ani- persons (Serpell, 2000). Other research has
mal-assisted therapy and at least 12 different documented the use of AAT and AAA in the
terms for the same practice including pet late 1790s in York, england, where rabbits
therapy, pet psychotherapy, pet-facilitated and chickens were used as complementary
therapy, pet-mediated therapy, and so forth. modalities to therapy with the mentally ill to
The most commonly used terminol- teach self-control without the use of restraints
ogy is animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and or harsh medicines (Arkow, 1987; Salotto,
animal-assisted activities (AAA). The Delta 2001). During the 1830s, mental institutions
Society, one of the largest organizations in Britain used animals on the grounds to
in the country responsible for certifying create a more pleasant environment (Serpell,
therapy animals (Kruger & Serpell, 2006), 2000). even Florence Nightingale used small
provides definitions that are cited consis- animals in her care of wounded soldiers dur-
tently throughout the AAT and the AAA ing the Crimean War. In her Notes on Nursing,
literature. The Delta Society defines AAT as she posited that a “small pet is often an excel-
a goal-directed intervention by a health or lent companion for the sick, especially for the