Nurses cuddle pets to relieve stress

Editor's Note

To relieve work stress, two nurses at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia helped engineer the hospital’s first Paws for Pennsy event, the July 22 Nurse.Com reports.

Nurses and other hospital staff were invited to cuddle, pet, and enjoy the antics of dogs and cats and get much-needed tension relief. About 200 staff members showed up to the event, which featured five pets from a nearby animal shelter.

Surveys to check on the levels of stress, anxiety, and happiness showed that individuals experienced significant stress relief after their animal petting experience. Paws for Pensy events are now scheduled quarterly at the hospital.

Florence Vanek, MSN, RN, believes that though nurses work in a stressful environment, they don't need to live in an environment of stress and anxiety. Aiming to relieve some of the work stress nurses experience, Vanek, a professional practice implementation consultant at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, and colleague Amanda Emge, BSN, RN, assistant nurse manager on the hospital's mother-baby unit, helped engineer the institution's first Paws for Pennsy event this spring.