Paws for relief: A pilot randomized controlled study of animal assisted therapy's effect on pediatric ICU healthcare workers' stress and anxiety.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Animal assisted therapy (AAT) decreases stress, anxiety, and improves overall well-being in healthcare workers (HCW). However, little is known about its effects on pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) HCW, who experience higher risks for burnout, compassion fatigue, and acute stress compared to o...