Hospital Has the Perfect Prescription for Staff: Puppies and Kittens!

For anyone out there who works in Healthcare or knows someone who does, you know how stressful the work can be. Healthcare workers confront the issues of life and death, illness, injury and trauma on a daily basis. And they have to shoulder the weight of responsibility to care for the people who need them.

It’s a lot to take on. But at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, they’re trying something new to deal with all that stress. Instead of coffee breaks, the staff here takes puppy breaks and kitten breaks. And it’s a resounding success!

You might have heard of therapy animals for the sick, and what tremendous benefits the comfort and companionship they can offer. But we don’t usually think about how those very same animals could benefit the healthcare workers themselves.

Heather Matthew, an emergency room nurse at the hospital, came up with the idea for the program she calls “Pet a Pooch.” She contacted the Pennsylvania SPCA and convinced them to bring puppies and kittens to the hospital so that the staff could visit with them and pet them on their lunch breaks.

“The pets that come, they’ve been abused, neglected,” said Jerry Buckley, president of the PSPCA, “I think the staff has a special affinity [with them]. The patients they deal with are also the most vulnerable.”

Just a little puppy (or kitty) time can take all the stress away from the sometimes 10-12 hour shifts. Matthews said, “I’ve had people say to me, ‘I walked in here with the worst head ache, and I instantly feel better,’ and that’s the goal. They go out and finish their work day and then go on to provide better care for their patients.”

Sometimes, the staff even adopts the pets they meet there. It really is a win-win system they’ve come up with. Let’s all give them a round of applause and hope that more programs like “Pet a Pooch” will follow!