Human-animal relationships have been documented for centuries. Animals are used for many purposes, such as enhancing human health, wellness, and companionship, to name a few. The human-animal relationship is different for every person and requires a holistic perspective. Nurses are interested in relationships that are caring, natural, and therapeutic. Research supports the profound and multifaceted health benefits of the human-animal bond. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the human-animal connection and nursing science.
AllenK.ShykoffB. E.IzzoJ. L.Jr. (2001). Pet ownership, but not ACE inhibitor therapy, blunts home blood pressure responses to mental stress. Hypertension, 38(4), 815-820.
2.
BrownS. (2010). The Penguin’s progress: A mashup for managers. London, UK: Marshall Cavendish.
3.
BustadL. K.HinesL. (1984). Historical perspectives of the human-animal bond. In AndersonR.HartB. L.HartL. A. (Eds.), The pet connection: Its influence on our health and quality of life (pp. 15-29). Minneapolis, MN: Center to Study Human-Animal Relations.
4.
CainA. O. (1991). Pets and the family. Holistic Nursing Practice, 5(2), 58-63.
5.
CollisG. M.McNicholasJ. (1998). A theoretical basis for health benefits of pet ownership: Attachment versus psychological support. In WilsonC. C.TurnerD. C. (Eds.), Companion animals in human health (pp. 105-122). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
CornuJ. N.Cancel-TassinG.OndetV.GiradetC.CussenotO. (2010). Olfactory detection of prostate cancer by dogs sniffing urine: A step forward in early diagnosis. European Urology, 59(2), 197-201. doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2010.10.006
8.
CoxR. P. (1993). The human/animal bond as a correlate of family functioning. Clinical Nursing Research, 2(2), 224-231. doi:10.1177/105477389300200210
EdwardsN. E.BeckA. M. (2002). Animal-assisted therapy and nutrition in Alzheimer’s disease. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6), 697-712. doi:10.1177/019394502320555430
11.
GarrityT. F.StallonesL. F.MarxM. B.JohnsonT. P. (2015). Pet ownership and attachment as supportive factors in the health of the elderly. Anthrozoos, 3(1), 35-44. doi:10.2752/089279390787057829
JohnsonR. A.MeadowsR. L. (2002). Older Latinos, pets, and health. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6), 609-620. doi:10.1177/019394502236635
14.
Krause-ParelloC. A. (2008). Pet attachment support: What are the relationships among loneliness, social support, and subjective well-being in older adults?Germany: VDM Publishing Company.
15.
Krause-ParelloC. A. (2012). Pet ownership and older women: The relationships among loneliness, pet attachment support, human social support, and depressed mood. Geriatric Nursing, 33(3), 194-203.
16.
Krause-ParelloC. A.KolassaJ. (2016). Pet therapy: Enhancing social and cardiovascular wellness in community dwelling older adults. Journal of Community Nursing, 33(1), 1-10. doi:10.1080/07370016.1120587
17.
Krause-ParelloC. A.MoralesK. (2018). Military veterans and service dogs: A qualitative inquiry using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Anthrozoos, 31(1), 65-75. doi:10.1080/08927936.2018.1406201
18.
Krause-ParelloC. A.WesleyY.CampbellM. (2014). Examining pet attitude in relationship to loneliness and parenthood motivation in pet-owning adults. Health, 6, 598-606. doi:10.4236/health.2014.67078
19.
LazarowskiL.DormanD. C. (2014). Explosives detection by military working dogs: Olfactory generalization from components to mixtures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 151, 84-93. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.010
20.
LevineG. N.AllenK.BraunL. T.ChristianH. E.FriedmannE.TaubertK. A.… LangeR. A. (2013). Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 127, 2353-2363. doi:10.1161/CIR.0B013e31829201e1
NightingaleF. (1859). Notes on nursing, what it is and what it is not. London, UK: Harrison and Sons.
23.
OzbayF.JohnsonD. C.DimoulasE.MorganC. A.CharneyD.SouthwickS. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress: From neurobiology to clinical practice. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(5), 35-40.
24.
PedersonE. R.EberhartN. K.WilliamsK. M.TanielianT.BatkaC.ScharfD. (2015). Public-private partnerships for providing behavioral health care to veterans and their families. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
25.
RoyS. S.ForakerR. E.GirtonR. A.MansfieldA. J. (2015). Posttraumatic stress disorder and incident heart failure among a community-based sample of US veterans. American Journal of Public Health, 8(4), 757-763. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302342
26.
SableP. (1995). Pets, attachment, and well-bring across the life cycle. Social Work, 40(3), 334-341.
27.
SchottenbauerM. A.GlassC. R.ArnkoffD. B.TendickV.GrayS. H. (2008). Nonresponse and dropout rates in outcome studies on PTSD: Review and methodological considerations. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 71(2), 134-168. doi:10.1521/psyc.2008.71.2.134
28.
ShattellM.CowlingW. R. (2007). Research as the researcher’s story. Nursing Science Quarterly, 20(4), 315-318. doi:10.1177/0894318407307158
29.
StoneS. M. (2014). The psychology of using animals in advertising. Paper presented at Hawaii University International Conferences, Honolulu, HI.
WestgarthC.ChristleyR. M.ChristianH. E. (2014). How might we increase physical activity through dog walking? A comprehensive review of dog walking correlates. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11(83), 1-14. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-11-83