Determination of Nursing Students Opinions on the Use of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Pediatric Care and Their Animal Love Levels

Abstract

Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) integrates animals into health, education, and human services for therapeutic benefits. This study examined nursing students' perspectives and affinity for animals regarding AAI in pediatric care. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, involving nursing students from a university's Health Sciences Faculty. Data were collected via a sociodemographic form and the & Ouml;ney Animal Love Scale and analyzed using the R programming language. Results showed that 62.6% of participants were female, 30% were first-year students, and 18.7% owned pets. While 83.7% lacked prior AAI knowledge, 4.2% had used AAI. Despite limited awareness, 72.7% found AAI effective, and 52.2% considered it beneficial for children. A mediation analysis indicated that pet ownership positively influenced students' affinity for animals and belief in AAI's effectiveness. Prior AAI experience strengthened this relationship. In conclusion, nursing students had limited AAI knowledge but recognized its benefits. Pet ownership and prior exposure to AAI were key factors in fostering positive attitudes toward its role in pediatric care.