Cristina Hodgson
AT the Virgen de las Nieves Hospital in Granada therapy dog Niebla has an important mission, to bring smiles and comfort to children in need of a blood test.
Pet therapy has been found to have several benefits for children and adults including a reduction in stress, promote healing, lower blood pressure, and lift spirits.
In addition, pet therapy provides a comforting source of healing touch for children, adults and staff in hospitals.
With this concept in mind, the Hospital in Granada has incorporated a therapy dog in the blood-sampling room of the outpatient department. A strategy used to reduce the level of stress that can be generated in children when they are exposed to needles.
This humanisation programme has been implemented in collaboration with Hachiko Educacion Canina, which has been working in Oncohematology and Paediatric hospitalisation since 2019.
From now on, this canine therapy will be incorporated in the hospital’s outpatient area to make the wait more pleasant for children when getting their blood drawn.
The Virgen de las Nieves seeks with this therapy to reinforce confidence and tranquillity through supervised play in a space specifically decorated with children’s themed motifs, all of which reduces the burden of nerves before and after the extraction.
For health and safety reasons, in the context of COVID-19, this therapy programme is currently the only canine intervention activity carried out in the hospital and follows a strict safety and hygiene protocol validated by the Preventive Medicine and Public Health service of the hospital in Granada.
For her part, the cuddly K9, Niebla, has a complete vaccination certificate and has undergone all the relevant tests to ensure that she is in perfect health.
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