Preparing for a student with a service animal

Abstract

This article offers guidance to nursing programs to assist in planning for a quality educational experience for a student with a service animal while ensuring patient safety and the continuation of efficient clinical operations. Nursing faculty should be aware of misperceptions about service animals in the workplace, address fears, concerns, and communicate plans for educating the student with the service animal to all faculty, staff and clinical personnel involved with the student. Examples are provided from experiences with multiple students using service dogs at two schools of nursing. Query: Embase, CINAHL, PubMed.

Keywords: Disability; Education; Nursing; Schools; Service animal; Service dog.