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BACKGROUND: Research has shown that animal-assisted activity (AAA) effectively improves physiological, psychological, emotional, and social well-being in various environments. AIMS: To identify how AAA affects mood states and feelings among both patients and staff on inpatient psychiatric units. METHODS: This study used a quasi-experimental, pre-/posttest design with nonequivalent comparison groups. Quantitative data were collected using the Visual Analog Mood Scale. Demographic data, with an open-ended question, were obtained postsessions. RESULTS: Significant changes were observed pre- and postexposure to AAA sessions with a therapy dog. Negative moods decreased, and positive moods increased as measured by the Visual Analog Mood Scale. Content analysis identified themes of feeling happy, feeling relaxed, and feeling calm. CONCLUSIONS: This research expands scientific evidence associated with AAA by identifying changes in mood states and feelings among individuals in a psychiatric setting.

This study aimed to develop and validate a tool to measure authentic nurse leadership (ANL) from the perspective of nurse leaders. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need for ANL to establish healthy work environments (HWE) that promote positive outcomes. METHODS: A nonexperimental design and exploratory psychometric analysis developed and validated the Authentic Nurse Leadership Questionnaire for Nurse Leaders (ANLQ-NL) instrument. Relationships were explored between ANLQ-NL and HWE, as measured by the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS). The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS) was used to measure the nurse leaders' tendency to produce socially desirable responses. The sample consisted of 188 nurse leaders from several US hospitals. RESULTS: The ANLQ-NL instrument was found to be valid and highly reliable. Each of the constructs aligned with the ANL conceptual framework. CONCLUSION: The ANL conceptual framework and instruments (ANLQ and ANLQ-NL) can be used for educational programs aimed at developing ANL attributes among nurses.