Equine-facilitated psychotherapy benefits students and children.

Equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) is beneficial to not only children clients, but also to nursing students who participated in it, according to this study. The authors urge for further exploration of such untraditional learning methods for professional development in nursing.

Understanding Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP)

• EFP is a form of therapy in which horses are used to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals. It often involves activities like feeding, grooming, and leading a horse around a yard.
• The interaction with the horse is believed to lead to increased self-awareness, improved problem-solving skills, and boosted self-esteem among other benefits.
• In this study, EFP was not only beneficial to the child clients who are the usual targets of this therapeutic approach, but also baccalaureate nursing students who were involved in clinical observation.

Beneficial Outcomes for Nursing Students

• By participating in EFP clinical observation, nursing students reaped several educational benefits.
• The authors did not detail the specific beneficial outcomes, but generally, such experiences can extend understanding of therapeutic methods, improve communication and observational skills, and enhance empathy and compassion – traits that are essential in nursing practice.

Advocating for Nontraditional Learning Assignments

• The authors concluded by advocating for more exploration into nontraditional learning assignments such as EFP clinical observation in nursing education.
• These nontraditional methods could offer fresh perspectives, innovative skills and solutions and thus broaden the scope of nursing students’ education and professional development.