external HCA Healthone Rose Snow is flying at the Denver Medical Center. Inside, on the third floor, there is a series of activities during labor and childbirth.

"There's a lot of action here. It can be stressful at times," says Dr. Ob-Gyn of Blue Scrubs.

The nurse used to be a very pregnant mother.

"We're going to bring a baby into the world safely, and here we go," Frazier said.

She said she was partly prepared because of a peaceful moment with some of her canine colleagues a few minutes earlier.

A pair of dogs, tails wagging, showed up at a nearby nursing station, causing about a dozen medical professionals to melt into a collective outpouring of affection. A yellow lab named Peppi washes Frasier with stings and kisses. "I don't know if one's baby smells as good as that puppy's breath!" Fraser said, making her coworkers laugh.

Dogs are not tourists. They also work here, especially for the benefit of their employees. "I felt like the dog just walked away and everyone took a deep breath, fell to the ground and had some momentary decompression time," Frazier said. "It was great. It was amazing."

Hospital staff who work with dogs say there is little bite risk in well-trained Labradors, making them the preferred breed for the job.

The dogs are kept away from allergy sufferers and washed regularly to prevent the spread of germs, and people must wash their hands before and after petting them.

'Peppi just knows how to light up a room'

Driven by the work experiences of doctors and nurses facing a growing mental health crisis.

What they and other health care colleagues face frustratedanxiety, pressure,,,, suicidal thoughtsand burnout.

According to reports, nearly half of health workers regularly were burned in 2022, an increase from 2018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additionally, the percentage of healthcare workers Report Harassment During this four-year period, work experience more than doubled.

Advocate for the presence of dogs in hospitals and see animals as one thing that can help.

Among them are Peppi's handler, Rose's emergency physician Susan Ryan.

Ryan said years of working as an emergency room doctor left her with symptoms of PTSD. "I just screwed up, I get it," said Ryan, who was isolated at home and didn't want to interact with friends. "I push everything in. I think we all do."

Doctors and other providers can be good at hiding their struggles because they have to compartmentalize, she said: "I've also been able to go from a patient who's had a cardiac arrest, tell them with their family, and then go to a room, and then go to a room. Is the other person angry that they had to wait 45 minutes because their ears hurt?

To cope with the symptoms of PTSD, Ryan began using horses for therapy. But she didn't have a horse in her backyard, so she got a Labrador.

Ryan canine companionbecoming the first doctor trained by the team to have a facility dog ​​in the emergency room.

Canine Companions has graduated more than 8,000 service dogs.

Rose Medical Center gave Ryan permission to take the dog to work during the emergency room transfer. Ryan's co-workers say they're glad dogs are part of their work lives.

Emt Jasmine Richardson said: “When I have a bad day at work and I come to Rose and Peppi it makes my day better. "And if I have a patient who's having a rough day, Peppi knows how to light up the room."

Nursing director Eric Vaillancourt agreed, calling Peppi a "joy."

Ryan has another dog, Wynn, who works with her during the pandemic. She said she thinks Wynn has changed a lot. "It saves people," she said. "We have new nurses who have never seen death before, and now they see death. We're worried about getting sick."

She said her hospital system has lost several doctors to suicide in the past two years, HCA confirmed to KFF Health News and NPR.

Ryan hopes the canine connection can help with trauma. "Anything that brings you back to the present time can help," she says. "You can pet them on the ground, pet them, and just get calm." "

Ryan said research shows the advantages. For example, A review of dozens of original studies Regarding human interactions, benefits have been found for a variety of disorders, including behavioral and emotional problems and physical symptoms of stress.

chief dog officer

Rose's President and CEO Casey Guber became such a believer in the breed that he got his own trained dog to the hospital, a black Lab/hound mix Ralphie.

She wears a badge: Chief Dog Officer.

Gibb said she was a big morale booster. “It’s amazing,” he said. “Seeing the surgeon come into our administrative office and roll on the ground with Ralphie, or one of our nurses taking Ralphie for a walk in the park. "

This story comes from NPR and CPR news and KFF Health News.