**Main Body of the Abstract**
Background: 
Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have become increasingly accessible in hospitals to bring the benefits of animal companionship to patients. However, the nature of a hospital can be overwhelming for new therapy teams. Routine therapy animal evaluation and registration do not assess a therapy animal team’s abilities in a hospital setting.
Objective:
To provide additional preparation for new therapy dog teams by simulating a hospital environment in the safety of a training course alongside professional dog trainers and therapy animal evaluators.
Methods:
A simulation course was developed to cover performance of a hospital therapy dog visit and introduce simulation-based methods. Learners are challenged to monitor their dog’s body language changes by context, apply principles of canine learning, and training to help their dog feel safe and succeed in a medical setting. During this course, they receive feedback regarding strengths, areas for improvement, and key components of a therapy animal team evaluation.
Results: 
As teams attended the simulation course PDSA cycles were completed to improve the learner experience and course curriculum. Once the course was finalized, a 16-question survey was sent to the most recent teams who all indicated that the course feedback was helpful, it prepared them for their certification, and it made them more likely to volunteer in a hospital setting with their dogs.
Conclusion: 
The initial completion of the Therapy Dog Simulation Course has successfully prepared new therapy dog teams for evaluation by registering organizations as well as volunteering in the hospital setting.



**Main Body of the Abstract**
**Background**: 
Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have become increasingly accessible in hospitals to bring the benefits of animal companionship to patients. However, the nature of a hospital can be overwhelming for new therapy teams. Routine therapy animal evaluation and registration do not assess a therapy animal team’s abilities in a hospital setting.
**Objective**:
To provide additional preparation for new therapy dog teams by simulating a hospital environment in the safety of a training course alongside professional dog trainers and therapy animal evaluators.
**Methods**:
A simulation course was developed to cover performance of a hospital therapy dog visit and introduce simulation-based methods. Learners are challenged to monitor their dog’s body language changes by context, apply principles of canine learning, and training to help their dog feel safe and succeed in a medical setting. During this course, they receive feedback regarding strengths, areas for improvement, and key components of a therapy animal team evaluation.
**Results**: 
As teams attended the simulation course PDSA cycles were completed to improve the learner experience and course curriculum. Once the course was finalized, a 16-question survey was sent to the most recent teams who all indicated that the course feedback was helpful, it prepared them for their certification, and it made them more likely to volunteer in a hospital setting with their dogs.
**Conclusion**: 
The initial completion of the Therapy Dog Simulation Course has successfully prepared new therapy dog teams for evaluation by registering organizations as well as volunteering in the hospital setting.



Development of a Simulation Course for Hospital Therapy Animals

This annual interdisciplinary course offers participants an overview of current topics in internal medicine including interactive case studies using automated audience response system. Interdisciplinary speakers present diverse clinical topics chosen for applicability to NP/PA and primary care physician practice settings.  As complex patients transition care to the outpatient arena, current guideline based medicine typically initiated in the hospital setting continues to be important as patients transition out of the acute care setting. 

To reinforce the knowledge gained from the course and ensure lasting value to each attendee’s practice, Mayo Clinic provides access to all course presentations with voice-over recordings after the completion of the course. You must be a registered attendee to access these.