Abstract
This paper explores compassion and connection through a biophilic lens, examining how human-animal relationships reflect the moral and cultural foundations of nursing. Drawing on Edward O. Wilson's biophilia hypothesis, it considers examples from animal-assisted care with ducks in Tennessee and urban animal interaction spaces in Japan. Across these diverse settings, engagement with animals fostered emotional well-being, reduced anxiety, and reawakened empathy. The analysis situates biophilia within nursing's ethical commitment to compassionate care, proposing that intentional human-animal connection offers a universal pathway to empathy, healing, and quality of life across cultural contexts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1268-1270 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Issues in Mental Health Nursing |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2025 |
Keywords
- Empathy
- Humans
- Animals
- Animal Assisted Therapy/ethics
- Tennessee
- Tokyo
- Human-Animal Bond
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