Teaching a culture of care: Why it matters

Abstract

The use of animal in biomedical research remains a critical compromise. Research and higher education institutions play a major role in educating on the use of animal and such training is expected to translate into the development of a culture of care practice across all staff working with animals. But nurturing a “culture of care” and impacting in professional attitudes in the field of animal research remains challenging due to its social, ethical and different institutional frameworks. From an educational perspective, current practice remains challenged by the need for better integration of inter-cultural perceptions on animal welfare, supported by more cross disciplinary integration in educational curriculum including the relevance of the 3Rs principles and promoting reflective practice strategies. Institutional support is crucial to provide a safe, and supportive framework to promote such caring ethos. Our aim is to discuss practical actions to implement and assess culture of care, highlighting its direct impact on the professional integrity of staff which is directly linked to research and education excellence. Seeking a global welfare for all the beings involved and supporting individual and team reflective practice will provide better tools to guarantee the best care of the animals.

Keywords

• laboratory animals
• care
• welfare
• education
• wellbeing
• professional responsibility