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EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION POSITION STATEMENT PROTECTION OF ANIMAL SUBJECTS STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Knowledge and skills which promote the well-being of humans are dependent upon research-
based advancements in the health care arena. Animal subjects are often used for teaching and
research purposes. Educators and researchers are scientifically and ethically responsible for the
humane care of these animals. At research facilities and sites nationwide, approximately 25
million vertebrate animal subjects currently are being used for biomedical research, scientific,
and educational purposes with mice and rats account ing for approximately 95% of animals
used. 1,2,3 The most common species, listed in the order that they are used most frequently, include mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, pigs, dogs, non-human primates, sheep, and
cats. 1,2
Approximately 60% of all animal subjects are used in the study of how the body works and how
diseases affect bodily systems. About 17% of the animals are used to evaluate the safety and
effectiveness of new drugs and vaccines, 13% are used to test new consumer products, and 5%
are used at colleges and at medical and veterinary schools to teach science. 1
Researchers and educators transporting, caring for, and using animals must act in strict
accordance with the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et. seq.) 4 and other applicable Federal laws, guidelines, and policies. Initially passed in 1966 and amended in 1970, 1976, and 1985, the
Animal Welfare Act identifies regulatory requirements for providing humane animal care and
protection, feeding, shelter, sanitation, record-keeping, and more. 1,4,5 In addition, facilities using animal subjects must appoint an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, consisting of
scientists, veterinarians, and at least one member of the public, to oversee animal programs and
ensure Act compliance. 4,5,6,7 Other controls regulating the use of animal subjects include the Public Health Service Policy, the Good Laboratory Practices Act, and requirements from private
funding agencies. 5,8
However, proper use of animal subjects extends beyond mandated standards and as such,
researchers and educators also are scientifically and ethically responsible for the humane care of
these animals. This includes avoiding or minimizing animal discomfort, stress, or pain; ensuring
research is not unnecessarily duplicative of previous research; and evaluating the use of non-
animal alternatives to gather data. 7,8
In 1959, W. Russell and R. Birch, in their book The Principles of Humane Experimental
Technique, coined the phrase The Three Rs to describe the steps scientists should take to
replace animal use when possible, reduce the number of animals used, and refine their
techniques. 9 Today, scientists, researchers, and educators implement The Three Rs by replacing animals with other living systems, non-living systems, or computer simulations;
reducing subject numbers through animal sharing, improved statistical design, and the use of
better quality animals; and refining techniques by improving instrumentation and pain control
and decreasing invasiveness. 9 Because a living creature serves as the experimental model, it is necessary to ultimately justify
the use of animals in terms of an ethical cost-benefit assessme nt Societal values demand that
scientists take into consideration the ethical costs of the research in terms of animal pain,
morbidity, and mortality. 10 Researchers and educators utilizing animal subjects must weigh such costs with the benefits to human health and well-being and the greater society.

In scientific circles, the media, and the public, heated debate continues about the
humane/inhumane, moral/immoral use of animal subjects. At the government level, agency
policies differ in their definition of the word animal in terms of use in research and whether or
not animal includes mice, rats, and birds. 9,11,12
Groups supporting animal use in research point to the number and quality of medical
breakthroughs resulting from the carefully monitored use of animal subjects while critics against
cite failures in extrapolating data results from one species to another and how drugs safe for
some species may be harmful to humans and vice versa. 12 Opinion polling reveals that the public is concerned and suspicious about the use of animal subjects in laboratories; but, 80% of
Americans support using animals in research conditioned on their humane care and use. 3,12
ASSOCIATION POSITION

It is the position of ENA that:
1. Animal subjects should be protected at all times during the education and research
process. 2. When animal subjects are used for research or education, the investigators should comply
with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Federal Animal
Welfare Act. 4,13 3. All research proposals should go through an approval process to ensure the protection of
animal subjects. 14,15
RATIONALE Investigators are responsible for the ethical and humane treatment of animal subjects. Animal
subjects should be protected from undue discomfort, harm, danger, and suffering. The humane
and appropriate use of animal subjects in research and education is based upon the husbandry
needs of each species and the special demands of the specific research or education program.
Animal facilities will be administered by knowledgeable professionals, and the animals will be
cared for by qualified personnel. 11 Furthermore, research or education programs should always have the goal of achieving significant benefits of improved treatment for humans and animals 14 . Protecting animal subjects is a legal, ethical, and professional responsibility of emergency nurses
who use animals for education and research purposes.

REFERENCES 1. The Center for Laboratory Animal Welfare. (2001). Overview of animals in laboratories.
Available: http://www.labanimalwelfare.org/overview.htm
2. Animal Welfare Report, Fiscal Year 2001: Report of the Secretary of Agriculture to the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

3. National Association for Biomedical Research. The Humane Care and Treatment of
Laboratory Animals. NABR Issue. Available: www.nabr.org/issues.htm 4. Federal Animal Welfare Act of 1966, Pub. L. No. 89-544.(1966). As amended in 1985, Pub.
L. No. 99-198. Hyattsville, MD 20782, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

5. Bennett, B.T., D.V.M., Ph.D. (1994). Essentials for Animal Research: A Primer for Research
Personnel, Chapter 1: Regulations and Requirements (2 nd ed.). U.S. Department of Agriculture & University of Illinois at Chicago. Available: http://research.ucsb.edu/connect/acc/esregreq.htm 6. Robb, Dr. J.W. (1993). Personal Reflections: The Role and Value of the Unaffiliated Member
and the Nonscientist Member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Institute of
Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) Journal V35(3/4). Available:
http://dels.nas.edu/ilar/jour_online/35 3<b>_</b>4/35<b>_</b>3_4Personal.asp

7. Animal Care and Use in the Intramural Program. (1999). OD/OACU Publication. NIH Policy
Manual 3040-2, Revised (2002). National Institute of Health. Available:
http://www1.od.nih.gov/oma/manualchapters/intramural/3040-2/

8. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (2002).
National Institutes of Health. Available: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm

9. Bennett, B.T., D.V.M., Ph.D. (1994). Essentials for Animal Research: A Primer for Research
Personnel, Chapter 2: Alternative Methodologies (2 nd ed.). U.S. Department of Agriculture & University of Illinois at Chicago. Available: http://research.ucsb.edu/connect/acc/esalt.htm

10. Prentice, E.D., Ph.D.; Crouse, D.A., Ph.D.; & Mann, M., Ph.D. (1992). Scientific Merit
Review: The Role of the IACUC. Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) Journal
V34(1/2). Available: http://dels.nas.edu/ilar/jour_online/34_1_2/34_1_2Scientific.asp

11. Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Pub. L. No. 99-158, November 20, 1985. Animals in
Research. Available: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw 12. McCarthy, C.R. (1999). Introduction: Toward a Coherent Ethic of Research Involving
Laboratory Animals. Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) Journal V40(1).
Available: http://dels.nas.edu/ilar/jour_online/40_1/40_1Introduction.asp

13. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (1978). A. DHEW Publication No. (NIH)
78-23 B. NIH Publication No. 23, Revised (1996). U.S. Department of Health, Education and
Welfare. Available: http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/labrats/introduction.html

14. ACEP. (2002). Policy Statement: Animal use in research. Available:
http://www.acep.org/3,372,0.html
15. Guideline for Review and Approval of Animal Study Proposals. (2002). National Institute of
Health. Available: http://oacu.od.nih.gov/ARAC/FinalDesigrev1202.pdf BIBLIOGRAPHY

American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. (2003). Public Statements: Animal Use in
Research, Testing and Teaching. Available: www.aclam.org/pub_animal_use.html

American Psychological Associations Committee on Animal Research and Ethics. (2003).
Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals. Available:
http://www.apa.org/science/anguide.html

Gallup Organization, The. (2003). Public Lukewarm on Animal Rights. Available:
www.gallup.com/subscription/?m=f&c_id=13497

National Association for Biomedical Research. (2003). Regulation of Biomedical Research
Using Animals. NABR Issue. Available: www.nabr.org/issues.htm


Developed: 1991.

Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: December 1991.
Revised and Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: August/September 1993.
Revised and Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: December 1995.
Revised and Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: September 1997.
Revised and Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: December 1999.
Revised and Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: July 2001.
Revised and Approved by the ENA Board of Directors: September 2003.

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