Development of a Health System-Based Nurse-Delivered Aromatherapy Program.

Healthcare systems are increasingly looking to integrate aromatherapy (essential oils) as a safe, low-cost, and nonpharmacologic option for patient care to reduce pain, nausea, and anxiety and to improve sleep. This article describes the development and implementation of a healthcare system-wide program of nurse-delivered essential oil therapeutic interventions to inpatients throughout an acute care setting. In addition, we provide lessons learned for nursing administrators interested in developing similar nurse-delivered aromatherapy programs.

The effectiveness of nurse-delivered aromatherapy in an acute care setting.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use and effectiveness of essential oil therapeutic interventions on pain, nausea, and anxiety, when provided by nurses to patients in acute hospital settings across a large health system. This study expands upon the limited body of literature on aromatherapy use among inpatients. DESIGN: Retrospective, effectiveness study using data obtained from electronic health records. SETTING: Ten Allina Health hospitals located in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. INTERVENTIONS: Nurse-delivered aromatherapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in patient-reported pain, anxiety, and nausea, rated before and after receiving aromatherapy using a numeric rating scale (0-10). RESULTS: There were 10,262 hospital admissions during the study time frame in which nurse-delivered aromatherapy was part of patient care. The majority of admissions receiving aromatherapy were females (81.71%) and white (87.32%). Over 75% of all aromatherapy sessions were administered via inhalation. Lavender had the highest absolute frequency (49.5%) of use regardless of mode of administration, followed by ginger (21.2%), sweet marjoram (12.3%), mandarin (9.4%), and combination oils (7.6%). Sweet marjoram resulted in the largest single oil average pain change at -3.31 units (95% CI: -4.28, -2.33), while lavender and sweet marjoram had equivalent average anxiety changes at -2.73 units, and ginger had the largest single oil average change in nausea at -2.02 units (95% CI: -2.55, -1.49). CONCLUSIONS: Essential oils generally resulted in significant clinical improvements based on their intended use, although each oil also showed ancillary benefits for other symptoms. Future research should explore use of additional essential oils, modes of administration, and different patient populations.

Therapeutic massage and healing touch improve symptoms in cancer.

Complementary therapies are increasingly used to reduce side effects of cancer treatment, without evidence for their effectiveness. In a randomized, prospective, 2-period, crossover intervention study, the authors tested the effects of therapeutic massage (MT) and healing touch (HT), in comparison to presence alone or standard care, in inducing relaxation and reducing symptoms in 230 subjects. MT and HT lowered blood pressure, respiratory rate (RR), and heart rate (HR). MT lowered anxiety and HT lowered fatigue, and both lowered total mood disturbance. Pain ratings were lower after MT and HT, with 4-week nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use less during MT. There were no effects on nausea. Presence reduced RR and HR but did not differ from standard care on any measure of pain, nausea, mood states, anxiety, or fatigue. MT and HT are more effective than presence alone or standard care in reducing pain, mood disturbance, and fatigue in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.

Complementary, integrative, and holistic care in emergency nursing.

Nearly half of all patients who present to the Emergency Department (ED) daily are using some form of complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine (CAIM). Emergency nurses will increasingly encounter clients who use CAIM or want holistic care. The integration of CAIM and holistic nursing principles into current emergency nursing practice can reenergize nursing and give ED nurses additional care methods to use with their clients. CAIM and holistic care can also provide ED clients with the kind of health care that they are currently seeking outside of the mainstream medical world.