Essential Oil Patches for Nursing Staff Burnout

Overseen By Rachel G. Blier, MSN,RN

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Pregnancy, Breastfeeding

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

Duration: 4 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if essential oil inhalation patches can reduce burnout and stress among medical-surgical nurses. Participants will use these patches over six work shifts within a 30-day period. Nurses will complete surveys about their stress levels before and after using the patches to assess any improvement. Nurses who work full-time on specific units and are not pregnant or planning to become pregnant may qualify for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study allows nurses to explore a novel approach to stress relief and contribute to valuable research in their field.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that essential oil inhalation patches are safe for use in nursing staff?

Research has shown that essential oil patches are generally safe for reducing stress and anxiety. For example, one study found that inhaling lavender-chamomile essential oil significantly lowered anxiety in nurses. Another study demonstrated that marjoram essential oil effectively and safely reduced stress and anxiety. Similarly, inhaling patchouli oil helped lower stress levels in emergency nurses.

These findings suggest that essential oil patches are well-tolerated, with few reports of negative effects. This makes them a promising option for managing stress and burnout, especially in workplaces like hospitals. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about essential oil patches for nursing staff burnout because they offer a novel, non-invasive approach to stress relief. Unlike traditional treatments like therapy or medication, these patches use aromatherapy to potentially provide calming effects directly through inhalation. This method allows for continuous, passive exposure to essential oils, which could make stress management more practical and accessible during work shifts. With this delivery system, the treatment can integrate seamlessly into daily routines without the need for active participation or significant time commitment.

What evidence suggests that essential oil inhalation patches might be effective for reducing burnout and stress in nursing staff?

Research has shown that aromatherapy can help lower stress and anxiety. For instance, one study found that essential oil patches made emergency nurses feel less stressed and more satisfied with their jobs. Another study found that inhaling essential oils reduced stress for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this trial, nursing staff will wear an essential oil patch for two weeks to evaluate its potential in reducing burnout and stress for medical surgical nurses. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Rachel G. Blier, MSN,RN

Principal Investigator

DHMC

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for full-time nurses, LPNs, or LNAs aged 18+ working on specific inpatient units. It's not open to those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy.

Inclusion Criteria

I work full-time as a Nurse, LPN, or LNA on L3WD and L4WC.

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnant/breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

Treatment

Participants use essential oil inhalation patches over 30 days, alternating weeks, with six patches used over six shifts

4 weeks

6 shifts (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants complete the Perceived Stress Survey (PSS) before and after the study, and an additional survey after two weeks

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Oil Inhalation Patch

Trial Overview The study tests if essential oil inhalation patches can reduce burn-out and stress in medical-surgical nurses over a period of 30 days with surveys before, during, and after patch use.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Essential Oil Ptach Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The nursing staff will wear an essential oil patch for 2 weeks.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

548

Recruited

2,545,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9859127/

Efficacy of Aromatherapy at Relieving the Work-Related ... This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of aromatherapy in relieving the stress of nursing staff working in different departments during COVID-19.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388123000312

Benefit of inhalation aromatherapy as a complementary ... Inhalation aromatherapy has the potential to reduce stress and anxiety with data emerging to further support this result across a wide modality of clinical ...

3. trial.medpath.com trial.medpath.com/clinical-trial/56bd2469a6ffbb1d/nct06053450-effect-essential-oil-burn-out-stress

The Effect of Essential Oil Inhalation Patches on Perceived ... The purpose of this clinical study is to compare the use of an essential oil inhalation patch in medical surgical nurses on perceived burn-out and stress.

4. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/344222036_Effects_of_Short-Term_Inhalation_of_Patchouli_Oil_on_Professional_Quality_of_Life_and_Stress_Levels_in_Emergency_Nurses_A_Randomized_Controlled_Trial

(PDF) Effects of Short-Term Inhalation of Patchouli Oil on ... Outcome measures: Outcome measured included blood pressure, heart rate, levels of stress, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and ...

5. scispace.com scispace.com/pdf/effects-of-short-term-inhalation-of-patchouli-oil-on-2z0z1w5smv.pdf

effects-of-short-term-inhalation-of-patchouli-oil-on- ... In summary, inhalation of patchouli oil by emergency nurses reduced their stress and increased their compassion satisfaction although there were no significant ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876382025001209

Effectiveness of Aromatherapy on Stress, Anxiety, Fatigue ... Anxiety of nurses decreased significantly after the inhalation of lavender-chamomile essential oil. Shin et al. (2020) Republic of Korea ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10690939/

Inhalation of Origanum majorana L. essential oil while working ... We suggest that inhalation of 3% marjoram essential oil is an effective, simple, and safe intervention for reducing perceived stress and anxiety ...

8. liebertpub.com liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2020.0206

Effects of Short-Term Inhalation of Patchouli Oil on ... Inhalation of patchouli oil effectively reduced the levels of stress and increased compassion satisfaction in emergency nurses.

9. tisserandinstitute.org tisserandinstitute.org/essential-oils-in-hospitals/

Essential Oils in Hospitals: The Ethics, Safety, Cost and ... Patients who are still sedated and unable to hold a personal inhaler can benefit from the use of essential oils via an aroma patch, or staff can ...