Study Evaluating Lavender-Chamomile Aromatherapy and Music to Reduce Stress in Critical Care Nurses

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate whether nurses working in critical care units who receive lavender-chamomile aromatherapy and listen to calming music during a 20-minute work break once per shift experience reduced work-related stress and anxiety compared to before the intervention. Nurses are known to face high levels of stress and anxiety despite existing support policies, and prior studies suggest that combining aromatherapy and music may help reduce anxiety in adults. Participants will self-administer the intervention by going to a quiet breakroom, placing three drops of lavender-chamomile essential oil on a gauze pad about 20 centimeters from their nose, and listening to their preferred calming music through personal devices and earphones during a 20-minute non-meal break once per shift for eight weeks. This is a single-group study without a comparison arm. During the study, participants will complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory before starting and again after the eight-week intervention to measure workplace stress levels. The total intervention period lasts 10 weeks, including assessment time. Researchers will monitor self-reported anxiety symptoms to evaluate the impact of aromatherapy and music on stress reduction in critical care nurses.

Aromatherapy and Music Impact on Nurses' Stress at Work