Aromatherapy

[BMitchellRN]

I am presenting a project for my BSN on the use of aromatherapy in the healthcare setting. Has any ever personally helped implement aromatherapy in your area or know someone who has? I have to find someone to interview and it has to be someone that was directly involved in the implementation.

Thanks in advance!

Brooke

[Atl-Murse]

It will not fly in a health care facility . Too many people with too many allergies/sensitivity/preferences

[SmilingBluEyes]

Keep it out of the clinical setting. Too many of us are allergic and I myself get migraines with strong scents. In the patient's home that is one thing. In the general health care setting it has no place. Some people can become violently ill or even anaphylactic if exposed to scents. At the very least, what is pleasing to one person may be nauseating or unpleasant to the next. Even other health care providers. We all deserve to work in a low-scent environment.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I wish we could use aromatherapy in OB, but our facility is scent-free.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I Can't even grocery shop without getting a headache. It's a highly scented world; everywhere you go you smell perfume. It is extraordinarily hard to buy cleaning supplies and laundry soap now, it all stinks so much. As a result: Some of us have been over-exposed and developed sensitivities. When I was young, perfume never bothered me the way it does now. I have a patient that refuses his treatments if there is perfume present. Imagine forgoing life-sustaining tx because you can't tolerate perfume. I have had to politely request patients stop wearing perfume/cologne. What's one person's joy is another's pain. Poor guy can't stand the soap we use even, it has a strong scent, too.

That is why so many healthcare facilities are declared "scent free" zones now----including mine thank goodness. We only have to change soap to a less scented type now and we're good.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

No. A thousand times no. Too many issues with negligible positive result. You may need to change your project.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

We have some patients in the ICU with a private room that have started to use the diffusers, but it is not that common and is usually per request and okayed by the team. We even have people who specialize in this area and are consulted first. I do not know if it is effective as most of the patients are intubated/sedated, but you never know.

[BSN16]

It will not fly in a health care facility . Too many people with too many allergies/sensitivity/preferences

mayo clinic uses aromatherapy for their inpatients.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I have severe asthma and have a very different time with any artificial scents, but I can use pure essential oils lightly.

[Emergent, RN]

mayo clinic uses aromatherapy for their inpatients.

Good cultural sensitivity on their part!

It's important to acknowledge, tolerate, and include diversity in beliefs and worldviews.

I was taught that gypsies value a container of soil beneath a patients bed. Some Asian cultural value cupping, and consider hot and cold important. Who are we to judge?

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

I have severe asthma and have a very different time with any artificial scents, but I can use pure essential oils lightly.

I don't tolerate them anymore. I used to tolerate rosemary, lavender and peppermint but now, even those trigger as asthma attack.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Good cultural sensitivity on their part!

It's important to acknowledge, tolerate, and include diversity in beliefs and worldviews.

I was taught that gypsies value a container of soil beneath a patients bed. Some Asian cultural value cupping, and consider hot and cold important. Who are we to judge?

Nobody's judging. The problem is when someone's choice if complementary treatment modality infringes on others' right to breathe. Breathing needs to win.