Essential Oil Overkill

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Our facility is using essential oils like they are the second coming of Jesus. We have no policy and procedure, no regulations, no MSDS, nothing. Some shifts soak the resident's skin, no carrier oils, soak their bedding, clothing and other personal items.

We've got nurses bringing their own supply of essential oils FROM HOME and putting them on the patients!! No where in nursing would that ever be allowed.

It's making the nursing staff sick. According to the FDA, once you put these essential oils on the skin of the patient, it's considered a drug.

What is the answer here? The popularity of essential oils and the unbelievable backlash if you question if they work or not is getting old for me very quickly.

(Just FYI essential oils are completely unregulated and they are a 4 BILLION dollar industry).

Does your facility use essential oils? What's the policy on this?

For What it's Worth: You cannot find ANY essential oils listed in the drug handbook. Think about that.

Where in the world do you work? Sounds like a cluster. To me, the answer is complaining to management and getting policies in place to forbid their use.

I recently mentioned in another thread that I'm completely fascinated by the recent rise in EO popularity. I'm all for diffusing a nice oil here or there just for calming/relaxation/pleasant-smelling-air purposes, but the fact that they're being ingested or rubbed onto the various parts of the body for medical ailments is really bizarre to me. And in my limited experience, people who are into them are REALLY passionate and die-hard about them. I somehow missed the advent of this cultural phenomena but I've come to suspect the fact that EOs are tied to multi-level marketing schemes that convince (mostly) women, many of whom are financially struggling mothers, that they will change their lives by selling them and preaching their benefits is directly related to this uptick in interest.

Probably the most amazing part of all of this is the fact that they place this on the care plan. For instance on a patient with undesirable behaviors under the listing of "Dementia" they have listed as a treatment, "Place essential oils behind the ears and on the neck for calming".

I'm dumbstruck.

There is no instructions, how many drops on the skin is too much? If the patient doesn't calm down after a bit they just put MORE on them!! And their blankets and their clothing and their stuffed animals ect...

I'm going crazy.

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We only use non-essential oils at my facility. They're cheaper. (And yes, I'm kidding...).

I needed to read some humor in this mess. Thank you .

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I'm an asthmatic and would have a huge problem if anyone used essential oils around me.

Maybe someone should point out the potential legal ramifications of sending patients into bronchospasm, allergic reactions, etc.

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When the lunatic fringe takes over they are "normal". The minority that used to be considered normal now become members of the lunatic fringe. The most extreme example I can think of here is Nazi Germany (PLEASE NOTE I'M NOT SAYING THE STINKY PEOPLE ARE NAZIS) where it was "normal" to do all manner of hideous garbage based on made up science.

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I'm sensitive to smoke, perfume, cologne, chemical odors, and most scents in general because they give me a HUGE headache (migraine on occasion). The laundry aisle at the grocery store is pure torture and there's a major department store in the mall that I have to avoid the lower level on because the perfume section is right by the escalator. This would drive me up the wall if I had to work in this environment. I had to complain to get a coworker to unplug her Glade Plug-In from her desk--right next to mine. Anyway, from my EO fanatics on Facebook, I know there's strict rules for how to use them. Most have to be diluted and certain ones can not go directly on the skin. Some can be applied via a roller, some can be applied with a drop on the neck, and some can even be administered under the tongue while some can be cooked/baked with. I would refuse to do this because you haven't had the proper "training" in administration of EO in addition to the unregulated, non-FDA-approved reasons. (I did ask one friend about just getting the EO mix that's supposed to help ADHD because my son's meds were denied; he can't tolerate stimulants and insurance won't cover nonstimulants, and I just couldn't pay $380/month. This friend basically said I could only get them if I took one of her classes to know how to properly do it. I never did).

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Specializes in OB.
Probably the most amazing part of all of this is the fact that they place this on the care plan. For instance on a patient with undesirable behaviors under the listing of "Dementia" they have listed as a treatment, "Place essential oils behind the ears and on the neck for calming".

I'm dumbstruck.

There is no instructions, how many drops on the skin is too much? If the patient doesn't calm down after a bit they just put MORE on them!! And their blankets and their clothing and their stuffed animals ect...

I'm going crazy.

That is definitely amazing. I keep thinking of what another poster mentioned---what if the patients with dementia hate the smell of the oils but can't speak up to say they don't like it? Ugh. Sounds awful. Don't know what to tell you except to jump ship, which isn't always feasible.

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Essential oils are being used in pilot projects in hospitals around the country. The oils are not to be put directly on the skin, but beside the patient on a gauze put in a med cup. It is noted to be causing less anxiety, helpful for sleep and even seeing a reduced number of patients asking for pain medications. I think at this time only Lavender, Orange, Eucalyptus and I think Mint are being used. It cannot go on the skin and it is locked up like a medication. I know there is a sheet they sign for use and nothing directly in the MAR. There are standing orders for it.

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Canada can stink up Canada as much as the Canadians wish. Truthfully it sounds like smelly, too much perfume old ladies have taken control of dousing helpless elderly people in their stank juice

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Canada can stink up Canada as much as the Canadians wish. Truthfully it sounds like smelly, too much perfume old ladies have taken control of dousing helpless elderly people in their stank juice

For the record, the essential oil use is by Ascension hospitals around the US and not in Canada. It is being used clinically and not dousing helpless elderly as you have implied.

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At one of my former jobs we had a day nurse that would apply this anti stress mix of lime, vanilla, lavender, cederwood and ocotea, sometimes every 15 minutes (she would apply it three times during a half hour report) and my STNAs and I were getting sick from it. She complained about the smell of smoke at a smoking facility but her young living essential oils were probably worst. I would bleach down my cart and desk three times after she left before the smell would lighten any. Staff complained but unfortunately she didn't take us seriously "it's all natural" and management wouldn't do anything about it since she wasn't actually putting it on the residents.

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

I think ultimately, this whole thing just doesn't make scents. (Cue maniacal laughing from cornball me...).

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"its all Natural" so is body odor and poop. I don't want to be sniffing that either

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