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

[verene, MSN]

The psych hospital I did my senior practicum at offered an aromatherapy/sensory therapy group. It was run by one of the occupational therapists, and held in a group activities room. Patients could bring small sachets of scent back to their rooms from the group. It seemed to benefit many of the patients and did not cause problems on the unit (asthma or otherwise).

[BMitchellRN]

The project has been approved and aromatherapy is actually currently being used in many hospitals.

Also, pure essential oils rarely trigger allergic responses because most often allergies are caused by synthetic scents rather then pure. Of course there are always exceptions to this and aromatherapy would most likely not be approved to be diffuse in a hospital setting but there are many other ways to use essential oils.

[BMitchellRN]

Lol! Patchouli is bad. I can barely stand the smell with just a few drops I cannot imagine what it smelled like using that much.

[Julius Seizure]

Lol! Patchouli is bad. I can barely stand the smell with just a few drops I cannot imagine what it smelled like using that much.

OP, just a helpful hint: if you hit the "quote" button instead of "reply", it will paste in the comment that you are replying to - that way the conversation is easier to follow (although I assume you meant my post about the patchouli in this instance ).

[Gods_nurse]

The project has been approved and aromatherapy is actually currently being used in many hospitals.

Also, pure essential oils rarely trigger allergic responses because most often allergies are caused by synthetic scents rather then pure. Of course there are always exceptions to this and aromatherapy would most likely not be approved to be diffuse in a hospital setting but there are many other ways to use essential oils.

I absolutely agree!!

The molecular level is so much different from pure essential oils to perfumes and other artificial senses.

They are not even close to being the same.

I challenge those of you opposed, religious or otherwise, to read "Healing Oils of the Bible" as it makes some good scientific claims that may surprise you.

If you are willing to think outside the box, which in reading the comments it appears to me most of you are not, you may be pleasantly surprised at how many otc meds you can chuck and all those nasty "sence" of laundry soap and cleaning supplies you can get rid of!!

[KrCmommy522, BSN, RN]

I might be wrong about this but if your in school why is RN in your screen name? Is it just your initials or something or do you have your ASN and going for your BSN now?

But anyways, I did a project about complementary and alternative healing and there are a TON of articles about using aromatherapy in different hospitals. However, they are usually specific to certain units.

[Lvn1973, ASN, LVN, RN]

My hospital allows diffusers for essential oils in labor and delivery and I think its fabulous. They are trying to get back to other techniques for pain management than medication. All the rooms are private and the smell stays very localized to the small area.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

I absolutely agree!!

The molecular level is so much different from pure essential oils to perfumes and other artificial senses.

They are not even close to being the same.

I challenge those of you opposed, religious or otherwise, to read "Healing Oils of the Bible" as it makes some good scientific claims that may surprise you.

If you are willing to think outside the box, which in reading the comments it appears to me most of you are not, you may be pleasantly surprised at how many otc meds you can chuck and all those nasty "sence" of laundry soap and cleaning supplies you can get rid of!!

I would love to be able to use aromatherapy, but I can't because it triggers serious asthma attacks in me. It doesn't matter, even on the molecular level, if something is natural, pure or synthetic. And it doesn't take much to trigger the attack. My former neurologist used oil of clove, and I would leave his office wheezing. And I was one of the few who could smell it.

I've read parts of the book you mentioned. And I wasn't surprised. I stopped reading because it was all about Young Living oils. It's not scientific.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I would study your BON website to make absolutely sure that the administration of essential oils are considered something an RN can do. My BON frowns upon me administering anything that has no clinical efficacy data or administering things off label.

Do I have a problem with essential oils? No. Do I use them on myself and my kid? Sometimes. Would I use them on a patient, even with a prescription? Nope, because see above....

[vampiregirl, BSN, RN]

When I was in my BSN completion program, I had several classmates who used a product called "QueaseEASE" in their units (PACU and Oncology). Lots of favorable feedback on it.

Here's a link to some information on studies of this product. Looks like it's used in New Zealand also.

http://soothing-scents.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/QueaseEASE_Study-Compilation.pdf

I've had several hospice patients who have opted to include aromatherapy for symptom management on their own accord, with good results.

[tdixon1828]

You may have better responses on the holistic nurse forum for nurses who utilize aromatherapy.