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Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of inhaled aromatherapy in reducing anxiety experienced by undergraduate nursing students during simulation laboratory activities. Methods: This pilot study followed a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 17 nursing students from T University in the USA who participated in a simulation laboratory. Participants inhaled blended essential oils (lavender, bergamot, and sandalwood) for five days before the simulation lab checkoffs. Anxiety was measured using the State Anxiety Inventory, visual analog scale (VAS), and pulse rate. Results: State anxiety scores decreased from 23.53 (SD=4.57) before the intervention to 18.18 (SD=2.63) after the intervention, showing a significant difference (t=4.49, p<.001). VAS anxiety scores decreased from 4.92 (SD=1.63) before the intervention to 2.75 (SD=1.52) after the intervention, demonstrating a significant difference (t=4.11, p=.001). Pulse rate decreased from 81.53 (SD=14.31) before the intervention to 79.18 (SD=12.39) after the intervention; however, the difference was not significant (t=0.88, p=.393). Conclusion: This pilot study found a positive effect of the inhalation of a blend of essential oils on reducing student nurses' stress and anxiety. However, the sample size was too small to obtain reliable results. Future studies with larger sample sizes and control groups are required to establish a causal relationship.
Lake et al. (Wed,) studied this question.