Effects of Inhaling Essential Oil on Headache-Related Quality of Life Among Nurses Working in Emergency and Critical Care Units

Abstract

Headache attacks are prevalent symptoms in emergency and critical care nurses. Prior evidence supports the analgesic effects of essential oils on headache symptoms. However, few empirical studies have examined how essential oil may further improve the relief of related symptoms. If essential oils are effective in headache relief, nurses' quality of life and care quality may also be improved. This study was designed to examine the effects of inhaling essential oil on (1) headache-related disability, (2) headache-related quality of life, and (3) perceived care quality in emergency and critical care nurses. A cluster randomized control trial and crossover experimental design were adopted. The participants, all nurses with headaches working in emergency and critical care units (N = 49) in a medical center in northern Taiwan, were cluster randomized to Group A and B. Group A wore a necklace with essential oil (100% Lavandula angustifolia 0.1 ml + 100% citrus bergamia 0.1 ml) for 28 days (intervention period), stopped wearing the necklace for 7 days (wash-out), and then wore the necklace without essential oil for 28 days (control period). Group B underwent the control period (28 days) first, followed by the wash-out (7 days) and then the intervention period (28 days). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaires that was administered three times (at day 0, day 28, day 63). The questionnaire included a demographic and headache-related datasheet, headache diary, Headache Disability Index, Migraine-Specific Questionnaire version 2.1 (role restrictive, role preventive, and emotion function), SERVQUAL (Service Quality), DASS-21, and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Repeated measures ANOVA (RM-ANOVA) and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze data. Headache-related quality of life showed significant improvement in the role restrictive (β = 9.77, p = .008) and role preventive (β = 10.03, p = .018) domains. However, headache-related disability and care quality showed no significant differences (p > .05), indicating that inhaling essential oil had a positive effect on quality of life. The findings of this study support that using a necklace with essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia and citrus bergamia 1:1) for 28 days effectively improves quality of life, especially in the domain of role function, in nurses working in emergency and critical care units. Additional empirical studies may be developed in the future to promote the benefits of using essential oils to ease pain.