The Impact of Mindful Clinical Aromatherapy on Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Stress Experience: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Frontline intensive care unit nurses are essential in caring for critically ill patients. However, they often encounter emotionally draining situations. The COVID-19 pandemic, administrative burdens, and unfavorable working conditions exacerbate these challenges, increasing nurses' risk...

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Publicado en:Critical Care Nurse Vol. 45; no. 6; pp. 50 - 58
Autores principales: Tran, Kimberly, Campbell, Sarah, Whealon, Candice
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Dec2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2025
      vid: 45
      iid: 6
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      pub: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
      place: Alisa Veijo, California
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        atl: The Impact of Mindful Clinical Aromatherapy on Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Stress Experience: A Quality Improvement Project.
      aug:
        au:
          Tran, Kimberly
          Campbell, Sarah
          Whealon, Candice
        affil: Kimberly Tran is a family nurse practitioner and a registered nurse at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California
      sug:
        subj:
          Mindfulness
          Aromatherapy
          Stress, Occupational Prevention and Control
          Critical Care Nurses Psychosocial Factors
          Frontline Nurses Psychosocial Factors
          Internet-Based Intervention
          Wellness
          Program Evaluation
          Quality Improvement
          Intensive Care Units
          California
          Human
          Academic Medical Centers
          Trauma Centers
          Burnout, Professional
          Hardiness
          Support, Psychosocial
          Peer Group
          Support Groups
          Questionnaires
          Scales
          Needs Assessment
          Self Care
          Essential Oils Therapeutic Use
          Psychological Well-Being
          Coefficient alpha
          Summated Rating Scaling
          Open-Ended Questionnaires
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Pretest-Posttest Design
          Feedback
          Pilot Studies
      ab: Background: Frontline intensive care unit nurses are essential in caring for critically ill patients. However, they often encounter emotionally draining situations. The COVID-19 pandemic, administrative burdens, and unfavorable working conditions exacerbate these challenges, increasing nurses' risk of chronic stress and burnout. Local Problem: A needs assessment at our academic hospital found that more than 60% of intensive care unit nurses experienced burnout, although 71% demonstrated resilience, highlighting the need for meaningful support and resilience-building strategies. This project assessed the impact of mindfulness-based clinical aromatherapy on intensive care unit nurses' stress experience. Methods: This quality improvement project implemented an online mindful clinical aromatherapy wellness program with peer support champions. Participants engaged in daily mini-mindfulness sessions using Ascents aromatherapy and the Smiling Mind app for 4 weeks. Stress and well-being were measured using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale and the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index before and after the intervention. Additional questions were administered after the intervention to evaluate program satisfaction. Outcomes were evaluated using t tests and Cohen d. Results: The participation rate was 81%. The mean Perceived Stress Scale-10 score decreased by 9.36% and the World Health Organization-Five score increased by 10.98%. Most participants (82%) enjoyed the program, and 68% intended to continue mindfulness or aromatherapy. Feedback showed an overall favorable response and the benefits of integrative health practices during stressful shifts. Conclusion: Incorporating evidence-based integrative health practices into daily routines may meaningfully ameliorate nurses' stress experience. Health care leaders are encouraged to support initiatives aimed at cultivating nurses' mental health, thereby optimizing capacity to provide exceptional patient care.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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