Comparison of the Ease-of-use and Preference Between Two Aromatherapy Delivery Methods in the Perioperative Setting

Nurses at the study hospitals had implemented aromatherapy as an evidence-based intervention to alleviate nausea, pain, and anxiety in patients in the perioperative setting. Initially, they were approved to administer aromatherapy using large, multidose bottles with gauze as the method of delivery; however, nurses recognized that there were many disadvantages to using this method. This led to a nurse-driven initiative to create a new delivery method for aromatherapy with the aid of the Center for Innovation at the organization. Single, individually wrapped packets were developed to overcome the obstacles faced by using the bottled method in partnership with the industry. The purpose of the study was to evaluate nurses' perceptions of the ease-of-use and preference of delivery method of aromatherapy.

A prospective, comparative, before-and-after observational survey design was used to answer the research question.

Nurses in 2 perioperative hospital settings in the system used the bottled method for 4 months and completed a System Usability Scale (SUS) survey at the end of that period. The individually wrapped method was then used for the next 4 months, followed by another evaluation using the SUS. Participants were asked to choose which method they preferred and their perception of effectiveness of aromatherapy in the perioperative setting and its use as a good adjunct for patient experience on a 5-point Likert scale.

Twenty-one nurses participated in the bottled method group (pre) and 30 were in the single-packet group (post). An independent sample t test was used to evaluate the differences in the pre- and post-SUS scores. Mean pre scores were 62.5 (±17.8) with an SUS rating of "D" with marginal acceptance. Mean post scores were 81.8 (±12.5) with an SUS rating of "A" with excellent acceptability and were significantly different (P < .000). Nursing perceptions that aromatherapy is a good adjunct for patient experience were positive (3.97/5) and were effective in use in the perioperative setting (4.4/5). Most nurses indicated that the packet delivery method was preferred over the bottled method.

Nurses' perceptions favored the use of the single-packet delivery method of aromatherapy. A score of 81 on the SUS approximates between the 92nd and 93rd percentile of product use SUS scores. Thus, the findings indicate high ease-of-use for the single-packet version of aromatherapy. Nurse-led innovations, such as this, can impact how care is delivered in the clinical setting.