Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06053450

The Effect of Essential Oil Inhalation Patches on Perceived Burn-out & Stress on an Inpatient Medical-surgery Unit.

The purpose of this clinical study is to compare the use of an essential oil inhalation patch in medical surgical nurses on perceived burn-out and stress.

The main question is can essential oil inhalation patches decrease perceived burn-out and stress.

Participants will

* Take part in the study over 30 days, alternating weeks, resulting in each participant using six patches over six shifts. * Complete anonymous Perceived Stress Survey (PSS) before the study begins and at the conclusion of the study. * Participants will also complete a (different) survey after two weeks.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Nursing Personnel

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, United States

About this study

Essential Oil inhalation patches are a nonpharmacological option that is worn by the nursing staff on an inpatient medical-surgical unit to determine the efficacy of patch on staff perceived stress & burn-out levels. Each participant will wear a new patch during six work shifts. Location is on chest or the ID badge area where it can be easily accessed to. The patch provides up to 8 hours of aromatic support. The patches use a unique patented technology that slows the release of the aromatic molecules while maintaining the purity and vitality of the essential oil. The FDA approved medical adhesive patches are roughly 1x1" in size, and are inhalation only- no contact of essential oils on skin. The patch is portable and discreet. No overwhelming aroma for others. The patch has directions for use on package with an expiration date. Used for a non-specific purpose for stress reduction environment for this study.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Full time employee (Nurse, LPN, or LNA) working on L3WD and L4WC
  • At least 18 years of age

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnant/breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant

Treatment and study plan

Oil Inhalation Patch

Other

Each participant will wear a patch for a work week (3 worked shifts) and then no patch is worn for a week. This alternates for a total of a month.

Other names: Quella; Elequil

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in baseline perceived stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Scores are measured on 0-4 scale with 0 indicating never and higher scores are more frequent.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Sep 25, 2023
Registry last updated
Dec 18, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.