title: Using Essential Oils to Enhance Nursing Practice and for Self-Care.
abstract: With the growing popularity of integrative medicine, essential oils have found their way back into health care. Essential oils provide a simple way to alleviate certain physical symptoms, promote emotional well-being, and provide comfort. This article, the last in a five-part series on holistic nursing, discusses the administration and common uses of essential oils; their reported benefits, potential risks, and contraindications; and the current state of associated research. The authors focus specifically on the inhalation, both direct and by diffusion, as well as the topical application of essential oils, providing guidance for their use in acute care, self-care, community nursing, and long-term care that will enable readers to incorporate this modality into nursing practice.
authors.affiliation: Melissa E. Allard is the assistant nurse manager for the Home-Based Primary Care Program in Home and Community Care, and Julie Katseres is an NP in the Hospice and Palliative Care Department, both at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Contact author: Melissa E. Allard, melissa.allard@va.gov. The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Melissa E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Katseres
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009736:Nursing Process; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012648:Self Care
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile