Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in Reducing Clinical Examination Anxiety among Nursing Students in Selected Nursing College, Bengaluru
Abstract
Background: Anxiety is a natural reaction of the body toward stress. College students frequently experience anxiety, particularly first-year nursing students who are exposed to a wide range of health care subjects and clinical postings. Preventive measures can help reduce anxiety levels among nursing students and improve their exam results. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing clinical examination anxiety among nursing students. Method: A true experimental two-group pre-test and post-test design with an experimental and a placebo group was adopted. Ninety-four nursing students were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to either group. Baseline characteristics, pre-test anxiety levels, and biophysiological measures were collected. Aromatherapy was given to the experimental group after the pre-test. A post-test with the same tools was taken 15 minutes after the intervention. The same process was followed for the placebo group; however, instead of aromatherapy with essential oil, they were provided with three drops of normal water on a non-absorbent cloth for 15 minutes. Findings: The mean anxiety scores in the pre-test phase were 47.47 ± 4.02 (experimental group) and 45.43 ± 3.66 (placebo group) (t = 2.574, p = 0.012), indicating a statistically significant baseline difference. In the post-test phase, the mean anxiety score was 42.38 ± 3.55 (experimental group) and 48.13 ± 4.76 (placebo group) (t = –6.632, p ≤ 0.001), indicating a significant difference after the intervention and revealing that aromatherapy had a calming effect before the examination. Novelty: The article presents a placebo-controlled research evidence to support the use of lemon essential oil aromatherapy as an intervention because of its low costs and effectiveness in decreasing the number of psychological and physiological signs of feelings of anxiety during clinical examination in nursing students. Keywords: Clinical examination anxiety, Nursing Students, Aromatherapy, Lemon oil, Objective structured clinical examination