Aromatherapy Effects on Postoperative Pain Management
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Authors
Mork, Hannah
Anderson, Echo
Hill, Elias
Date of Issue
2023-04-28
Type
Presentation
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Abstract
A large part of postoperative care revolves around pain management for the patient. Pain is a subjective experience, meaning it varies greatly from patient to patient. This requires nurses to have various methods of pain control available to meet the diverse needs of patients. Inadequate pain management in the postoperative phase of care can lead to slower recovery, adverse physiologic and psychologic effects, trauma for the patient, and can lead to worse patient outcomes overall (Horn & Kramer, 2022). Whether it is through pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic methods, all patients have a right to adequate pain management. Complementary therapies are a way for patients to ease their pain. The purpose of this evidence-based practice review is to examine how the use of aromatherapy as an adjunct to pharmacological pain management will affect pain control in postoperative patients. For the purpose of this research, aromatherapy is defined as the therapeutic use of essential oils distilled from plants (Venes, 2021). The outcome of this review will provide healthcare providers with information regarding the efficacy of alternative pain management in order to explore methods to provide patients with better pain control. In turn, this will allow nurses and other healthcare providers to better facilitate recovery for patients in the postoperative period and improve their postoperative outcomes.