Most nurses, as most people, often pay little or no attention to the cumulative effects that chronic daily stress has on their bodies, which materially affects their ability to care for themselves and, in turn, relate to and care for their patients, until it is too late.

Chronic daily stress also creates a significant threat to the emotional health of nursing staff, and since the degree to which a nurse is emotionally healthy affects the extent to which he or she can meet job expectations, hospital administrators, as well as the individual, must find modalities to manage these threats. Doing nothing will lead to increased insurance premiums for health insurance, workersʻ compensation insurance and general liability insurance, all of which materially affect the “bottom line” for the hospital, and greatly impact the “quality of life” of the nurse.

Hospital administrators and nurses must therefore be progressive in providing and utilizing a “passive” modality which can be utilized to minimize their stress.

The modalities utilized to prevent burnout, chronic grief, and compassion fatigue among nurses and other staff must not only be readily available, they must be inexpensive and require little or no effort to use, so that there is no additional stress caused by the utilization of time which is perceived to be non-existent.

With the mandates concerning "Patient Satisfaction" and federal funding in 2012, it is even more important for hospitals to utilize an inexpensive, evidence based modality to increase Patient Satisfaction Scores, in every department of the hospital in order to create an optimum healing environment.

For an optimum healing environment for the patients to exist, not only must the physical plant be exemplary (The Planetree concept for patients, which to a degree has an overriding effect enabling staff, or at least those entering patients’ rooms and walking through corridors through which patients and families pass to experience environmentally pleasant surroundings), there must be an “optimum healing environment for the healers” which focuses on the needs of management, staff and team members, as without them there is no optimum healing environment for the patients.

The inexpensive modality that I am most familiar with and have successfully implemented in multiple hospital departments is Clinical Aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is becoming a recognized alternative modality that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, for the purpose of improving a person’s mood, cognitive function and health. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years for their exquisite aromas and natural healing powers. The use of quality, non-commercial grade essential oils, can provide astounding results, whether they are used on a frequent and regular basis for stress control, to strengthen the immune system, or for a specific psychological or anatomical purpose. By harnessing their therapeutic properties, aromatherapy works to improve our physical, mental and emotional well-being.

In 1998, by using sophisticated diagnostic tools available to modern medicine, and testing the cortisol levels of those who participated in a study involving olfactory exposure to essential oils, conducted at the University of Miami, School of Medicine, coupled with different photographic studies of those who used our essential oils, by applying them topically, we were able to confirm that our essential oils are effective, based upon empirical evidence, and not just because of the subjective testimonials of those who used them.

Patient demand is driving more hospitals to offer alternative therapies. While the modern healthcare system is placing a premium on patient satisfaction, I am a firm believer that the “Quality of Care” standard starts with you…the nurse, and that you, either alone, or in conjunction with the hospital, must utilize a proven, inexpensive “passive modality”, such as essential oils to help combat the harmful effects of chronic cumulative daily stress.

About the Author:  Craig Galamaga is Director of Operations and Chief Marketing Officer of Miami Aromatherapy Inc., which integrates clinical aromatherapy with today's medical expertise to give staff and patients an optimal healing environment. He oversees the daily operations of Miami Aromatherapy's "Stress Management" program, which is based on the beneficial and evidence based medical effects of stress reduction as demonstrated by competent peer review studies.

Craig is dedicated to teaching the proper use of essential oils. He is a firm believer that in order to provide the proper standard of care to patients, staff must first take responsibility for their own well-being.

He holds a B.S. from Florida International University and became a certified aromatherapist in 1995.

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