Aromatherapy in Nursing and Midwifery Practice: A Scoping Review of Published Studies Since 2005.

This article presents a scoping review examining the benefits of incorporating aromatherapy into holistic nursing and midwifery practice, based on 124 experimental studies involving 19,188 patients from 2005 to 2021. The review categorizes findings into seven clinical areas—maternal and women's health, mental health and wellbeing, perioperative care, pain management, oncology, child health, and elder health—highlighting that inhalation of essential oils, particularly lavender, is the most common intervention. Evidence supports aromatherapy's effectiveness in reducing anxiety, pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and improving sleep and fatigue, with minimal reported side effects, suggesting it is a safe adjunct to holistic care. The review emphasizes the importance of integrating aromatherapy within clinical guidelines and trained nursing or midwifery practice while acknowledging limitations such as variability in study quality and the need for more mixed-method research to capture holistic patient experiences.