Effects of blended aromatherapy using lavender and damask rose oils on the test anxiety of nursing students

BACKGROUND: People experience extreme anxiety in testing situations, so it considers as a psychological condition and can actually impair learning and hurt test performance. People experience some degree of stress and anxiety before and during examinations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of blended aromatherapy using lavender and damask rose oils on the test anxiety of nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a single-blinded clinical trial study. Seventy nursing students were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental and sham groups. For the experimental group, seven droplets of lavender, 10%, and three droplets of damask rose oil, 10%, and for the sham group, ten droplets of sesame oil were poured on a nonabsorbent pad which was placed within a 20-cm distance from the students' noses on their chairs' handles. The data were collected by using a two-part questionnaire including demographic information and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 1, before, 15 min after the intervention, and immediately at the end of the test. Data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential (independent t-test, ANOVA with repeated measure, Fisher's exact test, and least significant difference post hoc test) statistics. RESULTS: It was found that no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, the number of credits, Semester Grade Point Average and, gender, place of residence and marital status and the two groups were almost identical in regard of the above variables (P > 0.05). State anxiety mean scores of the experimental group were lower than the mean scores of the sham group, 15 min after the intervention and at the end of the test, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Blended aromatherapy is effective in improving the test anxiety of nursing students. Therefore, it can be used as a therapeutic approach to reduce test anxiety.