StressNCT07732179
Aromatherapy and Music Impact on Nurses' Stress at Work
A study testing lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and music in people with Stress, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice research project is to determine if nurses who receive chamomile-lavender aromatherapy and listen to music during a 20-minute break once per shift for 8 weeks, will experience report decreased work stress (measured by self-reported symptoms of anxiety) compared to before… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress
- What is being tested?
- lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and music
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 41 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2026to 21 Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- -CCU nurses at NM AMC providing direct patient care.
Who cannot join
- currently pregnant
- allergic to essential oils
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Northwestern Medicine Academic Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
About this study
The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice research project is to determine if nurses who receive chamomile-lavender aromatherapy and listen to music during a 20-minute break once per shift for 8 weeks, will experience report decreased work stress (measured by self-reported symptoms of anxiety) compared to before the aromatherapy and music intervention during breaks.
The investigators know nurses are at high risk for stress and anxiety. Despite the current processes and policies in place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital that support nurses to take breaks during their shifts, nurses continue to share feeling stressed and anxious. Included in this Doctor of Nursing Practice research project is an evidence synthesis of fourteen studies supporting the idea that combining aromatherapy and music can reduce anxiety in both adults and children.
The evidence-based intervention being studied is administering lavender-chamomile essential oil aromatherapy and listening to music during 20-minute non-meal breaks once a shift for 8 weeks. Participants will go to a quiet breakroom, pour 3 drops of lavender-chamomile essential oil onto a non-adhesive 2X2 gauze pad, and place the pad about 20 centimeters from their noses while also listening to their preferred calming music through their personal phones and wireless earbuds or headphones for twenty minutes.
- Conditions
- Stress
- Being tested
- lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and music
- Keywords
- nurse, aromatherapy, music
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and musicOther
There is only one experimental arm in this study. All participants will self-administer aromatherapy oil while listening to music during their scheduled 20-minute rest break during work hours.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Aromatherapy and music | Experimental | Nurses employed on a critical care unit at an academic medical center will self-administer lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and listen to music of choice on earphones during their scheduled 20-minute rest break during work hours. Receives: Other: lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and music |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Measure of workplace stress
The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be used to measure workplace stress. Scores on this tool range from a total of 0 to 63. There are 21 items and each item can receive a score of 0 to 3. Higher scores are associated with higher stress/anxiety.
Measured: The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be given before the intervention begins. At week 10, after the 8-week intervention period, the participants will be asked to complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory again as a post-intervention measure.
stress
The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be used to assess levels of workplace stress before and after this intervention.
Measured: The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be given before the intervention begins. At week 10, after the 8-week intervention period, the participants will be asked to complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory again as a post-intervention measure.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Jul 2026
- Primary completion21 Sep 2026
- Study completion21 Sep 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Northwestern Medicine
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Angela Maeder, Northwestern University
- Investigators
- Angela Maeder, PhD, RNC-OB, Principal investigator, Northwestern Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07732179
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STU00226401
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 1 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Aromatherapy and Music Impact on Nurses' Stress at Work
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07732179
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STU00226401
- Conditions
- Stress
- Keywords
- nurse, aromatherapy, music
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Northwestern Medicine
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 21 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 21 Sep 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 28 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice research project is to determine if nurses who receive chamomile-lavender aromatherapy and listen to music during a 20-minute break once per shift for 8 weeks, will experience report decreased work stress (measured by self-reported symptoms of anxiety) compared to before the aromatherapy and music intervention during breaks.
The investigators know nurses are at high risk for stress and anxiety. Despite the current processes and policies in place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital that support nurses to take breaks during their shifts, nurses continue to share feeling stressed and anxious. Included in this Doctor of Nursing Practice research project is an evidence synthesis of fourteen studies supporting the idea that combining aromatherapy and music can reduce anxiety in both adults and children.
The evidence-based intervention being studied is administering lavender-chamomile essential oil aromatherapy and listening to music during 20-minute non-meal breaks once a shift for 8 weeks. Participants will go to a quiet breakroom, pour 3 drops of lavender-chamomile essential oil onto a non-adhesive 2X2 gauze pad, and place the pad about 20 centimeters from their noses while also listening to their preferred calming music through their personal phones and wireless earbuds or headphones for twenty minutes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Aromatherapy and music | Experimental | Other: lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and musicNurses employed on a critical care unit at an academic medical center will self-administer lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and listen to music of choice on earphones during their scheduled 20-minute rest break during work hours. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- -CCU nurses at NM AMC providing direct patient care.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- currently pregnant
- allergic to essential oils
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and musicThere is only one experimental arm in this study. All participants will self-administer aromatherapy oil while listening to music during their scheduled 20-minute rest break during work hours. | Other | Aromatherapy and music |
Primary outcome
Measure of workplace stress
Time frame: The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be given before the intervention begins. At week 10, after the 8-week intervention period, the participants will be asked to complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory again as a post-intervention measure.
The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be used to measure workplace stress. Scores on this tool range from a total of 0 to 63. There are 21 items and each item can receive a score of 0 to 3. Higher scores are associated with higher stress/anxiety.
stress
Time frame: The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be given before the intervention begins. At week 10, after the 8-week intervention period, the participants will be asked to complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory again as a post-intervention measure.
The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be used to assess levels of workplace stress before and after this intervention.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Stress
Not yet recruiting
Effect of Stress Ball Use During Femoral Arterial Sheath Removal After Coronary Angiography
Femoral Arterial Sheath Removal, Stress Ball
Recruiting
Effect of a Brief Daily Digital Meditation on Well-Being in US Young Adults (BEGIN II)
Mental Health and General Well-being
Not yet recruitingObservational study
Periodontal Status and Biomarkers in MASLD
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)
Recruiting
NightWare and Cardiovascular Health in Women With PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Cardiovascular Diseases
Active, not recruiting
Intervention to Address Disparate Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic on Latinx and African Newcomers
Mental Health Issue, Mental Health Disorder
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Angela Maeder, PhD, RNC-OB principal investigator
Northwestern Medicine
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing lavender-chamomile aromatherapy oil and music in people with Stress, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Measure of workplace stress (time frame: The Beck Anxiety Inventory will be given before the intervention begins. At week 10, after the 8-week intervention period, the participants will be asked to complete the Beck Anxiety Inventory again as a post-intervention measure.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Oct 2026.