Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Teresa J. Kelechi

Second Advisor

Martina Mueller

Third Advisor

Mathew Gregoski

Fourth Advisor

Amanda Faircloth

Abstract

Purpose: This dissertation addresses the use of complementary therapies in the perioperative period for acute situational anxiety. The aim of this dissertation was to explore the concept of relief from anxiety, to describe instruments used to measure preoperative anxiety, and to evaluate the feasibility of using aromatherapy patch for preoperative anxiety among female breast surgery patients. Design: This dissertation includes a principle-based concept analysis on relief from anxiety using complementary therapies in the perioperative period, an integrative review on instruments used to measure preoperative acute situational anxiety, and a feasibility study using the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the feasibility of providing lavender aromatherapy through a sustained-release patch and the use of a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to measure anxiety levels during the preoperative period for female breast surgery patients. Conclusions: This dissertation provides a greater understanding of relief from anxiety using complementary therapies. This knowledge will allow perioperative providers to modify and specify the incorporation of complementary therapies to the plan of care for surgical patients experiencing acute situational anxiety. However, if providers wish to implement a plan of care for preoperative acute situational anxiety, a reliable and valid instrument should be used for measurement. A feasible and convenient option for measuring and treating preoperative anxiety are a VAS and a sustained-release lavender aromatherapy patch. Clinical Relevance: The ideas for this dissertation arose directly from my clinical practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and my personal appreciation for the use of complementary therapies to relieve or reduce anxiety or stress. Numerous deleterious effects can occur from untreated anxiety in the perioperative period. Therefore, this dissertation explores options, beyond the traditional anxiety treatment, for patients and providers to use for perioperative anxiety. Aromatherapy was shown to be a feasible and potentially efficacious intervention to reduce preoperative anxiety. The next step is to conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine whether the aromatherapy patch demonstrates efficacy compared to a placebo patch on perceived reductions and biobehavioral decreases in anxiety (i.e., anxiety scales, heart rate variability, skin conductance, physiological biomarkers of stress) among patients in the preoperative period.

Rights

All rights reserved. Copyright is held by the author.

Download

Share

COinS