Hospital staff often experience workplace fatigue and poor sleep quality, which can harm their health, reduce job performance, and increase risks to patient safety. Aromatherapy is a simple, non-invasive complementary therapy that may help reduce fatigue and improve sleep. Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) has calming and relaxing properties, but there is little clinical research on its effectiveness for hospital staff.
This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial will evaluate whether agarwood aromatherapy inhalation can improve fatigue and sleep quality among hospital employees in Taiwan. About 78 participants will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups:
1. Experimental group: Agarwood sachet containing agarwood wood chips and essential oil. 2. Control group: Placebo sachet containing almond oil.
Participants will place the sachet about 60 cm from the nose during sleep for 7 nights. Data will be collected using questionnaires on workplace fatigue and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI). The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does agarwood aromatherapy reduce workplace fatigue in hospital staff? 2. Does agarwood aromatherapy improve sleep quality compared with placebo?
Findings are expected to provide scientific evidence for using agarwood inhalation as a safe and convenient strategy to improve staff well-being and support a healthier hospital environment.
≥20 years old, hospital employee working ≥30 hrs/week, employed ≥3 months
Not using sedatives/hypnotics
Normal olfactory function (verified with coffee/vinegar smell test)
Clear consciousness, can read and understand Chinese, no major communication barriers
Major psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depression, schizophrenia)
Malignancy under active radio/chemotherapy
CNS diseases (e.g., brain tumor)
History of asthma, fragrance allergy, pregnancy
Parallel
Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation
Other interventionThe experimental group will receive agarwood essential oil sachets as the aromatherapy intervention, and participants will place the sachet 60 cm from the nose during sleep for one week.
Workplace Fatigue
Change in fatigue levels measured by the Chinese version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (21 items across four domains: personal, work-related, client-related, and overcommitment). Higher scores indicate greater fatigue.
Sleep Quality
Change in sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI, 19 items, 7 domains). Total scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.
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