背景：頭痛是急重症單位護理人員常見困擾，文獻顯示精油具有止痛的療效，但實證文獻較少探討精油於頭痛的成效，若精油有緩解頭痛的效果，亦可能改善生活品質與照護品質。

目的：本研究目的為檢驗精油吸嗅改善具頭痛之急重症護理人員(1)頭痛相關失能、(2)頭痛相關生活品質與(3)自覺照護品質之效果。

方法：採群集隨機分派臨床試驗與交叉實驗設計，以北部某醫學中心急重症單位患有頭痛的49位護理人員為對象，分成A、B兩組，A組佩戴精油項鍊28天後（100% Lavandula angustifolia 0.1 ml + 100% citrus bergamia 0.1 ml），經7天洗滌期，則不佩戴項鍊28天， B組與A組時序相反。在第0、28、63 天以問卷收集資料，研究工具包含：人口學與頭痛相關資料、頭痛日誌、頭痛失能指標、偏頭痛特定族群生活品質量表、照護品質量表、憂鬱、焦慮與壓力量表、哥本哈根疲勞量表。以重複測量變異數分析與廣義估計模式進行分析。

結果：兩組於生活品質角色功能受限（β = 9.77, p = .008）及角色功能妨礙（β = 10.03, p = .018）改變幅度達顯著差異。頭痛相關失能及照護品質則無顯著差異（p > .05），顯示精油嗅吸能改善生活品質分數。

結論：佩戴薰衣草與佛手柑等精油項鍊28天後可改善急重症單位頭痛護理人員角色功能方面之生活品質， 建議日後能發展更多實證研究，推廣精油止痛的效益。

Background: Headache attacks are prevalent symptoms in emergency and critical care nurses. Prior evidence supports the analgesic effects of essential oils on headache symptoms. However, few empirical studies have examined how essential oil may further improve the relief of related symptoms. If essential oils are effective in headache relief, nurses’ quality of life and care quality may also be improved.

Purpose: This study was designed to examine the effects of inhaling essential oil on (1) headache-related disability, (2) headache-related quality of life, and (3) perceived care quality in emergency and critical care nurses.

Methods: A cluster randomized control trial and crossover experimental design were adopted. The participants, all nurses with headaches working in emergency and critical care units (N = 49) in a medical center in northern Taiwan, were cluster randomized to Group A and B. Group A wore a necklace with essential oil (100% Lavandula angustifolia 0.1 ml + 100% citrus bergamia 0.1 ml) for 28 days (intervention period), stopped wearing the necklace for 7 days (wash-out), and then wore the necklace without essential oil for 28 days (control period). Group B underwent the control period (28 days) first, followed by the wash-out (7 days) and then the intervention period (28 days). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaires that was administered three times (at day 0, day 28, day 63). The questionnaire included a demographic and headache-related datasheet, headache diary, Headache Disability Index, Migraine-Specific Questionnaire version 2.1 (role restrictive, role preventive, and emotion function), SERVQUAL (Service Quality), DASS-21, and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Repeated measures ANOVA (RM-ANOVA) and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze data.

Results: Headache-related quality of life showed significant improvement in the role restrictive (β = 9.77, p = .008) and role preventive (β = 10.03, p = .018) domains. However, headache-related disability and care quality showed no significant differences (p > .05), indicating that inhaling essential oil had a positive effect on quality of life.

Conclusion: The findings of this study support that using a necklace with essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia and citrus bergamia 1:1) for 28 days effectively improves quality of life, especially in the domain of role function, in nurses working in emergency and critical care units. Additional empirical studies may be developed in the future to promote the benefits of using essential oils to ease pain.