Imagine arriving at a behavioral health unit to begin treatment for alcohol or substance use disorder. You're in an unfamiliar environment, emotions are running high, and the uncertainty of what comes next can feel overwhelming. For many patients, anxiousness is a natural part of those first days. Medications may be prescribed, and a care plan may already be in place, but patients can still feel restless, uneasy, or struggle to relax.
Those moments can be challenging for nurses. They want to help patients feel more comfortable, but sometimes another non-pharmacological option is needed alongside the care they're already providing.
That's exactly the situation the nursing team at Silver Hill Hospital faced. Early in a patient's stay in the behavioral health unit, many individuals were experiencing high levels of anxiousness. Some had already received their prescribed medications, while others simply needed additional support. The team wasn't trying to replace medication. They were looking for another non-pharmacological tool they could offer alongside the care they were already providing.
Looking for Another Tool
After learning about Elequil Aromatabs® aromatherapy, the nursing team launched a pilot study
as part of a larger quality improvement project.
Their question was simple: Could aromatherapy provide another way to help comfort patients experiencing anxiousness while fitting naturally into the care they were already delivering?
For patients beginning treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders, even a small intervention that helps promote comfort can support a more positive care experience.
Elequil Aromatabs® made sense for several reasons. The hands-free tabs adhere directly to a patient's gown or clothing, use 100% pure essential oils, and provide a controlled personal aroma experience. They were easy to incorporate into existing workflows, giving nurses another non-pharmacological option without creating additional complexity.
What They Found Was Encouraging
70% of participants reported an improvement in their level of anxiousness after using Elequil Aromatabs®, and one-third requested another Aromatabs after the study period had ended. Those numbers tell part of the story, but what stood out just as much were the experiences shared by the nursing staff.
More Than Patient Outcomes
Behavioral health nursing is about more than managing symptoms. It's also about building trust with patients who may be feeling vulnerable, uncertain, or overwhelmed as they begin treatment.
Throughout the project, nurses described how offering aromatherapy became more than simply introducing another comfort measure. It gave them another way to connect with patients.
Another nurse observed that Aromatabs gave patients "relief and a strategy that did not involve PRN medication" while helping them feel more empowered in their own well-being.
For many nurses, that's an important benefit. Sometimes simply having another practical option to offer can make a meaningful difference for both the patient and the caregiver.
A Simple Addition to Nursing Care
Every patient is different, and aromatherapy isn't intended to replace medications or established treatment plans.
But the Silver Hill Hospital quality improvement project showed how one simple, non-pharmacological intervention could complement the care nurses were already providing. It offered another way to comfort patients experiencing anxiousness during treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders while fitting naturally into existing workflows and helping nurses build meaningful connections along the way.
Interested in learning more about the Silver Hill Hospital quality improvement project?
Download our complimentary white paper, The Power of Lavender: Clinical Aromatherapy Reduces Anxiousness in a Behavioral Health Unit, to explore the study, its findings, and what the nursing team learned from incorporating Elequil Aromatabs® into patient care.
