Job stress is a big health problem in modern societies and 40–50% of all job losses have been attributed to job stress1. Nurses are the largest healthcare providers that provide care to patients 24 hours a day. They are exposed to high psychological pressure at the workplace2. Job stress influences nurses’ health and can reduce the quality of patient care3. Although all healthcare professionals experience job stress, nurses experience it more than others4,5.

Stress is the psychological and physiological response to events that upset one's personal balance. It has social, environmental, physiological and cognitive sources, and can cause physical, mental and behavioral symptoms6. Occupational stress has a variety of effects on people's physical and mental conditions. Physical problems encompass fatigue, high blood pressure, sleep disturbances, and changes in appetite. Psychological symptoms are anxiety, emotional and cognitive problems, anger, and fear leading to the reduction of care quality and job satisfaction7,8.

The results of studies conducted in Iran also have shown that nurses working in hospitals experience job stress and suffer from related psychological problems9, 10, 11. Job stress damages nurses’ professional performance and personal life leading to conflicts in their work and personal life7. Job dissatisfaction can cause nurses to quit their job. Also, it discourages volunteers to enter the nursing profession. Low quality of patient care is one of the manifestations of job stress among nurses8. Therefore, nurses need support to be able to reduce their job stress and improve the quality and safety of patient care12.

Complementary medicine and alternative therapies such as acupuncture13, cold and heat therapy14, acupressure15, massage therapy16, relaxation17, meditation18, yoga19, and aromatherapy20,21 have been recommended for the reduction of job stress among nurses. Aromatherapy as one of the most common methods of alternative and complementary therapy has been shown effective in the promotion of individuals’ physical and mental health22.

Aromatherapy involves the controlled use and inhalation of pure essential oils extracted from plants and/or the application of massage along with aroma oil leading to skin absorption23. Aromatherapy is performed using lavender as an aromatic oil. It has anti-anxiety, antibacterial, antifungal, carminative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-histamine properties. Also, its effectiveness in relieving sleep disorders among middle-aged women has been shown empirically24. This plant contains compounds such as terpenes, glycosides, flavonoids, and anthocyanin that have useful effects on the human health. Also, rose scent has hypnotic, antiepileptic, and sedative effects on the central nervous system25.

Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of lavender essential oil in the reduction of job stress20,26,24. However, no study has compared the effects of lavender and rose scents on nurses’ job stress. Therefore, this study aimed to examine and compare the effects of aromatherapy using rose and lavender essential oils on nurses’ job stress. The research hypothesis was as follows: aromatherapy using lavender and rose essential oils had different effects on the reduction of nurses’ job stress at the workplace.