Electroshock: A Discerning Review of the Nursing Literature

Abstract

Electroshock, better known as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) has sporadically received generous attention in North American Literature. An examination of the nursing literature regarding ECT reveals an expectation for nursing to play an important role in patient education and compliance. Further, while the literature remains somewhat divided on the efficacy of electroshock, there appears to be a pro-ECT bias and an absence of first-person accounts: two areas of importance for nurse researchers and scholars to address.

Effect of an Interactive Education on Electroconvulsive Therapy Perception in Nursing Students

“…5 Many clinicians believe a positive attitude by the patient before receiving ECT can increase the effectiveness of therapy. 1 The results would indicate the justification for improved ECT education for nurses and other mental health providers. The focus of this paper was on nursing students preparing for a bachelor's degree in Nursing Science.…”

“…The majority of research indicates ECT to be highly effective for the treatment of depressive disorders, catatonia, and psychosis . 1 ECT has presented a remission rate of approximately 90% for depressed patients compared to an approximate remission rate of 67% for antidepressant medication. 2 Furthermore, there was also a reported estimate mortality rate of 2.1 per 100,000 cases.…”

“…Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective and commonly utilized procedure for the treatment of depression and other psychotic illnesses that has been in use for more than 80 years. 1 Popular media have portrayed ECT as barbaric and incapacitating; this portrayal has created a negative public perception of the treatment. 1 However, further studies conducted on the safety and effectiveness of ECT treatment show that several of these perceptions are misleading.…”

“…1 Popular media have portrayed ECT as barbaric and incapacitating; this portrayal has created a negative public perception of the treatment. 1 However, further studies conducted on the safety and effectiveness of ECT treatment show that several of these perceptions are misleading.…”

A nurse's guide to electroconvulsive therapy

“…Both a medical procedure and a psychiatric treatment, ECT can be defined as the induction of seizures through the application of an electrical current to the brain of an anesthetized patient for therapeutic purposes. 3 As with many other medical and psychiatric treatments, abuses have occurred and these contribute to the fears about ECT and the sociocultural stigma it bears. 1 The risks of undergoing anesthesia and the procedure must be weighed against the anticipated benefits for the individual patient.…”