Abstract:

Electroconvulsive therapy is a well-known safe, fast and effective treatment method for psychiatric disorders. The knowledge and attitudes of nurses, who are in constant contact with the patient 24 hours a day, about electroconvulsive therapy are important for the effective use of this treatment. The aim of this study is to examine the knowledge and attitudes of senior nursing students about electroconvulsive therapy and to determine whether direct observation of electroconvulsive therapy by students affects knowledge and attitudes. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 203 nursing students between 1-30 June 2021. The data were collected by using the "Student Information Form" created by the researchers using the literatüre and " Electroconvulsive Therapy Knowledge and Attitude Questionnaire". Descriptive statistical methods were used in the evaluation of the data. Most of the students who participated in the study (87.7%) reported mental health diseases and nursing and media (71%) as their primary source of information. 52.2% of the students observed the electroconvulsive therapy application in the psychiatry service, 47.8% did not. The mean knowledge score of the students who observed electroconvulsive therapy application was 3.51±0.4 and the mean of attitude score was 3.19±0.71, the mean knowledge score of the students who did not observe it was 3.27±0.29 and the mean of attitude score was 2.86±0.64. and a significant difference was found between knowledge and attitude scores (p=0.00<0.05). There was a moderately significant positive correlation between the total score from the knowledge questionnaire and the total score from the attitude questionnaire (r= 0.399; p< 0.001). Given the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy, it would be beneficial for all nursing students to directly observe electroconvulsive therapy during psychiatric rotation.

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