STATE-OF-THE-ART - NURSING KNOWLEDGE AND ELECTROCONVULSIVE-THERAPY

Nursing services attempting to develop standards for their own facilit ies will find limited literature specific to nursing and electroconvul sive therapy (ECT) in American publications. From 1966 to December 199 4, there were only 19 publications in American nursing journals that p rovide a specific focus on nursing and ECT. Only one of these articles reported research findings. Twenty-seven citations in Convulsive Ther apy included nurse contributors. While the APA Task Force on the Pract ice of ECT has addressed educational needs of nursing and technical el ements of the procedure, there do not currently exist specific standar ds for nursing practice in ECT. Concerns salient to nursing that have generated articles by nurses include instruction of patients, support to patients and families, safety of patients, assessment of clinical s tatus, informed consent, and nurses' and patients' attitudes about ECT . Nurses are encouraged to join their physician-colleagues in developi ng and disseminating the information needed for the field of nursing t o contribute its own expertise to the care of patients receiving ECT.