Background: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) remains an important treatment in
contemporary psychiatric medicine for many patients with severe mood and psychotic disorders.
Despite the development of newer brain stimulation techniques and novel pharmacological agents,
no treatment has approached the efficacy of ECT in these patients population. Aim : This study
aimed to assess nurses` performance regarding care of patients undergoing electroconvulsive
therapy. Design: A descriptive study design. Setting: The study was carried out in the ECT room at
El -Khanka Psychiatric Hospital, affiliated to the General Secretariat of Mental Health. Sample: A
convenient sample of all available nurses at the ECT room who are working with patients
undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. They were 40 nurse (22 males and 18 females). Tools:
I.Nurses self- administered questionnaire, include: Part 1: Nurses-demographic characteristics; Part
2: Nurses` knowledge regarding care of patients undergoing ECT. II. Nurses' observational
checklist. Results: Knowledge about electroconvulsive therapy. more than one- third (40.0%) of the
studied nurses had good total knowledge, Nearly three-quarter (72.0%) of studied nurses did the
total nursing performance before, during and in the recovery room after Electroconvulsive therapy
sessions. Majority (80.0%) of studied nurses have total training Conclusion: There was highly
statistically significant relationship between the total knowledge scores with the levels of
performance score and the total performance score, there was statistically significant relationship
between nurses` knowledge level about electroconvulsive therapy and their age.
Recommendations: It is important t6o conduct education program about ECT to psychiatric-mental
health nurses, providing psychiatric-mental health nurses with many courses such as
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the nurses should conduct further researches about
electroconvulsive therapy