Question

A client with depression doesn't respond to drug therapy. At a team conference, staff members recommend electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The nurse knows that most people respond emotionally to the thought of an electric current passing through the brain. Therefore, when discussing ECT with the client, the nurse should:

1. use the term shock in a neutral, calm manner.
2. refer to the procedure as a treatment instead of shock therapy.
3. refer to the procedure as ECT.
4. explain how the convulsions are artificially induced.

Answer 1

In discussing ECT with a client, the nurse should refer to it as 'ECT' and explain that the convulsions are artificially induced, as it is a professional term and helps to reduce any negative emotional response.

Step-by-step explanation:

When discussing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with a client who has not responded to drug therapy for depression, it is important to be sensitive to the emotional reaction that the idea of an electrical current passing through the brain may provoke. As a nurse, referring to the procedure as ECT is the best approach. It is a professional term that avoids the emotionally charged connotations of "shock therapy." Additionally, explaining that the convulsions are artificially induced as part of a well-studied and effective medical treatment can help demystify the process and reduce fear or stigma associated with ECT.

ECT is one among several treatments for depression, and psychotherapy, deep-brain stimulation, taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and/or taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are also commonly prescribed options. Treatments are personalized, and ECT is recommended when other methods are found to be ineffective.