Comparing the Effects of Lecture and Electronic Educational Methods on Nursing Student's Knowledge and Attitude towards Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy is one of the treatment methods، and knowledge and attitude toward it، despite of its useful effects on treatment of mental disorders، is flawed even among medicine and nursing staffs. Since the main aim of each teaching approach is to increase the level of learner''s knowledge and attitude، and a well as traditional teaching methods like giving lecture those are common nowadays، can''t alone fulfill student’s need، hence this study aimed to compare the effect of electroconvulsive therapy education through lecture and electronic methods on nursing students’ knowledge and attitude. This quasi-experimental study was conducted among 40 nursing students at Busheher University of Medical Sciences in 2013. In addition، students were selected with census method and randomly divided into control and intervention groups. Control group was trained by lecture method while intervention group was taught by electronic method with compact disk (CD). Before and 2 weeks after the intervention، related information was collected by researcher-made questionnaire، and then data was analyzed by SPSS19 software through calculation of frequency، mean، standard deviation، t-test، and X2 tests. According to the results، knowledge and attitude were promoted significantly in both groups (P<0. 05). In the experimental group، the mean score for knowledge increasing was 10. 55±3. 97، and it was 7. 55±4. 40 in the lecture group; that showed a significant difference (P=0. 03). Moreover، the mean score for attitude increasing was 2. 05±4. 96 and 1. 95±5. 82 in both control and experimental groups، respectively;، that showed no significant difference. Based on research results، electronic education seems more effective than lecture on students’ knowledge، therefore، according to the benefits of electronic education، using and planning of this method should be recommended.