N NualsuthB PetcharatW Sutharangsi2011-02-222011-02-222009-12-222009-12-22Songklanagarind Medical Journal; Vol. 27 No. 2 Mar-Apr 2009; 167-178http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/132036This descriptive, comparative research aimed to compare nursing practices between professional nurses with 5 years of experience or less (Group I) to those with more than 5 years of experience in caring for psychiatric patients (Group II) undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The subjects, chosen by simple random sampling, included 2 groups of 63 (total =126 professional nurses) from Suansaranrom Hospital, Suratthani province. The research instrument was a questionnaire. The instrument’s reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient, yielding a value of 0.97. Data were analyzed using the Independent t-test, frequency, percentage, mean and Standard Deviation.The results showed that:1. The practices, both overall and each stage of nursing process, for anxiety reduction in psychiatric patients undergoing ECT was at high level.2. Comparing the mean scores of nursing practices for anxiety reduction in psychiatric patients undergoing ECT between the two groups of professional nurses, we found that Group II performed nursing practices more than that Group I, having a statistical significance of (p \< 0.05). It was also found that this group performed more nursing practices in almost all the stages except the Planning Stage.The results of this study can be used for improving nursing practices for anxiety reduction in psychiatric patients undergoing ECT. Emphasizing every stage of nursing process for anxiety reduction is recommended. en-USFaculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, ThailandOriginal Article