Psychiatric Technicians
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Much faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Medium Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners. Monitor patients’ physical and emotional well-being and report to medical staff. May participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs, help with personal hygiene, and administer oral or injectable medications.
Common job titles of Psychiatric Technicians include:
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Experience and Education
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
47.18% said they needed a High School Diploma.
38.38% said they needed a Master's Degree.
Tasks
Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
Interview new patients to complete admission forms, to assess their mental health status, or to obtain their mental health and treatment history.
Escort patients to medical appointments.
Issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures.
Administer oral medications or hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures.
Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.
Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or developmentally disabled patients to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community.
Develop or teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence.
Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients.
Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.
Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.
Lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
Train or instruct new employees on procedures to follow with psychiatric patients.
Contact patients' relatives to arrange family conferences.
Tools
Wheelchairs
Urinary catheters
Tuberculin TB skin test equipment
Traction equipment
Tablet computers
Surgical masks
Suction machines
All ToolsSafety gloves
Personal computers
Patient restraints
Oxygen carts
Oxygen administration equipment
Oximeters
Notebook computers
Nebulizers
Nasogastric tubes
Mechanical stethoscopes
Lancets
Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB devices
Hypodermic syringes
Hospital beds
Heat therapy equipment
Hazardous material spill kits
Gurneys
Glucometers
Evacuated blood collection tubes
Enema equipment
Emergency carts
Electronic patient thermometers
Desktop computers
Crutches
Cold therapy equipment
Blood pressure cuffs
Blood drawing syringes
Bag valve mask BVM resuscitators
Technologies
ADL Data Systems OptimumClinicals Electronic Health Record
Allscripts Sunrise Clinical Manager
Cerner ProFile
Epic EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
ICANotes
InfoLogix HealthTrax Engine
All TechnologiesMEDITECH Behavioral Health Clinicals
Netsmart Technologies Avatar Clinical Workstation CWS
Skills
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning