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Psychiatric Aides
Also called : Mental Health Aide (MHA), Mental Health Worker (MHW), Psychiatric Aide, Psychiatric Nursing Aide, Psychiatric Nursing Assistant, Resident Care Technician, Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW)
What they do
Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.
On the job, one would
- Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
- Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
- Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
- Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
- Serve meals or feed patients needing assistance or persuasion.
KNOWLEDGE
- Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
SKILLS
- Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- 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.
ABILITIES
- Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
PERSONALITY
People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;
- Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
- Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Social Orientation
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
- Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
TECHNOLOGY
- Electronic mail software
- Operating system software
- Spreadsheet software
- Word processing software
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- Preparation
Some Preparation Needed
- Education
High school diploma.
- Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed.
- Jobtraining
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.