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Career Details : Psychiatric Technicians

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Description

Care for mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed individuals, following physician instructions and hospital procedures. 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 medications and hypodermic injections.

Experience

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.

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Tasks

  • Helps patients with their personal hygiene, such as bathing and keeping beds, clothing, and living areas clean.
  • Intervenes to restrain violent or potentially violent or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
  • Leads prescribed individual or group-therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
  • Completes initial admittance forms for new patients.
  • Contacts patient's relatives by telephone to arrange family conferences.
  • Administers oral medications and hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures.
  • Takes and records measures of patient's general physical condition, such as pulse, temperature, and respiration, to provide daily information.
  • Observes patients to detect behavior patterns and reports observations to medical staff.
  • Issues medications from dispensary and maintains records in accordance with specified procedures.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Consequence of Error
    • Responsible for Others' Health & Safety
    • Indoors
    • Provide a Service to Others

    Related Majors

    Major Add to MyFSA
    Mental Healthadd Mental Health to MyFSA
    Psychological Service Technicianadd Psychological Service Technician to MyFSA
    Psychological Servicesadd Psychological Services to MyFSA
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