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Psychiatric Technicians Occupation Detailed Description

Psychiatric Technicians career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Psychiatric Technicians

The main tasks and work activities of Psychiatric Technicians are to inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care, care for patients with mental illnesses, treat patients using psychological therapies, interact with patients to build rapport or provide emotional support. In general, for the Psychiatric Technicians, social Perceptiveness, speaking, monitoring, active Listening and other 16 skills are required.
Psychiatric Technicians Job Description
EducationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related ExperiencePrevious 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.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Psychiatric Technicians jobs. 47.18% of Psychiatric Technicians have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 51.53% of Psychiatric Technicians have Bachelor's Degree and Above.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
47.18%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
1.29%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
51.53%

Tasks and Work Activities of Psychiatric Technicians

  • Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
  • Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients.
  • Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
  • Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.
  • Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.
  • 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.
  • Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
  • Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.
  • Administer oral medications or hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures.
  • Issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures.
  • Interview new patients to complete admission forms, to assess their mental health status, or to obtain their mental health and treatment history.
  • Lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
  • Contact patients' relatives to arrange family conferences.
  • Train or instruct new employees on procedures to follow with psychiatric patients.
  • Escort patients to medical appointments.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Developing and Building TeamsEncouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Training and Teaching OthersIdentifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
  • Care for patients with mental illnesses.
  • Treat patients using psychological therapies.
  • Interact with patients to build rapport or provide emotional support.
  • Record patient medical histories.
  • Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
  • Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
  • Encourage patients or clients to develop life skills.
  • Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
  • Teach health management classes.
  • Position patients for treatment or examination.
  • Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
  • Administer intravenous medications.
  • Administer non-intravenous medications.
  • Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
  • Maintain medical facility records.
  • Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
  • Perform clerical work in medical settings.
  • Train medical providers.

Skills and Abilities for Psychiatric Technicians

  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Active ListeningGiving 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.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Resuscitation masks or accessoriese.g. Bag valve mask BVM resuscitators
  • Blood collection syringese.g. Blood drawing syringes
  • Blood pressure cuff kitse.g. Blood pressure cuffs
  • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packse.g. Cold therapy equipment
  • Crutches or crutch accessoriese.g. Crutches
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Electronic medical thermometerse.g. Electronic patient thermometers
  • Emergency or resuscitation cartse.g. Emergency carts
  • Enema kits or accessoriese.g. Enema equipment
  • Vacuum blood collection tubes or containerse.g. Evacuated blood collection tubes
  • Glucose monitors or meterse.g. Glucometers
  • Gurneys or scissor liftse.g. Gurneys
  • Spill kitse.g. Hazardous material spill kits
  • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packse.g. Heat therapy equipment
  • Patient care beds or accessories for general usee.g. Hospital beds
  • Medical syringe with needlee.g. Hypodermic syringes
  • Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machinese.g. Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB devices
  • Lancetse.g. Lancets
  • Medical acoustic stethoscope or accessorye.g. Mechanical stethoscopes
  • Nasogastric tubese.g. Nasogastric tubes
  • PsychologyKnowledge 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.
  • Therapy and CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge 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.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.