What Do Psychiatric Technicians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Psychiatric Technicians 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. They also take and record measures of patients’ physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.

Other tasks include:

• 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.
• Administer oral medications or hypodermic injections, following physician’s prescriptions and hospital procedures.
• Observe and influence patients’ behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
• Issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures.
• Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.

We asked Psychiatric Technicians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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54% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 77% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Psychiatric Technicians 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. They issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures.

A typical day for a Psychiatric Technician will also include:

• Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.
• 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.
• Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients.
• Interview new patients to complete admission forms, to assess their mental health status, or to obtain their mental health and treatment history.

We asked some Psychiatric Technicians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	54% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	82% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	82% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	45% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	70% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	61% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Psychiatric Technicians also lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures. They may also restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Psychiatric Technicians Escort patients to medical appointments. They might also Interview new patients to complete admission forms, to assess their mental health status, or to obtain their mental health and treatment history.

In addition, they Take and record measures of patients’ physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Contact patients’ relatives to arrange family conferences.

To some Psychiatric Technicians, it is also their responsibility to Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Psychiatric Technician, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/psychiatric-technicians-and-aides.htm

http://www.psychtechs.org/