MightyRecruiterYour psychiatric technician job description should highlight the most important job duties for the position. These duties include working as part of a team in providing therapeutic care to patients and monitoring their medical conditions. Technicians may also be responsible for administering medications according to physician instruction.
When creating your job description, emphasize the personal qualities important for the position. Psychiatric technicians need excellent interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with patients in the evaluation and treatment of their conditions. Sharp observational skills are also important, as technicians must recognize any issues patients may have.
Other important traits when working with the mentally ill are compassion and patience. Technicians should also exhibit both emotional and physical stamina, as they may be required to assist in restraining, moving and lifting patients. The example below will help you get a better idea of what to include in your psychiatric technician job description.
Psychiatric Technician Job Summary
Are you a compassionate person with a heart for service? Do you enjoy helping others achieve their potential? As a psychiatric technician at our facility, you’ll have the opportunity to improve the lives of others while assisting a dynamic team of medical professionals in providing treatment and care for people with mental and emotional conditions or disabilities. You’ll work alongside other empathetic individuals to provide therapeutic care to patients as you assist in the evaluation and treatment of their conditions. Join our team of dedicated professionals and get on-the-job training and competitive pay rates while making a difference in the lives of others.
Job Responsibilities
- Promote a physically and emotionally safe environment, including conducting regular rounds and patient and property searches so patients can focus on managing their illnesses and disabilities to promote healing
- Facilitate healing relationships of patients through individual and group therapy opportunities
- Aid in basic patient care such as eating, bathing, dressing, and teaching and encouraging basic hygiene and other daily living skills while observing patient progress to identify the need for additional services or changes in current treatment
- Provide behavioral emergency assistance, such as patient restraint or basic first aid when needed, as well as recognize and report homicidal or suicidal behaviors
- Accompany physicians on rounds to update them on current patient care and condition, and maintain accurate and complete patient records and medical histories to ensure patients receive appropriate and effective care and treatment
- Carry out all physician orders, such as the dispensation of medication and the preparation of medications for home visits and outings
- Participate in staff meetings by reporting observations of patient behavior and progress in therapeutic and personal activities and interactions
- Assist with admission, transfer and discharge to ensure a smooth and comfortable transition for the patient
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- High school diploma or GED
- Strong communication skills
- CPR Certification (within 3 months of hire)
- Crisis Intervention training (within 3 months of hire)
Preferred:
- Postsecondary education in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, health and human services or related field
- American Association of Psychiatric Technicians (AAPT) Certification
- Valid driver’s license
Psychiatric Technician Job Responsibilities
A clear psychiatric technician job description has a job responsibilities section that hits all the major duties of your potential employee. This section should be detailed enough for a jobseeker to picture themselves doing each of these activities. It’s a great way to get candidates to weed themselves out if they don’t see performing certain necessary tasks.
As discussed already, part of a good psychiatric technician job responsibilities section is using bullet points, clear writing and action verbs. This makes the section easy to read so a jobseeker can scan the information quickly. This will be the longest part of your psychiatric technician job description, but try to limit yourself to between six and eight bullet points.
To get an idea of what you should include in this section, here are some common psychiatric technician daily activities. Speak to the hiring manager or supervisor for this position if you don’t know whether the following examples apply to the job you are posting.
- Provide medical attention and emotional support to customers and patients
- Combine and evaluate information gathered from observation and answers from patients
- Communicate clearly with supervisors and co-workers regarding needed assistance
- Help patients establish long-range objectives for wellness and propose plans to meet these objectives
- Build mutual trust between self, co-workers and patients
Psychiatric Technician Job Specifications
Do not underestimate the importance of the skills and qualifications section as it is a great way to save you time reading resumes. When you write this part of your psychiatric technician job description clearly, jobseekers understand the minimum requirements for the job. If they do not meet those, they are not likely to apply.
Think about what essential skills a new employee needs to perform their daily tasks. You can get inspiration from the duties listed in the job responsibilities section or ask a hiring manager what they recommend including. Stay in touch with this person so you can get a qualified eye to look over the job description before posting it.
The psychiatric technician job specifications should not be very long. If you do have an irreducibly long list of skills and qualifications, consider splitting them into “required” and “preferred.” That way, candidates don’t need to keep reading if they can’t meet the list of items in the “required” section.
Here are some common inclusions in a psychiatric technician job description:
- Active and compassionate listener
- Able to monitor and assess self and others
- Bachelor’s degree and local psychiatric certification
- Familiarity with Eclipsys and Netsmart software packages
