Psychiatric Aides

Course Advisor; United States; On-site; USD 19,830 - 46,490; Full time

Job summary

Course Advisor is looking for a Psychiatric Aide to assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients under the direction of nursing and medical staff. Responsibilities include providing daily living assistance, emotional support, serving meals, and maintaining a safe environment. Applicants should possess skills in social perceptiveness and coordination, among others. The role offers a starting salary of between $19,830 and $46,490 annually based on qualifications and location.

Qualifications

• Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients under the direction of nursing and medical staff.
• Provide daily living assistance and emotional support to psychiatric patients.

Responsibilities

• Clean and disinfect rooms to maintain a safe environment.
• Serve meals or feed patients who need assistance.
• Interview patients upon admission and record information.
• Maintain patients’ restrictions to assigned areas.

Skills

Social Perceptiveness

Service Orientation

Monitoring/Assessing performance

Speaking

Active Listening

Coordination

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Data entry software

Email software

Microsoft Windows

Job description

Psychiatric Aide

Position Description: Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients under the direction of nursing and medical staff. Responsibilities include daily living assistance, educational and recreational activities, accompaniment to examinations, and restraining violent patients as needed. The role is also known as psychiatric orderlies.

Responsibilities

• Clean and disinfect rooms and furnishings to maintain a safe and orderly environment.
• Serve meals or feed patients who need assistance.
• Interview patients upon admission and record information.
• Maintain patients’ restrictions to assigned areas.
• Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
• Complete administrative tasks, such as entering orders into a computer, answering telephone calls, and maintaining medical or facility information.

Key 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/Assessing performance: Monitoring or assessing performance of yourself, others, 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.
• Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Other Job Titles

• Psychiatric Nursing Assistant
• Behavioral Health Aide
• Mental Health Worker (MHW)
• Resident Care Technician
• Mental Health Associate

Job Outlook

There were approximately 73,600 psychiatric aide jobs in 2016, with new jobs produced at a rate of 5.6% above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4,100 new jobs by 2026, resulting in an average of 8,800 annual openings.

Typical Salary

Psychiatric aides earn between $19,830 and $46,490 annually. The highest salaries are found in Minnesota, New York, and Hawaii.

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Data entry software
• Email software
• Microsoft Windows