Hospital Psychiatric Aide Job Description |
|
|
|
Job Duties
While aides may be responsible for interacting with patients, assisting with certain functions, and reporting to doctors, this is far more involved for psychiatric aides. These workers may need to play games to stimulate patients’ mental functions, participate in group activities, explain things very simply and in-depth to their patients, and even play sports or go on field trips with their patients.
Aides spend a lot of their time walking and generally have heavy workloads. Since an aide’s job duties may also require lifting patients, proper care of the back muscles tends to be very important. An aide must also be patient with baffled or uncooperative patients that do not know better. Although this is truer for other medical aides, psychiatric aides are exposed to diseases and infections as well. Therefore, it is helpful for a psychiatric aide to be in fairly good physical, mental, and emotional health as well as being able to manage stress well.
Job Qualifications and Compensation
As with other nursing fields, psychiatric aides must be well-versed in anatomy, patient care, and proper medical procedure as well as specializing in particular mental illnesses or cognitive disorders. While some states may require some sort of degree, much of the training necessary to become a psychiatric aide can be learned while working. For individuals considering jobs in special care facilities, licensure and training of up to 75 hours is typically required and run through the government. Aides must also be able to work in a team setting, be able to perform repetitive and routine tasks, patient, tactful, understanding, and have at least a high school diploma. While not strictly necessary, it may also help during a hiring process to have college coursework or a four year degree.
Once a background check and drug test are completed, employment can begin. Compensation for psychiatric aides is fairly typical of the medical industry. The average salary is around $27,000 a year with the potential to make more with experience. Of course, working in the health services industry, benefits like healthcare, paid vacation time, and retirement planning options come standard.
Who’s Hiring?
Apply online for this position:
|
|
