PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN (ENTRY LEVEL & FULL PERFORMANCE)

Duties Summary

• Orientation and Companionship:
  • Orient patients to the hospital setting, rules and regulations, patient rights and treatment team system.
  • Perform as a companion for newly admitted patients to establish rapport and facilitate a social network with other patients on the unit.
• Assessment and Planning:
  • Take temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, height and weight.
  • Maintain a safe and therapeutic milieu for patients and employees at all times.
  • Monitor seclusion/restraint status, record observations/findings in patient’s chart, and report findings to the charge nurse.
  • Participate as a member of the treatment team and provide input into the formulation of patients’ master treatment plans.
  • Provide input and assist in planning therapeutic interventions in situational crises.
  • Participate in/conduct daily community meetings with team members to set goals for the day.
• Implementation and Evaluation:
  • Implement training for patients in developing self-help skills such as toileting, feeding, bathing, dressing, basic oral hygiene and other activities of daily living.
  • Implement adjunctive services (recreational and diversional activities) planned and developed by the RN, Recreational Therapist and/or Occupational Therapist for the general therapeutic milieu of the unit.
  • Maintain a safe and therapeutic milieu for patients and employees at all times. Report and initiate corrective measures of any known unsafe environmental conditions.
  • Monitor contraband materials and enforce unit rules and regulations at all times.
  • Evaluate, with the charge nurse and other team members, the effectiveness of approaches utilized in crisis intervention during the shift.
  • Assist in the evaluation of patients’ conditions and progress based on their master treatment plans.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Admit, transfer and/or discharge patients;
• Assist in emergency procedures such as fire escape and drill (e.g., Code Red, Code Yellow, etc.), seclusion and restraints, patient searches, bomb threats and disaster drills, etc.
• Transport/escort patients as assigned;
• Provide physical care to patients who are physically and/or emotionally unable to take care of themselves;
• Attend in-service and other continuing educational programs;
• Temporarily work on another unit, as necessary;
• Complete all mandatory training programs and maintain current certification in CPR;
• Participate in hospital-wide quality assurance and infection control activities;
• Participate in research surveys, etc.

Knowledge and Abilities

• Knowledge of the policies, procedures and work rules of the work site.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

• One (1) year of work experience in a hospital or other medically oriented institution or program where the primary or basic objective was to observe and report on a variety of physical and/or mental symptoms and conditions and implement care and/or treatment procedures for a caseload of patients.
• Experience and Essential Knowledge and Abilities:
• One (1) year of work experience in a mental health facility/unit which involved learning and performing selected therapeutic activities under the supervision of a qualified professional.
• Knowledge of behavioral characteristics associated with various types of mental health problems; general behavioral and psychiatric procedures; mental health principles and techniques involved in the care and treatment of individuals or groups of mentally ill patients; intervention and de-escalation techniques; common side effects of psychiatric medications; and the ability to assist and participate in the activities of the treatment team; and independently provide adjunctive services (recreational and diversional activities) to a caseload of psychiatric patients.

Who May Apply

• Legal Authorization to Work Requirement: The State of Hawaii requires that all persons seeking employment with the government of the State shall be citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States, or eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment in the United States.