This occupation is part of the Healthcare Support cluster
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About the Job
Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.
It is also Called
- Certified Nurses' Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Charge Aide
- Charge Attendant
- Developmental Aide
- Health Service Worker
- Health Technician
- Mental Health Aide
- Mental Health Assistant
- Mental Health Counselor
What They Do
- Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
- Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
- Maintain patients' restrictions to assigned areas.
- Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
- Provide patients with assistance in bathing, dressing, or grooming, demonstrating these skills as necessary.
- Clean and disinfect rooms and furnishings to maintain a safe and orderly environment.
- Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
- Provide mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
- Serve meals or feed patients needing assistance or persuasion.
- Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.
Interests
People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: SRC.
This means people who work in this occupation generally have Social interests, but also prefer Realistic and Conventional environments.
Work Values
People who work in this occupation generally prize Relationships, but also value Support and Independence in their jobs.
Things They Need to Know
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Things They Need to Be Able to Do
- 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.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Wages
In 2012, the average annual wage in Washington was $29,740.00 with most people making between $21,390.00 and $38,470.00
Outlook
During 2008, this occupation employed approximately 650 people in Washington. It is projected that there will be 800 employed in 2018.
This occupation will have about 15 openings due to growth and about 5 replacement openings for approximately 20 total annual openings.
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