Psychiatric Technician, Advanced

University of Utah Health•South Salt Lake, UT

About The Position

University of Utah Health seeks a patient-focused Psychiatric Technician, Advanced, to provide a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment for psychiatric patients and assist with basic patient care. The role supports the organization’s mission of improving health and well-being through patient care, research, and education, and its values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality, and trust. The Psychiatric Technician assists with patient safety, admissions, orientation, therapeutic activities, treatment planning, and discharge planning. The position works as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team, contributes observations about patient progress, and supports the Registered Nurse with care plans. It may also involve precepting new Psychiatric Technicians, assisting with training and quality assurance, and maintaining unit supplies and forms.

Requirements

An associate degree, or two years of behavioral health or direct patient care experience; qualifying experience may include work as a CNA, MA, HCA, teacher’s aide, or assistant.
Current RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential through the University of Utah Health RQI system; the eCredential must be obtained within 30 days of hire.
Additional license requirements as determined by the hiring department.
Ability to recognize when a patient is having an adverse reaction to medication and report it promptly to the Registered Nurse.
Ability to assess and report when a patient may harm themselves or others, and ability to assist with restraints and seclusion.
Interpersonal skills to gain patients’ trust and respond appropriately in crisis situations.
Ability to apply group dynamics principles when co-leading groups to support patients’ social, behavioral, and communication skills.
Knowledge and skills to provide care appropriate to the ages of patients served on the assigned unit.
Knowledge of lifespan growth and development principles and ability to assess patient-status data and provide care according to department policies and procedures.
Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills.
Ability to meet the position’s physical requirements, with or without accommodation, including intensive work that may exert up to 50 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects or patients.

Responsibilities

Help maintain a safe, hazard-free environment by observing and documenting patient behavior, conducting room searches, reporting unsafe conditions, and providing appropriate emotional and physical support.
Assist with patient admissions by gathering routine information for nursing assessment, searching patients and belongings for contraband, and documenting personal effects and other relevant information.
Orient patients and their families to the facility, its policies, and its procedures.
Escort patients to off-unit appointments and activities, using therapeutic interventions to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, and visitors.
Encourage patients to participate in recreational activities and group therapies to support a therapeutic milieu.
Lead activity and conversation groups to provide supportive therapy for select patients.
Assist in developing patient behavioral expectations.
May serve as a preceptor to new Psychiatric Technicians.
Assist with unit training and quality assurance programs and order, stock, and maintain clerical and patient supplies.
Provide an annual educational in-service to co-workers.
Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and may coordinate with leadership to maintain department forms.
Assist with initiating and contributing to patient treatment planning, teaching, and discharge planning.
Participate in patient care team conferences by sharing observations of patient progress toward identified goals.
Assist the primary Registered Nurse with developing, evaluating, and revising patient care plans.
Recognize possible adverse medication reactions and promptly report them to the Registered Nurse.
Assess and report to the Registered Nurse when a patient may harm themselves or others, and assist with restraints and seclusion.