Life As a Psychiatric Aide
Psychiatric Aide Job Description 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.
Life As a Psychiatric Aide
- Complete administrative tasks, such as entering orders into computer, answering telephone calls, or maintaining medical or facility information.
- Participate in recreational activities with patients, including card games, sports, or television viewing.
- Serve meals or feed patients needing assistance or persuasion.
- Perform nursing duties, such as administering medications, measuring vital signs, collecting specimens, or drawing blood samples.
- Interview patients upon admission and record information.
- Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
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Things a Psychiatric Aide Should Know How to Do
Psychiatric Aides state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, 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.
Types of Psychiatric Aide
- Psychiatric Attendant
- Health Service Worker
- Neuropsychiatric Aide
- Mental Health Aide (MHA)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Job Demand for Psychiatric Aides
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 73,600 jobs in the United States for Psychiatric Aide. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,100 new jobs for Psychiatric Aide by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 8,800 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Psychiatric Aide are Tennessee, Arkansas, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Georgia, New Jersey, or New Hampshire. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Psychiatric Aides Salary
The typical yearly salary for Psychiatric Aides is somewhere between $19,830 and $46,490.
Psychiatric Aides who work in Minnesota, New York, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Psychiatric Aides in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $26,680 |
| Alaska | $42,550 |
| Arkansas | $24,950 |
| California | $32,660 |
| Colorado | $33,460 |
| Connecticut | $37,040 |
| Florida | $25,890 |
| Hawaii | $41,940 |
| Idaho | $34,860 |
| Illinois | $26,480 |
| Indiana | $28,030 |
| Iowa | $36,670 |
| Kansas | $25,130 |
| Kentucky | $29,970 |
| Louisiana | $23,580 |
| Maine | $30,430 |
| Maryland | $31,270 |
| Massachusetts | $33,690 |
| Michigan | $34,090 |
| Minnesota | $44,910 |
| Mississippi | $19,970 |
| Missouri | $28,170 |
| Montana | $29,350 |
| Nebraska | $36,580 |
| Nevada | $37,920 |
| New Hampshire | $37,950 |
| New Jersey | $38,910 |
| New Mexico | $33,180 |
| New York | $43,520 |
| North Carolina | $28,730 |
| Ohio | $34,300 |
| Oklahoma | $21,520 |
| Oregon | $39,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,450 |
| Rhode Island | $39,260 |
| Tennessee | $23,500 |
| Texas | $27,840 |
| Utah | $29,360 |
| Vermont | $34,780 |
| Virginia | $27,480 |
| Washington | $37,640 |
| West Virginia | $22,430 |
What Tools do Psychiatric Aides Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Psychiatric Aides:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Microsoft Windows
How to Become a Psychiatric Aide
Learn what Psychiatric Aide education requirements there are.
What work experience do I need to become a Psychiatric Aide?
Where Psychiatric Aides Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Psychiatric Aides employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Psychiatric Aide might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Katie Spencer via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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