Psychiatric Technician, PRN

Job Title: Psychiatric Technician, PRN Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Reqid: 86788

Overview

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. This position provides a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment for psychiatric patients and assists with the provision of basic patient care needs.

The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

This is a PRN (as needed) position with a variable schedule. No benefits are provided.

Responsibilities

• Essential Functions

• Assists with maintaining a safe and hazard-free environment by observing and documenting patient behavior, conducting patient room searches, reporting unsafe conditions and applying appropriate emotional and physical support.

• Performs or assists with the admission of new patients by gathering routine information for nursing assessment, searches patients and personal effects for contraband, documents personal effects and other appropriate information.

• Orients the patient and patient’s family to the facility and the policies and procedures.

• Escorts the patients to off-unit appointments and activities using therapeutic interventions to ensure the safety of the patient, hospital staff, and other University patients and visitors.

• Assists with providing a therapeutic milieu for patients by encouraging patients to participate in recreational activities and group therapies.

• Assists with supportive therapy for select patients by leading activity and conversation groups.

• Assists in the development of patient behavioral contracts.

• May function as a preceptor to new Psychiatric Technicians and assists level staff.

• Assists with the unit's training and quality assurance programs. Provides an annual educational in-service to co-workers.

• Functions as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team.

• Assists with initiating and contributing to patient treatment planning, teaching and discharge planning.

• Participates in patient care team conferences by sharing observations of patient’s progress toward identified goals and assists the primary Registered Nurse with the development, evaluation, and revision of patient care plans.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Ability to recognize when a patient is having an adverse reaction to medication and report it in a timely manner to the Registered Nurse.

• Ability to assess a patient who may hurt himself/herself or others and report this information to the Registered Nurse; ability to assist with restraints and seclusion.

• Interpersonal skills to gain the trust of patients and respond appropriately in a crisis.

• Ability to utilize group dynamics to facilitate development of social, behavioral, and communication skills among group members.

• Knowledge and skills to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on the unit.

• Knowledge of life span growth and development; ability to assess data regarding the patient’s status and provide care per department policies and procedures.

• Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills.

Qualifications

• Required: Six months of behavioral health or direct patient care experience; may include CNA, MA, HCA, Teacher’s aide or assistant.

• Licenses Required: 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.

• Preferred: [not specified]

• Working Conditions and Physical Demands

• Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation. This position involves intensive work that may exert up to 100 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling or moving objects, such as medical equipment, or patients while providing care in a psychiatric setting. Workers may be exposed to infectious diseases.

• Physical Requirements include: Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Far Vision, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Tasting or Smelling, Walking

• Multi-lingual Candidates Welcomed

• EEO and Accessibility

• University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities upon request.

• Note

• This job posting may include further details about required screenings or qualifications.