According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients. | 91% |
| Provide mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff. | 91% |
| Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff. | 89% |
| Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury. | 88% |
| Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers. | 86% |
| Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans. | 86% |
| Maintain patients' restrictions to assigned areas. | 85% |
| Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities. | 84% |
| Provide patients with assistance in bathing, dressing, or grooming, demonstrating these skills as necessary. | 84% |
| Aid patients in becoming accustomed to hospital routines. | 84% |
| Serve meals or feed patients needing assistance or persuasion. | 83% |
| Clean and disinfect rooms and furnishings to maintain a safe and orderly environment. | 81% |
| Complete administrative tasks, such as entering orders into computer, answering telephone calls, or maintaining medical or facility information. | 81% |
| Perform nursing duties, such as administering medications, measuring vital signs, collecting specimens, or drawing blood samples. | 81% |
| Interview patients upon admission and record information. | 80% |
| Accompany patients to and from wards for medical or dental treatments, shopping trips, or religious or recreational events. | 75% |
| Participate in recreational activities with patients, including card games, sports, or television viewing. | 74% |
