According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients. | 94% |
| Administer oral medications or hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures. | 91% |
| Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships. | 90% |
| Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required. | 89% |
| Lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures. | 89% |
| Issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures. | 88% |
| Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff. | 86% |
| Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them. | 85% |
| Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges. | 85% |
| Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean. | 83% |
| Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or developmentally disabled patients to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community. | 83% |
| Interview new patients to complete admission forms, to assess their mental health status, or to obtain their mental health and treatment history. | 82% |
| Develop or teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence. | 81% |
| Train or instruct new employees on procedures to follow with psychiatric patients. | 78% |
| Escort patients to medical appointments. | 78% |
| Contact patients' relatives to arrange family conferences. | 68% |
