PSYCHIATRIC CHARGE TECHNICIAN

Code: 02897 Local Competitive

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction, is responsible for the well-being and nonprofessional nursing care of psychiatric patients in an assigned unit of a hospital or other health care facility; supervises the nonprofessional nursing work in the unit; does related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Psychiatric Charge Technician supervises one or more Psychiatric Technicians or Hospital or Insitutional Attendants. He/she participates with members of the psychiatric team in planning and implementing patient care goals. Under the supervision of a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse, the charge technician assumes a leadership role of the nonprofessional nursing staff and participates with the professional nursing staff in planning and implementing nursing care plans and in implementing and assisting inpatient and employee group meetings. The charge technician participates in patient centered conferences with both staff and representatives of allied therapies in order to better plan consistency in approaches and goals in individual patient care. The Psychiatric Charge Technician is a team leader over other nonprofessional and nonlicensed employees with direct involvement with members of the professional staff inpatient care planning.

Examples of work

• In a hospital or other health care facility treating persons with mental disorders, relieves the previous shift employee responsible for the care of the patients in a unit.
• Takes patient status report from previous shift supervisor and counts the sharp instruments and special keys for missing items.
• Checks and counts patients or delegates this duty to an assigned employee.
• Gives proper and necessary custodial care to patients or delegates duty to an assigned employee or employees.
• Accompanies doctors on their rounds and receives instructions as to the special custodial care of various patients.
• When assisted by other employees, gives them suitable assignments and instructions and works with them in performing various nonprofessional nursing tasks. Is responsible for supervising the work of assigned personnel.
• Prepares patients for meals.
• Is responsible for bathing of patients and the care of nails and scalps.
• Checks patients for vermin, bruises, rashes, and other injuries or deformities.
• Is responsible for the care and the records on patients' private and hospital clothing.
• Is responsible for patients' valuables.
• Assists in planning projects and activities for patients in the wards according to their interests and capabilities such as card games, checkers, chess, cribbage, sewing, knitting, scrapbooks, group readings, dancing, marching, group singing, group discussion (remotivation), outside gardening, ward work projects, and caring for other patients.
• Encourages proper personal appearance among patients, and tries to stimulate their interests in themselves, in others, and in hospital environment and activities as a means of helping themselves.
• Prepares required reports.
• Promotes, establishes, and maintains good interpersonal relations with employees on all levels, and with other hospital divisions, and constantly promotes intershift understanding and cooperation.
• Is responsible for checking patients' personal belongings on return from pass with particular attention given to valuables, drugs, and sharp instruments.
• May check assigned employees on duty daily to see that they are performing their duties properly.
• Makes necessary substitutions caused by employees illness and absenteeism.
• Periodically makes and posts employee work schedules or assignments.
• Is responsible for the unit's equipment and supplies and keeps inventories on such items.
• Is responsible for housekeeping of assigned area.
• Maintains needed records and files.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Three (3) years of experience in performing nonprofessional nursing work involved in tending patients with mental disorders in a hospital or other health care facility.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the problems encountered in doing paraprofessional nursing work with persons with mental disorders.
• Knowledge of the rules, regulations, policies, standards, and procedures of the facility concerned with the care of mentally disturbed persons.
• Knowledge of the structure and normal healthy functioning of the human body.
• Knowledge of elementary psychiatric nursing techniques and familiarity with their practical application and particular problems related to attending mentally disturbed persons. Knowledge of the principles of elementary psychology, psychiatry, and sociology, and the therapeutic work of the facility.
• Knowledge of the principles of mental hygiene and their utilization in work with mentally disturbed persons.
• Knowledge of occupational, group, and recreation therapy concepts, methods, and limitations, and their application to mentally disturbed patients.
• Knowledge of the methods and procedures most useful in seeing that patients are kept in a clean and comfortable condition.
• Knowledge of the techniques and principles of modern asepsis, including familiarity with the possibilities of infection and cross-infection.
• Ability to be sympathetic but firm with patients.
• Ability to understand, remember, and carry out written and oral instructions.
• Ability to learn quickly from written and oral explanations and demonstrations.
• Ability to work harmoniously with associates and mentally disturbed patients.
• Ability to identify and apply basic concepts of psychiatric patient care in relation to patients behavioral changes and patterns.
• Ability to organize assigned work, analyze the problems which arise in doing paraprofessional attending and other work with mentally disturbed patients, and develop effective work methods.
• Ability to comprehend and carry out the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of the facility concerned.
• Ability to do the elementary work concerned with the care of mentally disturbed persons.
• Ability to understand and apply the principles of elementary psychology, psychiatry, and sociology in every day work with patients.
• Ability to understand and apply the concepts of mental hygiene in routine and other work with mentally disturbed persons.
• Ability to understand and apply the concepts of occupational and recreation therapy, use reason and judgment when handling patients, noting physical and psychological conditions, and reporting symptoms or reactions which may indicate a change in patient's condition.
• Ability to assist patients in performing personal hygiene duties.
• Ability to identify and apply basic concepts of psychiatric patient care in establishing and maintaining a therapeutic environment.
• Ability to identify and aid the patient to meet basic needs as they relate to the patient.
• Ability to identify group process in relating with patient groups.
• Ability to identify basic communication skills in his relationship with patients.
• Ability to identify and become aware of the effect of his/her behavior on the patient.
• Ability to observe and report patient behavior.
• Ability to initiate, plan, and implement group work with mentally disturbed patients.
• Ability to plan nonprofessional nursing care to meet the needs of individual patients.
• Ability to assist in planning and implementing objectives and
• Ability to organize assigned work and develop effective work methods.
• Ability to give suitable assignments and instructions to assigned employees.
• Ability to prepare required reports, and to maintain needed records and files.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.