Psychiatric Aides
Help mentally or emotionally impaired patients.
Quick Facts
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This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Psychiatric Aides most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Psychiatric Aides work with patients who have mental or emotional problems. They work directly with patients, helping them to do daily activities. They may go with patients to activities. They sometimes need to restrain violent patients.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Assist patients with daily activities.
- Care for patients with mental illnesses.
- Feed patients.
- Give medications or immunizations.
- Hold patients to ensure proper positioning or safety.
- Interview patients to gather medical information.
- Confer with other professionals to plan patient care.
- Maintain medical records.
- Record vital statistics or other health information.
- Accompany patients or clients on outings to provide assistance.
Typical Working Conditions
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Working with a group or team.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
- Dealing with physically aggressive people.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Standing.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
High School or less
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 12.7 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 36.1 |
Some college, no degree | 31.2 |
Associate degree | 10.5 |
Bachelors degree | 7.2 |
Masters degree | 1.4 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 0.9 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Short-term on-the-job training to become competent.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Anatomy
- Chemistry
- Community Health
- Computer Applications
- Human Development
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Research Methods
- Safety and First Aid/CPR
- Sociology
- Statistics
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Psychiatric Aides
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- 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.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Understanding How People Learn—Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Persuading Others—Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Psychiatric Aides
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Sociology and Anthropology—Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Communications and Media—Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Philosophy and Theology—Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
- Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Helping and caring for people.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
- Documenting or recording information.
- Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
- Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Resolving conflicts or negotiating with people.
- Performing general physical abilities.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Psychiatric Aides.
View more careers in the Health Science cluster
View more careers in the Therapeutic Services pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Mental Health Worker,
Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW),
Residential Counselor,
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA),
Developmental Aide,
Mental Health Technician,
Nursing Assistant,
Psychiatric Nursing Aide
Where Do Psychiatric Aides Work?
Psychiatric Aides often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Psychiatric Aides.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.