Job Description:

• 1) Provides nursing care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients in psychiatric hospital or mental health clinic and participates in rehabilitation and treatment programs: Helps patients with their personal hygiene, such as bathing and keeping beds, clothing, and living areas clean.

• 2) Administers oral medications and hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures.

• 3) Takes and records measures of patient's general physical condition, such as pulse, temperature, and respiration, to provide daily information.

• 4) Observes patients to detect behavior patterns and reports observations to medical staff.

• 5) Intervenes to restrain violent or potentially violent or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.

• 6) Leads prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.

• 7) May complete initial admittance forms for new patients.

• 8) May contact patient's relatives by telephone to arrange family conferences.

• 9) May issue medications from dispensary and maintain records in accordance with specified procedures.

• 10) May be required to hold state license.