A psychology technician can help patients brush their teeth.
A psychology technician is a person who treats patients with mental disorders or conducts research on various aspects of psychology. To be successful in this career, a person with an analytical mind, a caring nature, and interpersonal skills is often needed. Technicians who treat patients typically work in treatment centers, and those who conduct research typically work at a university or private laboratory. Some of the main responsibilities of a psychology technician include assessing the mental status of patients, monitoring the physical health of patients, assisting patients with self-care, conducting therapy sessions, and conducting psychological research.
A psychology coach can help facilitate group therapy sessions.
One of the most fundamental functions of a psychology technician is to continually assess the mental state of patients. For example, if a patient is schizophrenic, a technician may routinely check how the patient is feeling emotionally. He may also run mental health tests to identify what behaviors need improvement. This is necessary to keep patients comfortable and prevent incidents such as violence and self-harm. This aspect of the job requires someone who can establish rapport with patients and other team members.
Psychology techniques used by nursing homes can help patients with self-care and other activities of daily living.
It is also important to monitor the physical health of patients. In addition to assessing mental health, a psychological technician is often required to monitor patients’ vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure. Since many patients take some type of medication, it is important to make sure there are no allergic reactions or dangerous side effects.
A psychological technician can assess the mental state of patients to ensure that self-injurious behaviors are not occurring.
Alongside this, a psychological technician will sometimes be needed to assist patients with self-care. For example, you can help a patient get dressed, brush their teeth, and comb their hair. In the case of male patients, it can also help with shaving. This practice is important to keep patients well treated and comfortable.
In many cases, a psychology technician will also conduct therapy sessions for patients. This may include individual or group therapy and is aimed at improving the stability and mental health of the patient. Being effective in this task requires a person who understands the needs of each patient and responds accordingly. Consequently, a psychology technician must be able to build relationships with patients and establish a level of trust.
A psychological technician may need to place a pulse oximeter on the patient’s fingertip to measure oxygen saturation.
An additional task for some technicians is to conduct psychological research. Typically, the psychology technician doing research is one who works at a university or in a private laboratory. This typically involves things like reading past case studies, conducting experiments, and observing psychological phenomena in subjects. Upon completion of a research study, a person may publish the study’s findings in a psychology journal for other professionals to read.