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Psychiatric nursing assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Marina Orobinskaia,

Marina Orobinskaia

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical psychiatric nursing assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for psychiatric nursing assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.1% of psychiatric nursing assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a psychiatric nursing assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 psychiatric nursing assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use patients:

Monitored activities including daily oral and personal hygiene, taking medications, and taking patients to scheduled doctor appointments.
Use rehabilitative measures to assist disabled patients to progressively develop greater independence In performing of my expertise.

2. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use mental health:

Counseled patients with their health and life benefits regarding occupational and recreational therapy in an emergency mental health facility.
Provided patients with occupational and recreational therapy in an emergency mental health facility.

3. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use vital signs:

Obtained/recorded patient physical vital signs per designated daily schedule.
Observe and record patient vital signs, patient activities, behavior and location as directed by medical or nursing staff.

4. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use cpr:

Certified to administer CPR, Heimlich maneuver, and Prevention and Management of Aggressive Behavior (PMAB) as appropriate.
Certified in PMAB (Prevention & Management of Aggressive Behavior) and CPR (AHA).

5. Direct Supervision

Direct supervision is a term used to indicate that a person is supervising a certain task or a certain person while being physically present or in close proximity. It refers to the presence of a person and the availability of their supervision in something if it is needed.

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use direct supervision:

Job Description: Psychiatric Nursing Asst II The Psychiatric Nursing Assistant II works under that direct supervision of the Shift Supervision.
Provide patient care under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse, in order to provide quality psychiatric nursing care.

6. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use patient care:

Interacted in patient care activities, provided crisis intervention and escorted patients around campus whenever needed.
Provided general patient care including meal assistance, group sessions and medication administration.

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7. Medication Administration

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use medication administration:

Cooperated with licensed nursing staff in preparing patients for medication administration or treatment in order to facilitate safe administration of procedures.
Monitor patients while shaving, during meals and medication administration, and group meetings, patient weekly weight and vitals.

8. Crisis Intervention

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use crisis intervention:

Facilitated group and individual counseling, crisis intervention and emergency situations, workshops, psychological education and recreational activities.
Conduct crisis interventions and documentation according to established standards and practices.

9. Verbal de-Escalation

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use verbal de-escalation:

Monitor patients perform CPR/Heimlich techniques correctly use Verbal DE-escalation communication skills in interactions with various age groups and cultural backgrounds.
Respond effectively in crisis or psychiatric emergency situations, verbal de-escalation and the application of Prevention and Management of Aggressive Behavior.

10. State Hospital

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use state hospital:

Apply restraint per procedures of Western State Hospital policies and procedures.
Provide direct support in a group environment to individuals with mental, developmental, or multiple disabilities in a state hospital.

11. Therapeutic Communication

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use therapeutic communication:

Demonstrated basic knowledge regarding therapeutic communication, psychiatric recovery, and rehabilitation skills.
Intervene, and restrain violent or potentially violent or suicidal veterans using therapeutic communication or Physical means acquired by PMBD training.

12. Therapeutic Interactions

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use therapeutic interactions:

Provide nursing feedback on patients served Maintain direct and on-going therapeutic interactions with patients

13. Restrictive Interventions

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use restrictive interventions:

Communicated effectively with other team members to ensure a culture that promoted the least restrictive interventions necessary.

14. Rehabilitation

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use rehabilitation:

Encouraged residents to participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs inside facility as well as outside.
Assisted with therapeutic rehabilitation while implementing proper PMAB.

15. Clinical Supervision

Clinical supervision refers to how practicing nurses get professional and moral support from their experienced colleagues. The practice aims to promote their ability to make a concrete decision that values the patient's well-being.

Here's how psychiatric nursing assistants use clinical supervision:

Provided quality psychiatric nursing care in an inpatient setting under the clinical supervision of a Registered Nurse.

5 Psychiatric Nursing Assistant resume examples

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What skills help Psychiatric Nursing Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on psychiatric nursing assistant resumes?

Marina Orobinskaia

Program Coordinator, Bellevue College

Experience, good program attended.

What soft skills should all psychiatric nursing assistants possess?

Marina Orobinskaia

Program Coordinator, Bellevue College

Friendliness, positive energy, leadership.

What hard/technical skills are most important for psychiatric nursing assistants?

Marina Orobinskaia

Program Coordinator, Bellevue College

There are no more or less important skills. You need to learn all of them to excellence and what is most important - use your critical thinking when you do them.

What psychiatric nursing assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Penny Ridenour

Dean of School of Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City

To differentiate yourself from the other new professionals entering healthcare after graduation, pay attention to the soft skills employers are looking for. Listening, empathy, and communication skills polish professional persona. Also, developing skills in resiliency will equip new professionals for a growing career in healthcare.

Do you want to know more?

List of psychiatric nursing assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a psychiatric nursing assistant resume and required skills for a psychiatric nursing assistant to have include:

Patients
Mental Health
Vital Signs
CPR
Direct Supervision
Patient Care
Medication Administration
Crisis Intervention
Verbal de-Escalation
State Hospital
Therapeutic Communication
Therapeutic Interactions
Restrictive Interventions

Rehabilitation
Clinical Supervision
Hippa
Supportive Documentation
Direct Patient Care
Quality Psychiatric
Resuscitation
Pmab
Blood Pressure
Therapeutic Environment
Compassion
Mental Illness
Patient Safety

Treatment Programs
Catheter
ADL
Eating Disorders
Urinals
Patient Participation
Bedpans
Emotional Support
Behavioral Issues
Physical Checks
Card Games
Psychiatric Nurses

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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