Therapeutic Assistant Acute Care Unit - Mental Health

Therapeutic Assistant Acute Care Unit - Mental Health

1N Acute Care Unit is a 14 bed adult intensive care psychiatric unit located on the first floor of the Northside of the Institute of Psychiatry building. All patient rooms are semi private & serve population are adult patients (18 yrs. & over) admitted for acute crisis stabilization for a broad range of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder, and more.

The Therapeutic Assistant reports to the Nurse Manager. Under the direction of a registered nurse the Therapeutic Assistant is responsible for providing patient care as directed by the multi-disciplinary treatment plan and the daily assignment sheet. The Therapeutic Assistant assists with patient admission on discharge processes, monitors and promotes the safety of the therapeutic environment, assure that patient's activities of daily living are maintained, and supports the therapeutic program.

Minimum Training and Education:

Therapeutic Assistant I - High School Diploma or equivalent required.

Therapeutic Assistant II - Bachelor's degree in Human Services or closely related field, or high school diploma and 1 year of experience in behavioral health or related healthcare required.

Required Licensure, Certifications, Registrations: Certification in Basic Life Support required within 2 weeks of hire. Thereafter, must maintain Current Basic Life Support (BLS), either a certification from an American Heart Association (AHA) BLS for Healthcare Providers (or AHA recognized equivalent) or an American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer and Healthcare Provider. Certification in TACT and First Aid within the first 6 months of employment and annually thereafter for TACT and biannually for BLS and First Aid.

Physical Requirements: Ability to perform job functions while standing. (Continuous) Ability to perform job functions while sitting. (Continuous) Ability to perform job functions while walking. (Continuous) Ability to climb stairs. (Infrequent) Ability to work indoors. (Continuous) Ability to work outside in temperature extremes. (Infrequent) Ability to work from elevated areas. (Frequent) Ability to work in confined/cramped spaces. (Frequent) Ability to perform job functions from kneeling positions. (Infrequent) Ability to bend at the waist. (Continuous) Ability to twist at the waist. (Frequent) Ability to squat and perform job functions. (Frequent) Ability to perform "pinching" operations. (Frequent) Ability to perform gross motor activities with fingers and hands. (Continuous) Ability to perform firm grasping with fingers and hands. (Continuous) Ability to perform fine manipulation with fingers and hands. (Continuous) Ability to reach overhead. (Frequent) Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders. (Continuous) Ability to fully use both legs. (Continuous) Ability to use lower extremities for balance and coordination. (Frequent) Ability to reach in all directions. (Continuous) Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs. unassisted. (Infrequent) Ability to lift/lower objects 50 lbs. from/to floor from/to 36 inches unassisted. (Infrequent) Ability to lift from 36" to overhead 25 lbs. (Infrequent) Ability to exert up to 50 lbs. of force. (Frequent) Examples include: To transfer a 100 lb. patient that can not assist in the transfer requires 50 lbs. of force. For every 100 additional pounds, assistance will be required from another healthcare worker. 20 lbs. of force is needed to push a 400 lb. patient in a wheelchair on carpet. 25 lbs. of force is required to push a stretcher with a patient with one hand. Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected, in one eye or with both eyes. (Continuous) Ability to see and recognize objects close at hand or at a distance. (Continuous) Ability to match or discriminate between colors. (Continuous) Ability to determine distance/relationship between objects; depth perception. (Continuous) Good peripheral vision capabilities. (Continuous) Ability to maintain hearing acuity, with correction. (Continuous) Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements. (Continuous) Ability to deal effectively with stressful situations. (Continuous) Ability to work rotating shifts. (Frequent) Ability to work overtime as required. (Frequent) Ability to work in a latex safe environment. (Continuous) Ability to maintain tactile sensory functions. (Continuous) *(Selected Positons) *Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function. (Continuous) *(Selected Positons) *Ability to be qualified physically for respirator use, initially and as required. (Continuous) (Selected Positions)*

If you like working with energetic enthusiastic individuals, you will enjoy your career with us!

The Medical University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MUSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit and business need.