Mental Health Orderly

As a Mental Health Orderly, you are a liaison between the patient and the nursing staff. While you work to make the patient as comfortable as possible, you also respect the seniority of the Nurses. When you’re a Mental Health Orderly, you work in the mental health industry, which means that your patients suffer from issues like depression, suicidal tendencies, and psychotic outbursts.

Unlike traditional hospital settings, the psychiatric department where as a Mental Health Orderly you will work has many patients who aren’t bedridden. It is typically a designated floor in the hospital, or a separate facility that only treats mental health patients. While some patients may have physical ailments, most of your efforts revolve around the patient’s mind. They are often scattered, have a hard time focusing, feel too depressed to participate, or are unresponsive.

You evaluate the treatment plan for each patient. Some require medications, others have counseling sessions, still others require restraints. You understand that these procedures are for the safety of both the patient and the staff. During your shift, you help patients bathe, dress, and take care of personal needs. You also provide food, whether that means bringing it to the room, escorting the patient to the eating area, or spoon-feeding.

In addition, you also make sure the residents adhere to the rules. You go through bags at check-in, looking for weapons or restricted items. You make sure patients are in their rooms when they’re supposed to be, and keep them safe while moving from one location to another.