title: Closing an open psychiatric ward: organizational change and its effect on staff uncertainty, self-efficacy, and professional functioning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Converting an open psychiatric ward to a closed one can be threatening and stressful for the medical and nursing staff involved. This study describes the effects of this change, in particular the before-after correlation among self-efficacy, professional functioning, and uncertainty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four staff participated, completing pre-/poststructured questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uncertainty was higher before the conversion than after the conversion. Professional functioning declined after the conversion. Self-efficacy was positively correlated with pre- and postconversion functioning, but negatively correlated with postconversion uncertainty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to prepare staff for this significant organizational change. Suggestions for prechange interventions are offered.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. melniko@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Semyon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melnikov
authors.forename: Razya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shor
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kigli-Shemesh
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gun Usishkin
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kagan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D020377:Self Efficacy; D035501:Uncertainty