title: Facilitating a Major Staffing Transition in a State Psychiatric Hospital With Changes to Nursing Orientation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A large state psychiatric hospital experienced a state-mandated Reduction in Force that resulted in the abrupt loss and rapid turnover of more than 40% of its nursing and paraprofessional staff. The change exemplified current national trends toward downsizing and facility closure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes revisions to the nursing orientation program that supported cost containment and fidelity to mission and clinical practices during the transition.
  
  
  METHODS
  An existing nursing orientation program was reconfigured in alignment with principles of rational instructional design and a core-competencies model of curriculum development, evidence-based practices that provided tactical clarity and commonality of purpose during a complex and emotionally charged transition period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Program redesign enabled efficiencies that facilitated the transition, with no evidence of associated negative effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The process described here offers an example for hospitals facing similar workforce reorganization in an era of public sector downsizing.
authors: 1 Shira Birnbaum, RN, PhD, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Shira
authors: S
authors: Birnbaum
authors: 2 Doreen Sperber-Weiss, MSN, PhD, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Doreen
authors: D
authors: Sperber-Weiss
authors: 3 Timothy Dimitrios, MAS, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Timothy
authors: T
authors: Dimitrios
authors: 4 Donald Eckel Jr., MS, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Donald
authors: D
authors: Eckel
authors: 5 Cherry Monroy-Miller, MD, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Cherry
authors: C
authors: Monroy-Miller
authors: 6 Janet J. Monroe, RN, MAS, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Janet J
authors: JJ
authors: Monroe
authors: 7 Ross Friedman, LSW, MSW, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Ross
authors: R
authors: Friedman
authors: 8 Mathias Ologbosele, BSN, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Mathias
authors: M
authors: Ologbosele
authors: 9 Grace Epo, RN, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Grace
authors: G
authors: Epo
authors: 10 Debra Sharpe, BA, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Debra
authors: D
authors: Sharpe
authors: 11 Yongsuk Zarski, DNP, APRN-BC, Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.
authors: Yongsuk
authors: Y
authors: Zarski
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009515:New Jersey; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: downsizing; nursing orientation; onboarding; psychiatric hospital; staff training; staff turnover