Effective succession planning in nursing: a review of the literature

Aim This review summarizes and evaluates succession planning initiatives in nursing and proposes a new, comprehensive succession planning model for nursing. Background A major challenge facing nursing is maintaining leadership capital. In the USA and elsewhere, this challenge is complicated by current and projected nursing shortages and uncertainty associated with political, economic and social factors affecting health-care delivery. Evaluation Databases and the Internet contributed information to this review. Because the problems of identifying, recruiting, developing and retaining nursing leaders are related to the global nursing shortage, sources from several countries and international organizations were used. Key issues The current and projected global nursing shortage and economic, political and social factors affecting health-care delivery world-wide make effective succession planning an absolute necessity for the nursing profession. Conclusions Nursing leaders must plan for succession at all management levels. To validate benefits of this planning, three topics for future research are suggested. Implications for nursing management Succession planning should incorporate the identification, recruitment, retention, development, coaching and mentoring of potential nurse leaders as early as high school. Communication, cooperation and coordination between academia and practice that complements the academic preparation of new nurses is essential.