Registered Nurses are the largest clinical group employed by hospitals. Because they are the largest group much attention is focused on nursing (Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Report-2009). This report also urges serious caution related to the large number of retirements and reduction in hours that is expected in the future as experienced nurses age and make choices about retirement and hour reduction. Commitment to the professional development of nursing includes identifying future nurse leaders at all levels of organization. Today’s nurse leader is in his or her late 40s to early 60s with an average age of 52. Twenty nine percent of nurse executives will be retiring within five years.
A literature review identifies a clear priority to build an effective purposeful and ongoing succession management process for targeted positions within nursing including nurse executive and other nurse leaders. Mary Ann Ponti identified the following key strategies:
1. Identify key positions.
2. Conduct a migration risk assessment
3. Establish core competencies
a. Nurse Executive
b. Director
c. Manager
4. Identify high performers and conduct a needs assessment
5. Develop individualized progressive development plan and identify associated critical success factors.
6. Prioritize, coach and mentor high performers.
There are many resources available to assist with these six strategies and will be included in this plan. The American Organization of Nurse Executives has partnered with other professional organizations to identify the core competencies of the nurse executive as well as the nurse manager . These competencies are the guide for the attached needs assessment as well as the individualized progressive development plan. Competencies include communication, relationship management, knowledge of healthcare environment, leadership, professionalism and business skills and principles. The competencies have been tiered to progress in nature from manager to director to executive and can be incorporated into the performance evaluation,2
Another key strategy to effective succession management is the annual prioritization of key positions for both migration risk and criticality. The assessment identifies who is expected to retire or leave the organization and how critical the position is to the organization.2
Identifying high performers within your organization to coach, mentor is another key strategy.
The Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives provides a mentoring program for current nurse leaders or aspiring nurse leaders
Recommendations:
Based on the literature review, the following tools will help in the development of a leadership succession plan :
1. Conduct Migration Risk Assessment on key leadership roles. (Attachment A)
2. Identify aspiring nurse leader or current nurse leader in your organization.(Attachment B)
3. Leaders to complete needs assessment developed by the AONE. (Go to AONE website to access nurse leader assessment tool)
4. Develop curriculum or attend AONE program (Attachment C)
5. Meet with leaders and develop an education plan to meet needs.
6. Identify mentor for nurse leader via WONE or leaders within your organization. (Attachment D)
7. Meet with leader quarterly to identify progress on plan.