Excellence Series: Succession Planning

Course overview

Nursing remains one of the top occupations in the U.S., with a high probability of job growth through 2029 (US Bureau of Labor, 2021). Many nurse leaders, primarily nurse managers, are of the baby boomer generation (i.e., those born between 1946 and 1964), whose professional knowledge will be lost unless steps are taken now to preserve this knowledge. As existing nurse leaders move toward retirement, the need for healthcare organizations to hire and retain qualified leadership increases. Succession planning is the focused act of developing candidates for future leadership positions, to provide a streamlined transition between leaders and support a culture of nursing excellence and improved staff/patient outcomes.