“I Don’t Want Your Job!” A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Succession Planning in Nursing Education

Purpose: There is a shortage of academic nursing leaders associated with a national nursing faculty shortage. The current nursing faculty shortages and the pending retirements of experienced academic nurse leaders suggest an urgent need for academic nursing to develop and implement succession planning strategies to restore and maintain the supply of academic nurse leaders (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2017; Dezure, Shaw, & Rojewski, 2014; Vogelsang, 2014). The need for succession planning is vital for the development of talented and promising academic nurse leaders, and to maintain sufficient numbers of academic nurse leaders for the future. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to provide a summary of the descriptions of succession planning, as self-reported by administrators over an academic nursing division.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive methodology was chosen to facilitate exploration of succession planning from administrators over an academic nursing division of accredited nursing programs from either a non-profit, private, or public institution located within the United States. A purposeful sample participated in an online survey questionnaire (n=24) and semi-structured interviews (n=2).

Results: The categories discovered in the data included strategies for succession planning implementation, advantages of succession planning, and obstacles to succession planning. Themes related to the strategies needed to implement succession planning included grow your own and resources. Themes related to the advantages of succession planning included transition, knowledge, experience, and understanding, and emotional and moral support. The themes related to the obstacles of succession planning encompassed unpreparedness, lack of interest and support, and lack of resources.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that while there are obstacles to succession planning, there are attainable strategies available for succession planning implementation. Succession planning can provide growth plans, leadership development, and mentoring programs allowing for positive relationships that cultivate, inspire, and assist faculty in developing the necessary skills to be successful in a leadership role. The current generation of nursing educators have a responsibility to become involved in succession planning through the process of identification, recruitment, development, and mentorship of potential future leaders to ensure the continued successful leadership of an organization and within nursing education. Understanding the concept of succession planning through the descriptions provided may help institutions and individuals recognize the value of succession planning. This knowledge may be used as a strategy to address the impending shortage of academic nursing leaders by preparing and mentoring potential candidates for leadership roles in the future.