Leadership Development
Developing internal staff is a cost-effective way to build leaders within the organization. The advantages include knowledge of the skills and strengths of the candidates, the cost saving in retaining high-performing staff, and the ability to design a program that fits the organization’s specific needs. In fact, many nurse leaders fail not because they don’t want to do the job, but because they don’t have the leadership tools required.
Built around Benner’s novice to expert concepts (Benner, 2000), one hospital designed a leadership curriculum that targeted the learning needs of staff at different developmental levels, e.g., 200 level for charge nurses, 300 level for assistant nurse managers, 400 level for nurse managers (Swearingen, 2009). As a result, the organization developed a pool of candidates available for promotion to higher-level positions. In addition, they found nurse retention rates improved.
Succession Planning Due to an aging nursing workforce, as well as the overall shortage of nurses, succession plan- ning at all levels of nursing management is essential to ensure a smooth transition after a man- ager leaves or retires (Ponti, 2009). Succession planning is a strategic process that is a natural outgrowth of leadership development. It involves identifying core competencies required at each level of management, recognizing potential recruits, and providing opportunities for develop- ment and growth.
One institution developed a nurse management internship program to prepare first-line man- agers from an internal pool of interested nurses (Wendler, Olson-Sitki, & Prater, 2009). The one- year program successfully prepared several nurses for management positions in its first year. Those costs were recouped when a long term management opening was filled by one of the nurses who completed the internship.