Nursing leadership succession planning: paths for elaboration

Descriptive exploratory study with a qualitative approach carried out with nurses in a federal public teaching hospital. Data collection was carried out in two stages. The first was an individual interview, and the second was group mediation conducted based on the 4D Cycle and the assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry. Descriptive analysis of the findings was carried out.

Results

The data showed a highly qualified team of different generations, concerned with succession planning based on scientific evidence, involving teams and carried out carefully for nurses at different stages of their professional careers.

Conclusion

The principles of Appreciative Inquiry allowed the construction of a succession plan to enhance leadership development actions in the hospital. The collaborative environment between generations was valued and planning focused on participatory management was created in the process. This aspect can profoundly change the institution’s internal policy in several areas and point out ways to implement succession planning in different contexts.

Nursing Administration Research; Leadership; Education, Nursing, Continuing; Health Workforce; Nurse Administrators; Qualitative Research

Phases	Strategy	Questions
1 ^st D Discovery	Each subgroup received three slips of paper on which they were asked to write down three positive points they recognized in the institution related to leadership succession.	“Based on your experience, what positive points do you identify in leadership succession in the institution?”
2 ^nd D Dream	Considering the positive points identified by the subgroups, each was asked to describe five dreams about leadership succession for the institution. All descriptions were attached to the blackboard.	“What are your dreams for an ideal future regarding leadership succession in this institution?”
3 ^rd D Design	With all of the whole group’s dreams described, they were asked to select those considered possible. With the dreams defined, a chart was created for everyone’s visualization to record the goals and deadlines.	“What dreams are possible? What goals do you need to set to achieve those dreams? What is the time frame to reach those goals?”
4 ^th D Destiny	Planning was concluded, with the elaboration of what needed to be done to reach each goal, as well as the necessary actions and those responsible for executing them.	“What needs to be done for the dreams to come true?” “What actions need to be taken for the dreams to come true?” “Who is responsible for making the dreams come true?”

Internal policy/Shared management
Dreams	Goals	Timeline
Establishment of an internal leadership development policy	Establish guidelines for leadership succession.	One year
Implementation of shared management	Consolidate shared management.	Two years
Top management closer to “front line” workers, carrying out participatory planning	Map jobs, predict retirements and identify competencies.	Six months
Sharing decisions and greater team autonomy	Map jobs, predict retirements and identify competencies.	Six months

Leadership development
Dreams	Goals	Timeline
Creation of a leadership training program	Develop a leadership training program.	One and a half years
Development of ethical attitudes and hierarchical respect in leaders
Nurses’ leadership motivation
Implementation of practice by analyzing indicators
Implementation of the plan for training new leaders	Implement a leadership development program.	Two years

Dream	Goal	Timeline	Plan	Actions	How	Who
1. Establishment of an internal leadership development policy	Establish guidelines for leadership succession.	One year	Collectively develop guidelines for internal leadership development policy.	Create a Leadership Succession Commission.	Form a committee with different categories of nurses. Form main committee and support committee. Identify nurses interested and willing to participate.	D2, C1, C2, C5, C6, L1, L5, S10*
2. Implementation of shared management	Consolidate shared management.	Two years	Develop professional appreciation actions.	Promote the integration of the nursing teams.	Promote the leadership succession process through social media.	Leadership Succession Committee
2. Implementation of shared management	Consolidate shared management.	Two years	Encourage participatory actions.	Involve nursing teams in decision-making processes.	In each unit, select a representative from each nursing category.	Sector teams
3. Top management closer to “front line” workers, carrying out participatory planning	Map jobs, predict retirements and identify skills.	Six months	Map out the leadership, pensions, promotions and positions to be filled, within the set timeline.	Carry out an official and personalized survey of potential retirements.	Survey retirements through an active search in the Personnel Management Division, with a personalized and humanized approach to people who are approaching retirement.	Leadership Succession Committee
			Identify competencies.	Identify possible successors.	Identify successors based on team recommendations, professionals’ performance assessments, and the observance of the criteria.	Sector teams
Sharing decisions and greater team autonomy			Identify competencies.	Identify possible successors.		Sector teams
Sharing decisions and greater team autonomy			Establish criteria for taking positions.	Seek rationale to define leadership skills and eligibility criteria.	Search for rationale in evidence found via literature review.	D1*
4. Creation of a leadership training program. Development of ethical attitudes and hierarchical respect in leaders Nurses’ motivation for leadership. Implementation of leadership practice by analyzing indicators	Develop a leadership training program.	One and a half years	Develop leadership competency among nurses in the institution.	Implement a training program at different management levels.	Create a program based on the guidelines.	C3, C4, C7, C8, L1, L3, S8, S9, S14, S16*
	Develop a leadership training program.	One and a half years			Start the program	C3, C4, C7, C8, L1, L3, S8, S9, S14, S16*
5. Implement the plan to train new leaders	Implement a leadership development program.	Two years	Schedule implementation steps.	Promote the leadership succession training plan.	Official launch of the leadership training program at Nursing Week 2018.	D1, D2* and Leadership Succession Committee

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419 , 05403-000 São Paulo - SP/ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 3061-7553, - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: reeusp@usp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Elyana Teixeira Sousa Av. das Palmeiras, s/n, Condomínio Rio Claro, casa 73, Jardim Imperial CEP 78075-901 – Cuiabá, MT, Brazil elyanasousa@hotmail.com

Brasil

Brasil

Nursing leadership succession planning: paths for elaboration* * Extracted from the thesis: “Planejamento de sucessão: uma ferramenta para potencializar a liderança em enfermagem”, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 2018.

ABSTRACT

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusion

Nursing leadership succession planning: paths for elaboration^* * Extracted from the thesis: “Planejamento de sucessão: uma ferramenta para potencializar a liderança em enfermagem”, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 2018.