Changing Workforce Demographics Necessitates Succession Planning in Health Care

Abstract

Health care organizations continue to be plagued by labor shortage issues. Further complicating the already existing workforce challenges is an aging population poised to retire en masse within the next few years. With fewer cohorts in the age group of 25 to 44 years (Vital Speeches Day. 2004:71:23-27), a more mobile workforce (Grow Your Own Leaders: How to Identify, Develop, and Retain Leadership Talent, 2002), and an overall reduction in the number of individuals seeking employment in the health care field (J Healthc Manag. 2003:48:6-11), the industry could be faced with an unmanageable number of vacant positions throughout the organization. Bracing for the potential impact of these issues is crucial to the ongoing business continuity of health care organization. Many health care organizations have embraced succession planning to combat the potential labor famine. However, the health care industry as a whole seems to lag behind other industries in terms of succession planning efforts (Healthc Financ Manage. 2005;59:64-67). This article seeks to provide health care managers with a framework for improving the systematic preparation of the next generation of managers by analyzing the succession planning process. The proposition of these models is to initiate and simplify the gap reduction between theoretical concepts and future organizational application.

Building the Leadership Development Pipeline

“…Figure 1 provides a framework for deliberately incorporating the CNS into an organization's leadership development pipeline. 8,9 Although leadership is a known competency of CNS practice, 10 the CNS clinical leadership role is not one historically included in hospital succession plans. Given the organization and systems sphere of CNS practice and the role's known contributions to outcomes, having the CNS role targeted in organizational succession planning speaks highly about the CNS's importance as connector and integrator across hospitals and healthcare systems.…”

“…As for the focus of this vision, organizations tend to place most attention on areas where the highest return on organizational investment will be received. 8 Because clinical leaders like CNSs are seen as the critical element for ensuring safe environments for patient care, 11 this warrants making the investment in their leadership development and incorporating CNSs into succession planning.…”

“…The focus in the assessment component may be on where human capital is needed as compared to who is needed. 8 Alternatively, stellar individuals may also be identified as candidates to be cultivated into leadership positions somewhere within the organization. Given the stellar candidate scenario, the focus of the assessment component may be on who rather than where.…”

“…Clinical nurse specialist incorporation into the leadership development pipeline: a 5-step succession planning model based on synthesis of the literature 8,9. …”

Succession Planning

“…As a whole, organizations across all business sectors tend to seek external replacements most often for toplevel positions. 12 This is especially true in organizations where radical change is needed, which internal candidates are thought to be capable of overlooking. Externally recruited leaders bring a fresh perspective to the organization when radical change is needed.…”