Linking succession planning to nurses’ performance management: The mediating role of career development

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the level of succession planning and nurses’ performance management and explore the relationship between both and the mediating role of career development in such a relationship. Background: Succession planning is a noteworthy human capital development strategy that cultivates a pool of talented individuals, thus surges nurses’ performance. Integrating career development with succession planning helps healthcare organizations to overcome future talent deficiencies and instability and groom high-potential nurses for key positions. This creates a sense of stability and security in nursing profession. Design & Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted at the inpatient medical, surgical and critical care units of XX University Hospital. We utilised a total population sampling of 745 nurses (purposive sampling technique). Three tools were used as follows: the succession planning scale, the performance management scale and the career development scale. Findings: Rendering the findings of this study, all nurses have moderate perception regarding succession planning and majority of them have high perception regarding performance management. In addition, two third of nurses have high perception regarding career development. Besides, there is a statistically high significant relationship between succession planning and performance management. Also, there is a statistically moderate significant relationship between succession planning and career development. There is a statistically high significant statistical relationship between performance management and career development. SEM model proves and concluded that there is an impact of succession planning on performance management through career development as mediating factor. Practice Implications: Integrating training and career development with succession planning helps healthcare organizations to overcome future talent deficiencies and instability and groom high-potential nurses for key positions. Also, a well-executed succession planning system can improve nurses’ performance and career development, ultimately leading to the achievement of individual and organizational goals. nurse managers could reduce recruitment costs by selecting or promoting nurses from within the organization's pool of trained nursing personnel.