Succession planning in nursing education

Background: Succession planning in nursing is a new concept with limited evidence found in nursing education. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive summary of the descriptions of succession planning, as self-reported by administrators over an academic nursing division. Methods: A qualitative descriptive methodology was utilized to obtain descriptions of succession planning from participants having personal experience with succession planning. Findings: The categories discovered in the data included strategies for succession planning implementation, advantages of succession planning, and obstacles to succession planning. Discussion: Succession planning can provide growth plans, leadership development, and mentoring programs allowing for positive relationships that cultivate, inspire, and assist faculty to develop the necessary skills to be successful in a leadership role. Succession planning requires adequate financial and human resources to develop potential leaders to meet the future needs of an organization, and ultimately, nursing education. Cite this article: Phillips L.K. (2021, January/February). Succession planning in nursing education ?. Nurs Outlook, 69(1), 32-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.08.004.