Succession Planning in Healthcare Leadership
Summary
Succession planning in healthcare leadership encompasses systematic strategies to identify, develop and retain individuals poised to assume key managerial and clinical governance roles. In an environment shaped by demographic shifts, escalating care demands and rapid technological advance, effective succession planning underpins organisational resilience and continuity of patient-centred services. Programmes typically integrate talent identification, competency frameworks, mentorship and targeted training to build a leadership pipeline capable of navigating complex regulatory, financial and ethical challenges. Beyond safeguarding institutional memory, robust succession planning fosters a culture of continual professional development, enhances staff engagement and mitigates risks associated with unplanned leadership vacuums. Globally, healthcare systems are aligning succession initiatives with strategic priorities, embedding inclusive leadership development and leveraging data analytics to anticipate future skill requirements.
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Succession Planning in Healthcare Leadership publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in succession planning in healthcare leadership across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Succession planning: A strategic process for identifying and preparing individuals to fill key leadership roles, ensuring organisational continuity.
Leadership pipeline: A structured pathway comprising stages of development through which potential leaders progress from entry-level roles to senior positions.
Mentorship: A developmental relationship in which an experienced leader provides guidance, support and feedback to a less experienced individual.
Competency framework: A defined set of skills, behaviours and knowledge required for effective performance in specific roles.
Action research: A participatory methodology that combines intervention and reflection to effect organisational change and evaluate outcomes.
References
- Succession Planning Leadership Model for Nurse Managers in Hospitals: A Narrative Review. Healthcare (2023).
- Nurses’ expectations about the succession of leaders in the hospital context*. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem (2019).
- Evidências no desenvolvimento da liderança em enfermagem com o uso da pesquisa-ação: revisão integrativa. Revista Eletrônica de Enfermagem (2017).
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