From frontline nurse managers to academic program directors: research, strategies, and commonalities

Filling a void: An examination of academic nursing administrators' perceptions of organizational support

INTRODUCTION

Organizational support from executive administration can inhibit or foster success in a nursing program and impacts academic nursing administrators' effectiveness and longevity. Academic nursing administrators have expressed concerns about a lack of support and dissatisfaction with the role, therefore choosing to retire early or leave the position.

PURPOSE

This study investigated academic nursing administrators' perceptions of organizational support and examined if differences existed among graduate, baccalaureate, and associate degree nursing program administrators.

METHODS

A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was utilized to examine 502 academic nursing administrators' perceptions of organizational support using a 10-item instrument measuring perceived organizational support. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

Academic nursing administrators' perceived their organization to be modestly supportive with a mean of 5.2 (SD = 1.32) on a 1-7 scale (n = 502). Additionally, perceptions of organizational support did not vary by program type, suggesting academic nursing administrators had similar levels of perceived organizational support among all types of programs.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Organizational support is of paramount importance to the success, satisfaction, and longevity of academic nursing administrators. This study adds to the literature specific to perceived organizational support among academic nursing administrators and provides opportunities for future research.

Nursing Academic Leadership: An Urgent Workforce Shortage in Nursing Education

AIM

The aim of the study was to describe the California nursing academic leader workforce shortage, identify succession planning activities, analyze driving and restraining forces of the role, and distinguish critical leadership competencies and onboarding strategies.

BACKGROUND

Several studies have projected a workforce shortage for nursing academic leaders and studied the leadership competencies and driving and restraining forces impacting the role.

METHOD

The study was a secondary descriptive analysis of an existing cross-sectional needs assessment survey administered to California nursing academic leaders of prelicensure programs.

RESULTS

The results validated an impending workforce shortage for California nurse academic leaders, with 66 percent planning to leave their positions in the next five years and 46 percent not having a succession plan in place.

CONCLUSION

To avoid threatening the success of nursing programs, a sustainable plan to address the workforce shortage of well-prepared academic nurse leaders is urgently needed.

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.

Concept analysis: Succession planning

The aim is to understand the concept of succession planning and its application to initiate successful succession planning in nursing education. In nursing education, there is a lack of qualified academic nursing administrators associated with a national nursing faculty shortage. Succession planning is often confused with other leadership management techniques. An understanding of the concept and its application is required to initiate successful succession planning in nursing education. Walker and Avant's methodological approach was followed for this concept analysis. The electronic databases searched included CINAHL, Medline, Google Scholar, PROQUEST, ERIC, PsycINFO, along with reference and bibliographic lists, relevant books, and public domain websites. The initial search terms included: succession planning, academic deans/directors, and nursing education. A pattern of five attributes emerged related to the characteristics of the concept of succession planning: organizational support and culture, attitude, commitment, and resources. Antecedents included strategic planning, identification of potential individuals, leadership development, mentoring programs, and identification of leadership competencies. Consequences of succession planning appeared to be related to retention, recruitment, improved leadership competencies, decreased role transition stress, and a healthier work environment. Succession planning has been defined as the proactive strategy involving the purposeful identification, assessment, and development of individuals through the processes of educating and mentoring for future leadership positions and establishing leadership continuity within an institution. Succession planning is needed for the continued growth and development academic nursing leaders.

Succession Planning in Nursing Academia: A Scoping Review

Purpose

The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the range of literature about succession planning in nursing education.

Background

Succession planning establishes leadership continuity and inherent knowledge within an institution and nursing education. Most of the literature on succession in nursing is focused in the healthcare setting with limited information of succession planning in nursing education discovered.

Method

Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework was used to guide this review.

Results

Emergent categories in the charted literature representing succession planning in nursing education included discouraging factors to assuming a leadership role, encouraging factors to assuming a leadership role, and strategies for successful succession planning.

Conclusion

There are many factors that discourage and encourage a faculty member when pursuing a leadership position. Developing and implementing a successful succession plan that includes the development of leadership abilities and traits could foster the development of future leaders in nursing education.

Educational Model to Increase the Number and Diversity of RN to BSN Graduates From a Resource-Limited Rural Community

Increasing the number of BSN-prepared nurses at the bedside is directly linked to improved health care outcomes. However, employers are challenged to find enough BSN graduates to meet workforce demands. This article presents an educational model that uses evidence-based practices to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of RN students in a BSN program (RN-BSN) in a resource limited rural community. This exemplar may equip nurse educators with strategies to adopt in their own communities.