Succession Planning and the Future of Perioperative Nursing Leadership

• Published in: AORN journal 2018-08, Vol.108 (2), p.191-194
• Main Author: Doyle, Donna J., DNP, RN, CNOR, NE‐BC
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Baby boomers; Critical thinking; Hospitals; Labor shortages; Leadership; Managers; Medical/Surgical; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing administration; Skills; Succession planning; Trends; Wages & salaries
• ISSN: 1878-0369; 0001-2092; 1878-0369
• DOI: 10.1002/aorn.12308

According to the "Results of the 2017 AORN salary and compensation survey" by Bacon et al,2 the average age of perioperative nurse respondents has remained within a narrow range of 47 to 50 years based on data from the last 11 years of AORN salary survey trends. Additionally, 45% of respondents to the 2017 survey were over the age of 50 years. Because nurses in the OR are older, on average, than nurses in other specialties, the OR is at a high risk for a critical shortage of RNs and RN managers, who generally are promoted from staff nurses.1 Perioperative nurse managers are as important to replace as RNs because effective leadership is critical to the success of the department.3 Buerhaus et al4 indicated that the impending nursing shortage is expected to be more than double any nursing shortage that has occurred since the 1960s. [...]fewer students choose to pursue perioperative nursing, which further exacerbates the shortage.6 Providing access to surgical care is a major challenge for meeting the nation's health needs and is discussed in the Institute of Medicine (IOM)'s report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.7 The loss of RNs with critical thinking abilities who are considered expert practitioners means the loss of expert nurses who directly affect the quality and safety of the care provided. According to Randa and Heiser,11 the OR is the economic engine of the hospital because as much as 60% of hospital revenue is generated there. [...]providing the best combination of supplies, equipment, and human resources at the lowest cost to achieve positive patient outcomes is needed when considering meeting organizational financial metrics for a defined population.7 The inability to staff the OR with qualified RNs would ultimately affect the revenue stream, potentially leading hospital executives to attempt to recoup financial losses by replacing perioperative RNs with less qualified individuals.