Developing a succession plan: the North Bronx Healthcare Network

After 3 years of reorganizing a nursing department, surviving 2 very successful Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) visits, developing an outcomes-based leadership program for head nurses, and assisting a large health care network navigate change, a nurse executive stops to think about succession planning. The challenge to develop a plan includes her own history, others' definitions, and finally developing her own definition and plan. Included are the complications of planning within a network that includes long-term and loyal employees. Finally, the steps to achieving that plan are outlined with the goal of having the nursing department continue to flourish and survive in a diverse network system.