Nurse executives' perspectives on succession planning.

Six nurse executives from 5 settings were interviewed to learn more about how succession planning is being applied in today's practice. Their experiences, presented in this article, provide a snapshot of ways succession planning can be applied in different organizations. Interviewees share their personal philosophy, concepts, and approaches to succession planning. Although these nurse executives approach succession planning differently, they share a belief that succession planning is embedded in the nurse executive role and that succession planning is key to sustaining quality nursing practice. Insights and recommendations for further study of succession planning are summarized.