JONA Volume 42, Number 10, pp 461-466 Copyright B 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

THE JOURNAL OF NURSING ADMINISTRATION

Nurturing Charge Nurses for Future Leadership Roles
Patricia A. Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN Douglas Oliver, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, NE-BC Rebecca S. Miltner, PhD, RNC-OB, NEA-BC Charge nurses are untapped leadership resources that can be groomed for future advanced leadership positions in healthcare organizations. The purpose of this study was to understand the development needs for the charge nurse role. This study demonstrates they receive little or no training for assuming positions of leadership and offers suggestions for enhancement of preparation. There is growing evidence of an impending crisis in chief nursing officer (CNO) retention.1 Seventy percent of CNOs report they will change jobs or retire in the future.2 The critical need for succession planning in nursing leadership has been demonstrated, yet two-thirds of CNOs reported that they do not have succession plans in place.3 Proactive planning is clearly needed to prepare the next generation of nursing leaders.4 The 1st step in succession planning is to identify nurses to mentor and develop. Commonly, nurses in management roles are likely candidates for development; however, many organizations do not consider charge nurses candidates for advancement based on the perception of the role as more of a task master than leader.5 Martha Dawson, DNP, RN, FACHE Kathleen A. Ladner, PhD, RN, FACHE

and play a mission-essential role in managing patient flow, staffing, patient and family concerns, interdepartmental issues, and a myriad of other administrative processes.5,6 They often perform these functions in the absence of any specialized education, training, or orientation.5,6 Undergraduate nursing programs do not consistently prepare new graduates to learn the