By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
When Nick Saban, longtime football coach at the University of Alabama, announced his retirement from the sport in January 2024, an unintended ripple effect led to more than 60 players and coaches leaving their positions or current teams. This has been made possible by a transfer portal allowing players to switch schools if coaches leave. The 4th ranked Alabama team is expected to be much weaker due to player loss in 2024.
Thinking about this problem led me to reflect on our recent conversation with charge nurses during a Nuts and Bolts leadership development session. Several charge nurses told us that their longtime nurse managers announced they would leave their positions in 2024. The charge nurses said their managers are burned out after four turbulent years of holding their teams together. They predicted that the fallout from losing a beloved and highly respected manager could be massive. They noted that nurses have little loyalty to their organizations, and many are already looking for new roles.
Although the relationship between nurse manager turnover and staff retention has not been well-studied, it does appear to be closely related anecdotally. These charge nurses pointed out that staff are scared and feel less psychologically safe when uncertain about who may step into the role, given that nurse manager recruitment is very challenging. The current manager can do little to alleviate these concerns as they, too, are unsure about who their successor might be, especially if they have a weak leadership bench strength.
After listening to these charge nurses, I realized that the transitional period between nurse managers is a high-risk time for any organization. CNOs and ACNOs must plan meetings with unit staff to discuss transitional plans and hopefully seek input on the qualities that should be sought in the new leader. Too often, the transition plan is to give one of the current nurse managers an additional unit when the current leader leaves. This can drag on for months, especially when recruitment is challenging.
Gallup researchers make a strong business case that the most important leaders and linchpins in any organization are those on the front lines. Losses of great leaders or great coaches (like Nick Saban) can have massive unintended and costly consequences. The story of Nick Saban’s retirement is an important reminder that great leaders matter and the loss of these leaders can seriously impact their organizations.
© emergingrnleader.com 2024
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