As we are facing yet another brutal nursing shortage, nursing leaders should thrive to pass an important leadership test, which is the law of legacy. Legacy means to pass something immaterial from one generation to another. The ability and willingness for nursing leaders to reproduce themselves in other nurses are very important in the efforts to attract and keep people practicing the nursing profession.

The nursing shortage without a doubt affects everyone in the healthcare system, including the professional nurse. One of the issues with the nursing shortage is the aging of nurses with the average age of 46.8. According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, there is a decline of 20% in the number of graduate nurses taking the national licensure exam, which means that there are fewer nurses available to replace the ones that are retiring. Though there is a great demand for nurses to provide direct care, nurses are also needed as researchers, health-care administrators, policy analysts, and nurse executives.

Here are five easy steps that current nurse leaders need to do on their parts to help alleviate the nursing shortage by being pro-active in reproducing themselves.

Take the time to seek future leaders
Nurse leaders need to make it a point to visit and spend time with nurses in their work environment. Being in their day to day world gives you an opportunity to observe younger nurses at work, and it give them the opportunity to dialogue with you and get to know you in a human level.

Handpick your future leaders
Your future nurse leader is currently in your facility, and it is a privilege for you to be able to handpick him/her. Do not wait until a position is vacant for you to start looking for someone to fill it from outside. Get to know the nurses that are currently in your employment, develop them according to their skills and interests to prepare them for their future career step.

Develop influential leaders
In the effort of reproducing yourself in others, pay close attention not to call them to simply follow you but to develop them to be able to influence others. Help them to develop their leadership skills and be resourceful so others can recognize them as experts in the nursing field.

Challenges leaders to reproduce
As you go thru this reproductive process as a leader, having had the experience and the difficulties of finding and molding your protégé, make it a goal to engrain very early in them the importance of learning to reproduce themselves in others also.

Demonstration of leadership
Model your leadership skills. The nurse leaders in training will learn best when they see you in action as a leader. Be aware that their eyes will be on you as you handle difficult situations, deal with people and do your day-to-day duties.

Calling others to follow you
Nursing leaders are without a doubt preoccupied with their day-to-day duties, but one of the most important marks of an effective leader is the ability to develop other leaders. Developing other leaders ensures that the vision of the facility will live on long after the current leaders are gone. With this goal in mind, the effective leader then needs to be pro-active in seeking to find younger nurses to reproduce themselves.

About the Author: Emma Soy, RN, BSN Career Coach has over 17 years in pediatric nursing, home health and health care management. She is the founder of the Nursing Shepherd, a resource for nurses who wants to take control of their career and fulfill potential success in nursing.

As a coach, Emma helps nurses uncover their talents, and encourage them to combine their gifts with their nursing experience to acquire a dream opportunity in nursing.

To receive 15 minutes of coaching session with Emma, sign up for her e-newsletters at http://www.nursingshepherd.com