Deliberate succession planning efforts and appropriate resource allocation require strategic planning and evaluation methods. Detailed evaluation methods demonstrating a positive return on investment utilising a cost-benefit analysis and empirical outcomes are necessary.

The implementation of a formal nurse manager succession planning programme effectively reduces replacement costs and time to transition into the new role. This programme provides an internal pipeline of future leaders who will be more successful than external candidates. Using an actual cost-benefit analysis equips nurse managers with valuable evidence depicting succession planning as a viable business strategy.

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Cirsium pitcheri is a monocarpic perennial endemic to the shorelines of the Great Lakes, primarily Lakes Huron and Michigan. Its populations are being reduced by anthropogenic impact and deer grazing throughout much of its range. Several of its once abundant populations at some locations have been extirpated. The species is listed as threatened and endangered in Canada and the United States, respectively. Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effects of simulated herbivory by white-tailed deer on the survival, growth, and compensatory ability of plants. We found mat Cirsium pitcheri possessed good ability to compensate for tissue loss. However, simulated intensive browsing resulted in significant reductions in root dry weight. Since the flowering ability of monocarpic perennials such as Cirsium pitcheri is dictated by the amount of stored root reserves, such reductions in root biomass may delay the onset of flowering, reduce overwinter survival, and affect the future growth and survival of this threatened species. Keywords: white-tailed deer, browsing, defoliation, compensation, Cirsium pitcheri, Pitcher's thistle.

This article discusses how a group of directors and nursing staff in a rural hospital created an innovative unit meeting model using electronic technology to communicate with staff in a more meaningful manner and still comply with regulatory requirements and 2-way information needs.