Strategic planning is a process ‘‘by which the
guiding members of an organization envision its future
and develop the necessary procedures and operations
to achieve that future.’’1(p3) The planning
process includes creating a shared vision, understanding
the current state of nursing services, and conducting
a gap analysis based on that current state.
The beauty of a strategic plan is that it helps to identify
your strengths and opportunities and also address
the gaps of any weaknesses that might exist in
your services. Once gap analysis is complete, a realistic
understanding of the distance between reality
and a preferred vision can be determined