Older nurses retirement or ... CareerOptions?

Many nurses are in what is now called the "third age" would continue working if they felt respected and empowered and could reduce the physical demands of the nursing role. Researchers have coined the term "the third age" for those nurses who have an extra 30 years beyond the lifespan of their ancestors a mere century ago. This suggests that nurses need not have to consider 55-65 as the end of their nursing career. Some believe nurses will continue long beyond the normal retirement years if they are offered various options such as: reduced hours, serving as mentors or clinical faculty, and consulting on outside projects. Ways that leverage their knowledge and experience and keep them in the profession.

Various organizations around the county are attempting to tap into this potential workforce (baby boom group looking at retirement). Facilities cannot afford to ignore losing all the expertise, knowledge and talent of the third age nurses. Healthcare organizations need to focus on flexible working hours (10-12 hours shifts are out of the question), reducing physical demanding roles, develop new pathways where nurses are respected and empowered for their expertise and skills

Nurses also need to consider that a longer lifespan mean more years to stretch retirement dollars. This can be presented as more years with additional time to save and fewer years in retirement. Although many nurses leave the profession when bedside nursing becomes too physically demanding for them; options such as shorter shifts, and different roles such as mentoring can excite nurses about renewing their commitment to nursing with additional years in healthcare.

It is often stated a nurse is a nurse and most don't necessarily want to leave; they just haven't thought about how or what they could do things differently Whether nurses continue what they are doing or move into a different role, the important thing to realize is that careers in nursing are constantly evolving and need not "be coming to an end" after age 55- 65.

Healthcare must quickly create programs and pathways for the third age group that reduces work hours, decrease physically demanding positions, and open doors for the experienced nurse to be a mentor, a part-time partner, educators, even an ambassador for health care.