Motivating Factors for Nurses Aged 65 Years and Older to Extend Their Work Life

Nurses age 65 years and older who retire will leave a knowledge gap in the workforce unless motivated to continue working. A knowledge gap in the workforce is of concern to human resource professionals because healthcare professionals may not be able to keep pace with the increase in patients needing medical care. Grounded in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what factors motivated nurses aged 65 years and older to extend their work life. The participants comprised 6 nurses aged 65 years and older who were still working or semiretired within the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast sections of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and publicly accessible documents. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The emergent themes included knowledge sharing and workplace environment, financial and emotional issues of retirement, job satisfaction and recognition, flexible scheduling and job sharing, and mentoring and career planning. A key recommendation includes the opportunity for healthcare leaders to capitalize on the knowledge, skills, and experience of retiring nurses. Implications for positive social change include prolongation of older healthcare workers’ employment contributions for socioeconomic, organizational, and individual benefits by fostering continuous dialogue concerning older workers choosing to extend their work life beyond retirement