Job retention and job satisfaction of older nurses in the workplace

Nurses in the Baby-Boomer generation are reaching retirement age in record numbers, a phenomenon that has contributed to the existing shortage of nurses in the workforce. Strategies to retain older nurses in the workplace are limited in number and lack documented effectiveness. Research has not yet clarified the relationships among variables that potentially impact job satisfaction and intent to stay in nursing among older nurses. The purpose of this correlational study was to explore job satisfaction, job retention, and associated factors in older nurses. The framework of this study was the Organizational Dynamics Paradigm of Nurse Retention (Taunton, Boyle, Woods, Hansen, & Bott, 1997). The study was a partial replication of Letvak and Buck’s (2008) work, which was conducted in one Southern state in the United States of America. The sample for this study was registered nurses (n = 200) from three Midwestern states, randomly selected from databases maintained by state boards of nursing and invited to complete a six-part survey based on the work of Letvak and Buck, Mueller and McCloskey (1990), and McCain (McCloskey, 1990). Findings will assist nurse leaders in designing strategies to improve job satisfaction of older nurses and retain older nurses in the workplace.