Aging, experienced nurses: their value and needs

The nursing workforce mirrors the trend in population; that is, it is aging. Subsequently, older nurses experiencing some aging effects themselves are caring for more elderly patients needing more assistance with illness and wellness problems. To meet the growing demand for care in this era of nursing shortage, predicted to last beyond 2020, these nurses are needed to remain in the workforce longer. Lack of nurses in the workplace compromises patient care and increases job stress. Therefore, retention incentives need to be implemented to assist aging, experienced nurses to delay retirement or prevent them from leaving the profession early, as well as encouraging younger and future nurses to work longer. This article focuses on aging nurses, describing their demographics and needs, explicating their value and listing the resources and benefits needed to prolong their vital services in the workforce. (For this article, aging, older and mature refer to experienced nurses in their 40s, 50s and 60s.).