Insights from nurse leaders to optimize retaining late career nurses

In an effort to stem the loss of Ontario's late career nurses, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care introduced the Late Career Nurse Initiative (LCNI) to implement a 0.20 full-time equivalent reduction of physically or psychologically demanding duties of nurses aged 55 or over and repurposing this time to enriching and less demanding activities. Fifty-nine nurse leaders were interviewed to explore their perceptions associated with implementing the LCNI in their respective organizations. Following a qualitative directed content analysis approach, three themes emerged: (1) having a strategic approach, (2) leveraging staff expertise and (3) securing organizational support.