Recalibrating identity and adapting roles: ageing at work among senior nurses in Saudi Arabia

Nursing workforces worldwide are ageing, yet little is known about how senior nurses experience ageing at work and adapt their professional roles within rapidly modernising healthcare systems. In Saudi Arabia, health system transformation and digitalisation have intensified these challenges, making it essential to understand later-career nurses' experiences to support retention and workforce sustainability.

An interpretive qualitative design informed by Gadamerian hermeneutic philosophy was employed. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in [specify: primarily Arabic/English], audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English using a meaning-oriented approach where required. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by Gadamerian hermeneutics, supported by NVivo. Trustworthiness was ensured through reflexive journaling, peer debriefing, an audit trail, and attention to negative cases.

Four interrelated themes described ageing at work as an adaptive and relational process rather than a linear decline: (1) Recalibrating professional identity, as nurses shifted from hands-on "doers" to mentors and guides while negotiating value and visibility in digitalised workplaces; (2) Negotiating physical and cognitive transitions, involving pacing, task redistribution, and compensatory learning strategies to sustain safe practice; (3) Bridging generations through informal leadership, where senior nurses mentored junior colleagues and mediated cultural and generational differences; and (4) Adapting to technological and organisational change, experienced as both a challenge and a catalyst for role realignment and strategic repositioning.

Ageing at work in nursing is characterised by active identity work, embodied self-management, and informal leadership. Senior nurses play critical yet often under-recognised roles in mentoring, knowledge transfer, and organisational stability. Workforce policies should formally recognise these contributions, provide inclusive technology training, and enable flexible role redesign to support the retention and flourishing of an ageing nursing workforce.

Not applicable.