Predictors of the decision to retire among nurses in Spain

Background: Nurses typically retire in their late 50s and since nursing shortages exist in most countries understanding nursing staff decisions to retire might open up possibilities of encouraging and supporting them to remain in the workforce longer. Objective: This study examines potential predictors of retirement intentions amongst nurses working in Spain. Population: All registered nurses in Spain with 50 years old or more. Methods: Survey. Data were collected with the collaboration of the regional nursing associations in Spain using anonymous online questionnaires employed to nursing staff (n=497) for those who are 50 years or older. Results: Nurses indicated their interest in retiring, their planning for retirement, and their expectations for retiring. Results show that retirement intentions were higher in nursing staff that were older, experienced higher levels of burnout, indicated poorer levels of self-reported health, and reported greater job demands and more negative work attitudes (less affective commitment, job involvement, work engagement). The majority of these were "push" factors which are related to dissatisfaction in the workplace. Conclusion: Organizations can and should create age-friendly workplaces enabling them to cope with the nursing shortage and workplaces can be changed to better accommodate the needs and expectations of older employees.