Policy responses to ageing nursing workforce - James Buchan

A recent report by the International Centre on Nurse Migration (ICNM), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), and CGFNS International, Inc. addresses the issue of the ageing nursing workforce and focuses on policy implications and necessary actions. The report builds on the World Health Organization’s State of the World’s Nursing 2020 (SOWN) report which identified that one in six (17%) of nurses worldwide are aged 55 years or over and expected to retire within the next ten years. The SOWN report estimates that 4.7 million new nurses will have to be educated and employed to replace those older nurses who retire, in addition to the current 5.9 million nurse shortage, resulting in a total of 10.6 million additional nurses required by 2030.

Lead author Professor James Buchan, adjunct professor at the WHO Collaborating Centre at the University of Technology, emphasises the risk of losing the most experienced members of the nursing profession and highlights the need to employ retention policies for older nurses. Professor James Buchan argues that the retention of experienced nurses is particularly relevant now, when the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the risk of global nursing shortages. This report is particularly relevant for nurses in our Region where many countries have policies of compulsory retirement at age 55 while at the same time also experiencing shortages of this critical health workforce.

The report is synthesising evidence with regards to the factors contributing to older nurses’ satisfaction and retention and provides a ten-point plan for supporting older nurses in their work:

1. Understanding the workforce profile and employment needs of older nurses
2. Avoiding age bias in the recruitment process
3. Providing flexible working that meets older nurses’ needs
4. Ensuring older nurses have access to professional development and career opportunities
5. Ensuring occupational health and safety policies enable staff wellbeing
6. Supporting job redesign to reduce workload and stress to optimise the contribution of older nurses
7. Maintain pay and benefits that meet older nurses’ needs
8. Support older nurses in advanced and specialised practice and mentorship roles
9. Maintain succession planning to enable knowledge transfer and leadership development
10. Provide retirement planning options and flexible pension provision

 

To read the full report, please click here.