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Sustainable Working Life in Intensive Care: A Qualitative Study of Older Nurses

Author

Listed:
  • Marta Sousa-Ribeiro

    (Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 11 419 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Petra Lindfors

    (Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 11 419 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Katinka Knudsen

    (Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 11 419 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

To counteract the shortage of nurses in the workforce, healthcare organizations must encourage experienced nurses to extend their working lives. Intensive care (IC) has higher nurse-to-patient ratios than other settings, which includes a particular susceptibility to staff shortage. This qualitative study investigated how older IC nurses experienced their working life and their reflections on the late-career and retirement. Semi-structured interviews with 12 IC nurses in Sweden (aged 55–65 years) were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. The results showed that nurses planned to continue working until the age of 65 and beyond. When reflecting on their late-career decisions, nurses considered nine areas covering individual, work, and organizational factors as being central to their ability and willingness to stay. Overall, the nurses had good health and were very satisfied and committed to their job and to the organization. They mentioned having both the job and personal resources required to cope with the physical and mental job demands, which were perceived as motivational challenges, rather than hinders. They also reflected on various human resource management practices that may promote aging-in-workplace. These findings may inform organizations aiming at providing adequate conditions for enabling healthy and sustainable working lives for IC nurses.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Sousa-Ribeiro & Petra Lindfors & Katinka Knudsen, 2022. "Sustainable Working Life in Intensive Care: A Qualitative Study of Older Nurses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-27, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:6130-:d:818201
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christine Duffield & Elizabeth Graham & Judith Donoghue & Rhonda Griffiths & Jen Bichel‐Findlay & Sofia Dimitrelis, 2015. "Why older nurses leave the workforce and the implications of them staying," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(5-6), pages 824-831, March.
    2. Yujie Zhan & Mo Wang, 2015. "Bridge Employment: Conceptualizations and New Directions for Future Research," Springer Books, in: P. Matthijs Bal & Dorien T.A.M. Kooij & Denise M. Rousseau (ed.), Aging Workers and the Employee-Employer Relationship, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 203-220, Springer.
    3. René Schalk & Donatienne Desmette, 2015. "Intentions to Continue Working and Its Predictors," Springer Books, in: P. Matthijs Bal & Dorien T.A.M. Kooij & Denise M. Rousseau (ed.), Aging Workers and the Employee-Employer Relationship, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 187-201, Springer.
    4. Cort W. Rudolph & Annet H. Lange & Beatrice Heijden, 2015. "Adjustment Processes in Bridge Employment: Where We Are and Where We Need To Go," Springer Books, in: P. Matthijs Bal & Dorien T.A.M. Kooij & Denise M. Rousseau (ed.), Aging Workers and the Employee-Employer Relationship, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 221-242, Springer.
    5. Peter Browne & Ewan Carr & Maria Fleischmann & Baowen Xue & Stephen A. Stansfeld, 2019. "The relationship between workplace psychosocial environment and retirement intentions and actual retirement: a systematic review," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 73-82, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kerstin Nilsson & Clas-Håkan Nygård & Tove Midtsundstad & Peter Lundqvist & Joanne Crawford, 2023. "Sustainable Healthy Working Life for All Ages—Work Environment, Age Management and Employability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-5, February.
    2. Marie Bjuhr & Maria Engström & Anna-Karin Welmer & Magnus Lindberg & Britt-Marie Sjölund, 2022. "Incentives behind and Experiences of Being Active in Working Life after Age 65 in Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-10, November.
    3. John Rodwell, 2022. "Prospective Drivers of Nurses’ Partial or Complete Retirement Seven Years Later: Work Ability and Physical Functioning Going against the Tide of Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    4. John Rodwell & Dianne Johnson, 2022. "The State of the Psychological Contract, Justice and Engagement Drive Nurses’ Performance Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-11, October.

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