Insights from nurse leaders to optimize retaining late career nurses

A service improvement project of a legacy nurse programme to improve the retention of late career nurses

BACKGROUND

A Nottingham Legacy Nurse Programme was developed in response to the reducing supply of new nursing registrants and an ageing workforce. The programme comprised components of focussed mentorship, knowledge transition, support and development of new learners in practice.

AIMS

The work-based development programme aimed to improve the retention and experience of late career registered nurses.

METHODS

The programme was informed by the evidence base and co-produced with late career registered nurses (aged 55 years or over, approaching retirement). A small pilot programme (n = 6) was evaluated through a mixed-methods approach. Refinements and recommendations were proposed in response to findings of a scoping search of the literature, feedback from participants and stakeholder groups across the NHS Midlands and East regions (n = 238).

RESULTS

A Legacy Nurse programme has potential to address nurses' individual career development needs, valuing and retaining them in the workforce, enabling them to share professional knowledge and skills within clinical teams and offers a cost-effective solution to improving retention of late career nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing the needs of late career registered nurses is required to improve retention, job satisfaction, quality-of-care provision and facilitate knowledge transfer. The programme requires evaluation in other care settings and should be considered as part of an integrated approach to nurse retention, inclusive talent management and workforce planning, alongside financial and careers advice.

The Changing Landscape of Continuing Care in Alberta: Staff and Resident Characteristics in Supportive Living and Long-Term Care

With provincial policy changing institutional care provision for older adults who are unable to safely remain at home, supportive living represents a new middle-ground to provide care for older adults. We compared characteristics of supportive living staff and residents to those in long-term care (LTC), using facility and staff surveys, as well as administrative Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) data, to describe differences and similarities between facility types. Data analysis included t-tests, chi-square tests, ridit analyses and odds ratios. Participants from 15 supportive living facilities were compared to participants from eight LTC homes. Supportive living healthcare aides were younger, worked fewer years and were more likely to work full time than LTC healthcare aides. LTC residents were more likely than supportive living residents to have: cognitive impairment, medical instability, and activities of daily living dependence. This knowledge, which situates supportive living in the new care continuum, is useful for policy makers and administrators deciding on interventions and clinical guidelines for care groups.