Development and Validation of Models of Health Professionals' Early and Involuntary Retirement

Abstract

Availability of health professionals is fundamental to population health. Multiple trends, including an ageing workforce and selective early retirement, contribute to a shortage of health care providers. PURPOSE: Develop and validate conceptual models of early retirement and involuntary retirement among Registered Nurses (RN) and allied health professionals (AHPs). METHOD: A review of literature relating to early retirement and voluntariness of retirement (n = 22 studies). Any factor reported as predictive of early or involuntary retirement was incorporated into the appropriate conceptual model. To validate the models, we conducted interviews with a diverse group of Canadian RNs and AHPs (n = 14). RESULTS: The conceptual model of early retirement had eight categories including 38 variables: workplace characteristics; sociodemographics; attitudes/beliefs; broader context; organizational factors; family; lifestyle/health, and; work-related. The model of involuntary retirement had three categories (7 variables) : broader context; sociodemographics, lifestyle/health and family. The family category including caregiving responsibilities was added to this model based on interviews. Interview participants reported the models to be clear, logical and relevant. DISCUSSION: RNs and AHPs consider many factors when contemplating retirement; some are sensitive to intercessions by policy-makers and healthcare administrators, which opens up possibilities for those seeking to extend the work lives of older RNs and AHPs. Future testing of operationalized versions of these models will evaluate differences between RN and AHP approaches to retirement decision-making.