Up to 37% of registered nurses who specialize in geriatrics / long-term care are considering retiring soon, according to the 2015 Survey of Registered Nurses conducted by healthcare staffing company AMN Healthcare and its Center for the Advancement of Healthcare Professionals.
Twenty-five percent of RNs who work in the speciality said they are planning to retire soon, and 12% said they might be considering retiring soon. When data were analyzed by work setting, the survey found that 20% of RNs employed in a nursing home or extended care setting are planning to retire soon, and 13% of them are considering it.
“[These data confirm] what we’ve known anecdotally and [allow] us to finally put dimensions and a timeline around a predicted retirement surge,” Marcia Faller, RN, PhD, chief clinical officer at AMN Healthcare, said in a statement. “But the harm to the healthcare industry goes beyond the numbers. The loss of this intellectual asset may be acutely felt in terms of quality of care and patient satisfaction. To withstand this loss, healthcare administrators need help in preparing for the nursing workforce of the future.”
Overall (all specialties, all settings), 62% of all surveyed RNs who said they plan to retire plan to do so in four or more years, 9% plan to retire in three years, 9% plan to do so in two years, 4% plan to retire in one year and 16% plan to do so in less than one year. Of RNs aged more than 54 years, however, 37% who plan to retire plan to do so within four or more years, 15% plan to retire in three years, 15% plan to do so in two years, 7% plan to retire in one year, and 25% plan to do so in less than one year.
