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. 2019 Jul 5;17(1):49.
doi: 10.1186/s12960-019-0381-5.

The early retiree divests the health workforce: a quantitative analysis of early retirement among Canadian Registered Nurses and allied health professionals

Sarah Hewko  1   2 , Trish Reay  3 , Carole A Estabrooks  4 , Greta G Cummings  4
Affiliations

The early retiree divests the health workforce: a quantitative analysis of early retirement among Canadian Registered Nurses and allied health professionals

Sarah Hewko et al. Hum Resour Health. .

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Early retirement (before age 65) is the norm among registered nurses (RNs) and allied health professionals (AHPs) employed in Canada's public system. As a country whose population is rapidly aging, it is in Canada's best interest to try and extend the work lives of RNs and AHPs.

Objectives: (1) To test the predictive validity of our conceptual model of early retirement among publicly employed, Canadian RNs and AHPs and (2) to compare, across professions, model fit and factor significance METHODS: We conducted multivariable logistic regression in two data sets, one consisting of 483 retired RNs and the other of 177 retired AHPs. The number of AHP respondents limited our ability to comprehensively test the model.

Results: Eighty-five percent of RNs and 77% of AHPs had retired early. (1) Results indicate that 25% of variance in RN early retirement and 19% of variance in AHP early retirement was explained by included variables. (2) Organizational restructuring increased odds of early retirement by more than 100% among RNs and AHPs. Among RNs (but not AHPs), both financial possibility and caregiving responsibilities predicted early retirement at statistically significant levels, while a "desire to stop working" predicted retirement at or after 65 years of age.

Conclusions: Clearly, there is much more to learn about RN and AHP pathways to early retirement. Further research, ideally research exploring the role of workplace characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs towards retirement and work-related factors, could deepen our understanding of the phenomenon of RN/AHP early retirement.

Contexte: Préretraite (avant 65 ans) est la norme parmi les infermières et professionnels paramédicaux (PPs) employés dans le système public canadien. Comme un pays avec un population qui vieillisse rapidement, c’est dans l’intérêt meilleur du Canada d’essayer de prolonger la vie professionnelle des infermières et PPs.

Objectifs: 1) Tester la validité predictive de notre modèle conceptual de préretraite parmi les infermières et PPs employés dans le système public canadien; 2) Comparer, selon les professions, l’ajustement du modèle et l’importance des facteurs.

Méthodes: Effectué régression logistique multivariée dans deux ensembles de données, l’un composé de 483 infermières et l’autre de 177 PPs. Tous les participants avaient déjà pris leur retraite. Le nombre de répondants PP a limité notre capacité à tester le modèle de manière exhaustive.

Résultats: Quatre-vingt-cinq pourcent des infermières et 77% des PP avaient pris préretraite. 1) Les résultats indiquent que 25% du variance en préretraite chez les infermières et 19% du variance en préretraite chez les PPs s’expliquent par les variables incluses. 2) La restructuration organisationnelle a augmenté les probabilités de préretraite de plus de 100% chez infermières et PPs. Parmi les infermières (mais pas les PPs), le possibilité financière et les responsabilités en matière de soins étaient tous deux significativement prédictifs de la préretraite alors qu’un « désir d’arrêter de travailler » était significativement prédictif de la retraite à l’âge de 65 ans ou après.

Conclusions: Ç’est bien évident qu’il y a beaucoup plus à apprendre sur les chemin des infermières et PPs à la préretraite. Des plus amples recherches, explorant idéalement le rôle des caractéristiques du lieu de travail, des attitudes et des croyances vis-à-vis la retraite et des facteurs liés au travail, pourraient approfondir notre compréhension du phénomène.

Most-clés: ressources humaines en santé; préretraite; infermières; professionnels paramédicaux; Canada; régression logistique; planification de la main-d’œuvre.

Keywords: Allied health professionals; Canada; Early retirement; Health human resources; Logistic regression; Registered nurses; Workforce planning.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Analytic model of early retirement among registered nurses and allied health professionals
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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