title: Experienced nurses' level of engagement: priority areas for nurse executives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the engagement level of direct care nurses 45 years or older with at least 10 years' experience to create a baseline for action to increase engagement among these seasoned nurses.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Assessing an organization's level of nursing engagement and designing strategies to improve engagement are crucial to support decreased turnover and increased levels of quality outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Health Care Advisory Board's Nurse Engagement Survey was distributed via SurveyMonkey to direct care nurses meeting the study criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven percent of participants were engaged, 47% content, 12% ambivalent, 4% disengaged, and 98.6% of respondents were proud to be a nurse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing leaders should assess the level of engagement of their nursing workforce and use this information to prioritize strategies designed to retain, reenergize, and engage experienced nurses.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Nursing Consultant (Dr Kuykendall), Director-Clinical Research (Dr Marshburn); Staff Nurse (Ms Poston), and Staff Nurse (Ms Mears), Vidant Medical Center, Greenville, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Judith W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kuykendall
authors.forename: Dianne M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Marshburn
authors.forename: Carol Wall
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Poston
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mears
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D015144:Southeastern United States; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers