title: Challenges faced by older nurses in Singapore: a mixed methods study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Singapore, employees aged 62-65 can continue to be employed if they meet the re-employment eligibility criteria. This policy, coupled with an ageing workforce, calls for age-friendly initiatives, specific to work-related challenges faced by older nurses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine work-related challenges faced by older nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed method sequential explanatory study was conducted with nurses, aged 50 and above, working in a healthcare cluster in Singapore. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was administered to 534 nurses to elicit work-related challenges, then in-depth interviews with 30 nurses were carried out to help explain why certain tasks and work circumstances became harder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of the survey indicated that the top three challenges were coping with changes, working with computers and reading labels. Place of work, salary range, gender and race were significantly associated with different work-related challenges. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data: physical demands of work and workload, new technology, need for further education, working with younger nurses and in intercultural teams, and changing public expectations and professional image.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study supports the current literature on the challenges older nurses face with technological advancement. However, older nurses in our study reported less aches and pain as compared to that reported elsewhere. There is a need for specific strategies that will address changes in work processes and environment in order to retain older nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When devising age-friendly work improvement initiatives, it is important for nurse leaders to factor in the needs of nurses working in different care environments, who are of different ranks, or are from different ethnic backgrounds.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Division, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.affiliation: Nursing Division, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: S B M
authors.initials: SBM
authors.lastname: Ayoob
authors.affiliation: Nursing Division, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: N B S
authors.initials: NBS
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Nursing Division, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uthaman
authors.affiliation: Nursing, Bright Vision Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adenan
authors.affiliation: Nursing, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Nursing, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Nursing, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Community and Family Medicine, Nursing and Global Health, School of Medicine, Duke Global Health Institute, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ostbye
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Challenges; Older Nurses; Re-Employment; Retention; Retirement; Singapore