Research Backs the SAFE Approach: Six Ways to Keep Experienced Nurses in Work

Sustainable nursing careers and cage-friendly workplaces are essential for retaining experienced healthcare professionals and addressing workforce shortages. A new article from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences sets out what it takes to keep ageing nurses working until retirement, aligning closely with the direction of the SAFE project.

The article is built on a recent master’s thesis by Krista Lounamaa, carried out for Metropolia’s Master’s Degree Programme in Welfare Management in Developing Social and Health Services and produced in collaboration with the SAFE project. Its co-authors, Liisa Nuutinen (SAFE project manager) and Heini Maisala-McDonnell (project specialist), are both closely involved in SAFE at Metropolia.

The case for acting is clear. As populations age and demand for care grows, the need for qualified health professionals keeps rising, and senior nurses hold expertise that newly graduated staff cannot simply replace. Yet physically demanding work, long and irregular shifts, accumulating responsibilities, and age discrimination push many experienced nurses out of the profession earlier than they would choose. The encouraging part, the thesis notes, is that most of these pressures can be addressed by age-friendly organization of work.

Drawing on a narrative review of ten peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2022, the thesis discusses six themes that show how employers can support ageing nurses and build more sustainable careers:

• Strengthening ageing nurses’ physical work ability
• Increasing flexibility in scheduling and ensuring a manageable workload
• Enhancing mental flexibility and resilience
• Fostering a collaborative, healthy, and supportive work climate
• Enabling role renewal and better recognition within the workplace
• Promoting continuous learning and ongoing professional development

Taken together, the findings point to one conclusion: sustainable nursing careers depend on a multidimensional approach that supports nurses’ physical, mental, and professional capacity. From the project’s perspective, the thesis findings clearly support the development of age-friendly workplaces:

• Strengthening physical work ability corresponds to SAFE’s emphasis on supporting employees’ workability and well-being throughout their careers.
• Flexible scheduling and manageable workload reflect one of the central needs identified in SAFE pilots, where workload balance and flexible arrangements are critical for retaining older employees.
• Mental resilience and a supportive work climate align with SAFE’s focus on inclusive organisational culture, intergenerational cooperation, and psychological safety at work.
• Recognition and role renewal connect with SAFE practices that value experience, promote meaningful participation, and support career transitions, including gradual retirement pathways.
• Continuous learning and professional development directly mirror SAFE’s core principle that lifelong learning strengthens work ability and supports longer careers.

Read the full Metropolia article here: Sustainable nursing careers: Building an age-friendly working life in healthcare

The “Solutions for Age-Friendly Employer (SAFE)” project joins four partners from Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. The cooperation aims to strengthen and improve employment opportunities for senior workers aged 55+ specifically focusing on the health and wellness sectors. The project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund through Interreg Central Baltic 2021-2027.

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