Nurses with reduced work ability are highly susceptible to the deleterious effects of their working environments, and their rates of sick leave, disability, and early retirement are higher than average. The aim of this study was to evaluate work ability in 433 Slovenian hospital nurses aged over fifty years providing secondary care in thirteen hospitals across Slovenia. To do that we used a standardised instrument known as work ability index (WAI). Mean WAI was 36.98±6.46 and median 38. WAI was not associated with age (Spearman’s ρ=-0.034, p=0.475). Total WAI score strongly correlated with the 1st item of the WAI questionnaire “current work ability” (ρ=0.726, p<0.001). Higher WAI scores were also associated with academic education, full-time employment, and working in a single (morning) or three shifts. Our WAI findings in nurses over fifty call for systemic changes in the nursing environment to maintain good work ability among nurses until the retirement age and beyond.

Background and purpose: The raising of the retirement age in the field of nursing care increases the need for successful aging strategies in the work environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the application of selection, optimization and compensation and their correlation with the working ability of nurses aged fifty and over in Slovenia. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study encompasses 433 nurses over the age of 50 (M = 53.75±2.40 years) working in 13 hospitals across Slovenia. Two measurement instruments used in the field of nursing were adapted, the model of Selection, Optimization and Compensation (SOC) and the Work Ability Index (WAI). Data was processed using descriptive statistical methodology. The correlation between statistical variables was calculated using Spearman’s correlation coefficients. For a description of the functional relationship between SOC use and calendar age, linear and potential regression functions were used. Results: We found out that the use of SOC is slightly growing with the calendar age of the nurses. The most used SOC element is “selection”. Calculated WAI for nurses is at the lower end of the classification category “good” (M = 36.98±6.46) There is a positive correlation between SOC and WAI (rs = 0.23), causality was not studied. Conclusions: Increased use of SOC can lead to better work ability by nurses over fifty. Therefore, in the future, nurses will need to be trained and motivated to use SOC strategies.