Hypothetical Question: What happens when the baby boomers retire?

I mean it's BOUND to happen eventually. But when do you think the baby boomers nurses will retire? And what's gonna happen when they do retire? I personally see this happening within the next 5-10 years. After they retire, there's going to be a huge hole left where all the baby boomer nurses retired. I also think that there's gonna be a huge influx of more acute patients due to technology and that people are living longer than ever before.

How do you think the healthcare industry will prepare for this and fight it?
Assuming we're all still working in nursing when we're "retirement age"? Do I want to still be in nursing when I'm 70 years old?

Quote from dmoney8827i mean it's bound to happen eventually. but when do you think the baby boomers nurses will retire? and what's gonna happen when they do retire? i personally see this happening within the next 5-10 years. after they retire, there's going to be a huge hole left where all the baby boomer nurses retired. i also think that there's gonna be a huge influx of more acute patients due to technology and that people are living longer than ever before.how do you think the healthcare industry will prepare for this and fight it?

Quote from dmoney8827I mean it's BOUND to happen eventually. But when do you think the baby boomers nurses will retire? And what's gonna happen when they do retire? I personally see this happening within the next 5-10 years. After they retire, there's going to be a huge hole left where all the baby boomer nurses retired. I also think that there's gonna be a huge influx of more acute patients due to technology and that people are living longer than ever before.How do you think the healthcare industry will prepare for this and fight it?

I don't think there will be a shortage. That's my personal opinion. There's never been a shortage where ever I've been. In fact it's the opposite. Cities will keep on spitting out many new grads each year and foreign nurses will keep on coming in droves.The political front has always had to have some input about this fiction based nursing shortage and since no one was buying it they did the "Oh look it's the baby boomers thing" ... not buying it. All the stats and studies, you can basically prove anything you want to but the reality isn't playing along.

Quote from tyvinI don't think there will be a shortage. That's my personal opinion. There's never been a shortage where ever I've been. In fact it's the opposite. Cities will keep on spitting out many new grads each year and foreign nurses will keep on coming in droves.The political front has always had to have some input about this fiction based nursing shortage and since no one was buying it they did the "Oh look it's the baby boomers thing" ... not buying it. All the stats and studies, you can basically prove anything you want to but the reality isn't playing along.

Quote from BiffbradfordAssuming we're all still working in nursing when we're "retirement age"? Do I want to still be in nursing when I'm 70 years old?

Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, peaking between 1952-57. This year baby boomers range in age from 46-64 years old. (55-59 for most) Don't hold your breath waiting for them to retire. My in-laws are well into upper 70's and still work 1/2 time. They have NO plans on ever totally retiring.

As per the US Census Bureau, if you’re born between 1946-1964, you’re part of that baby boom generation. So they’ll be about 47-65 years young in 2011. I know many that planned to retire soon. Unfortunately though, with the economy and the depletion of some of their financial accounts (like 401K, stock investments, etc.), many say that they will continue to work until they can. Some that have retired actually went back to join the work force. Bedside nursing is tough on the body…..will I want to do that when I’m 70? Definitely not. But if you don’t have the resources to retire comfortably, you might just have to do so! So it’s important to save early on. And yes, I met a nurse doing bedside care and she’s 70 and still doing great on the floor!

Retirement.....Hmmmm Good luck with that...I am a card carrying "baby boomer"...and I would love, love to retire sometime......anytime...BUT the reality is the economy is terrible, I took a beating in the market, I don't have any retirement, Social Security is not enough to live on ( assuming it will still be in existance when I do retire)...realistically I will probably have to work until I am 70 or so. I am not saying I want to--that is just what I will have to do. And I am not alone.I now do case management so It's not hard on the body. I work with 40 nurses. Of the 40- 20 are in their 60's 2 are in their 70's and of the rest, most are in 50s--some 40s..nobody is younger than 45...I know that's not a big sample, but when I first started in nursing, I never thought I would work with 70 year old nurses..now it looks like I will eventually be one. So more and more nurses are in this boat.I also don't believe we will ever see a nursing shortage like we used to have...mainly because of the nurses working longer--the hospital cuts--and the continued flood of new nurses by the thousands of nursing schools that sprung up like mushrooms and keep churning them out. Unless someone imposes some sort of moratorium on those nursing school mills...the long awaited return to nursing shortage days is not gonna happen.

I work on a floor and I don't think it will be that big a deal when we retire. There are only a few of us (probably less than 5%) who are within 15 years of retirement. Seems to me like most of those near retirement are in management or other support roles. If I were in charge I wouldn't refill a lot of those jobs.There's also so much turn over among the young nurses in the our staff I don't think a few retirements will even be noticed. These days there doesn't seem to be much trouble hiring and our city has lots of diploma, ADN, and a BSN schools churning out hundreds of GNs each year.

It's going to be a gradual process and society will adjust. There won't suddenly be a mass exodus.Hospitals and other health care employers never plan well for the future -- they react to changes in conditions. So I don't anticipate any significant amount of planning on this issue. As boomers retire, they will replace them with one of the millions of new grads being churned out of the new crop of nursing schools. My biggest concern is a drop in quality of care.

my sweet husband retired at 58, bought out so they could bring in someone else, and we were thrilled with it. they didn't give him a boatload of big $$, but we were so happy to have him home (he worked far away and was only home a few days a week) that we loved it. fast forward to today, 18 years later. he is tanned, rested, fit, and out doing his garden and mowing the lawn. except for the time i waste here on an i am fat, pale, sedentary, and at my desk working, and will probably do so until i am too demented to keep up with what i have to remember. well, i'm always fat and pale. at least i shouldn't get skin cancer, eh?what will happen when the baby boomers (of which i am one-- i'm 60) retire? all hell will break loose. there won't be enough nurses to take care of us, and there will be sooooo many of us. i review a lot of medical records and i'll tell ya, i'm scared to death of having to have what is called "health care" in this country.