The health of nurses aged over 50 in New Zealand.

The mean age of registered nurses in New Zealand has been rising steadily, and 40% are now aged 50 or over (Nursing Council of New Zealand [NCNZ], 2010). However little is known of this cohort's health-related quality of life. An anonymous on-line survey was emailed to nurses aged over 50 years and members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation in February and March 2012. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the 3,273 responses received were undertaken. Nurses aged over 50 remaining in the workforce report their health-related quality of life as better for all measures than standardised scores for age-matched women in New Zealand. Nurses working in more physical environments report higher pain scores than those working in less physical environments, and nurses reporting lower levels of health-related quality of life are more likely to retire sooner and to move to more casual and flexible hours of work as they age.