The Role of Retirement Anxiety in Shaping the Link between Late-Career Work Disengagement and Psychological Retirement Planning among Nurses

Abstract In response to the growing number of employees approaching retirement and the challenges they encounter, this study, informed by life-span development theory, the resource-based dynamic perspective of retirement adjustment, and stress and coping theory, examines the moderating role of retirement anxiety in the relationship between late-career work disengagement and psychological retirement planning among nurses. This study explores whether anxiety related to retirement intensifies work disengagement, thereby affecting psychological retirement planning. A two-wave design was employed to recruit 500 Nigerian nurses aged 50–60 years (M=53.64; SD=3.76) with ten years or less until retirement using purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Psychological Retirement Planning Scale, Late-Career Work Disengagement Scale, and Retirement Anxiety Scale. Pearson's correlation was used to examine the bivariate relationships among the study variables, and Hayes PROCESS macro, Model 1, was employed for the analysis. The findings revealed a significant positive association between late-career work disengagement and psychological retirement planning, indicating that nurses experiencing higher levels of late-career work disengagement were more likely to engage in psychological retirement planning. Retirement anxiety was found to moderate this relationship; specifically, high retirement anxiety intensified the positive association between late-career work disengagement and psychological retirement planning, whereas low retirement anxiety diminished this association. These findings underscore the necessity for healthcare organizations to address retirement anxiety as a critical factor influencing nurses' engagement and preparatory behaviours for retirement. By understanding this dynamic, healthcare administrators can develop interventions to alleviate retirement anxiety and promote engagement and effective retirement planning among nurses. These implications extend beyond individual nurses, suggesting that enhancing retirement transitions may improve workforce sustainability and healthcare service quality, thereby contributing to a healthier work environment and optimizing patient-care outcomes.