Recruiting Retired Clinicians

New laws aim to make it easier for retired doctors, nurses, and dentists to find meaningful work seeing patients and mentoring younger clinicians.

Know any elderly clinicians bored of tea parties with the grandkids and golf at the country club? A future of helping disadvantaged patients or mentoring young physicians just might await them, especially if they are residents of Illinois, where lawmakers think they've got the doctor shortage all figured out.

While different states have been attempting to find solutions to the doctor shortage ranging from expanding the current cap of Medicare-supported training slots for doctors in NY to allowing nurse practitioners to practice without physician oversight in Illinois, legislation aims to expand access to care by making it easier for clinicians, including doctors, nurses, dentists, and optometrists to find meaningful work after leaving full-time practice.

"I'm not surprised that all that this is happening," says Ralph Henderson, president of healthcare staffing at AMN Healthcare. "There are lots of incentives to work in certain states or rural areas. This is a logical next step given the shortage of physicians in the marketplace, and personally, I love the idea."

But this isn't an isolated anomaly—it's part of a greater trend toward clinicians working longer after retired from the full-time demand of their medical careers.

The Lure of Working Life
Nothing lures a clinician out of retirement like a feel-good assignment, says Henderson. "Retired [clinicians] love situations where their work can make a difference in other people's lives in a positive way. They're often looking for a way they can give back."

It's not a hard sell to give someone a chance to feel they're using their skills to make the world a better place. In addition to working with underprivileged populations, other capacities appealing to retirees that can be done on a volunteer or part-time basis include covering for peers during vacations or family leave.

Sometimes, these placements are considered locum tenens assignments. Physicians can travel to another area to take advantage of these opportunities or do them close to home. Some professionals pick up one shift a week, others take 30-day placements, all depending on what they feel up to or have time for.

"It's a nice supplemental income for [retired physicians]," says Henderson.

Hospitals located in an area where there's a seasonal change in population, can consider hiring retired clinicians for the busy season, suggests Henderson.

Such arrangements can be especially alluring to clinicians who crave an opportunity to explore other parts of the country or spend time near family. "We'll frequently have a retired nurse talk to a recruiter and say, 'I just had a grandbaby—and I want [a placement near family] for 13 weeks,'" says Henderson. These employment situations allow clinicians to keep their medical licenses current.

Other roles clinicians have found a second life in telehealth environments or working from home doing telephone triage, or in following up with patients after appointments to make sure they understood their conditions and physicians' instructions.

Strategies for Recruitment
"The recruitment strategies are very different than with younger clinicians," says Henderson. While younger clinicians are excited to make a name for themselves and work for organizations where there's a lot of room for advancement, older clinicians want flexibility and the chance to share their wealth of wisdom and experience with others.

"Their marketing or advertising [strategy] is the opposite [than for] new grads," says Henderson. "The opportunities that you present to them aren’t about long hours and money…. We often pitch travel as a different way to see the world while you still earn income."

Some organizations have had success by advertising these positions as opportunities to help guide new clinicians. Many clinicians relish the opportunity to mentor or train young healthcare workers.

An added perk is the flexibility of a mentor position—they don't require the grueling 12-hour shifts many healthcare workers are accustomed to, and leadership can add or subtract other roles and responsibilities as needed.

"I guess some people might worry about a job going to a volunteer physician rather than a new doctor right out of med school," says Henderson, "but really, it's hard to see a downside to this."

Given the looming shortages of clinicians and the tightening of hospital budgets, retired clinicians working on a volunteer or part-time basis can be a huge help to hospitals. "We need every physician we can get out there," says Henderson.