Purpose
This study employs Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of retired military nurse officers transitioning to civilian hospitals and to identify the essential meanings and underlying structures of this transition.
Methods
Eleven participants with over two years of military hospital experience, now employed in civilian hospitals, were recruited via snowball sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted between December 2023 and March 2024.
Results
Analysis using Giorgi’s four-stage method identified 257 meaning units, 37 central meanings, 12 themes, and six general structures: 1) Positive perceptions of the nursing profession, 2) Confusion due to lack of information, 3) Difficulty in adapting due to differences between military and civilian hospitals, 4) Self-blame for a lack of competence, 5) Struggles in finding a position suitable for one’s career, and 6) Satisfaction with freedom and a stable life.
Conclusion
These findings emphasize the need for tailored transition programs, including job placement support, skill development, and cultural adaptation training. Socialization and communication programs can further aid integration and contribute to the professional growth. Additionally, a positive perception of nursing significantly influenced the decision to return to the workforce, highlighting the importance of fostering professional identity and confidence among transitioning military nurses.

Purpose
This study’s purpose was to identify the influence of retirement expectations and readiness on retirement anxiety among middle-aged nurses.
Methods
The participants were 216 middle-aged nurses working at nine locations including hospitals, long-term care hospitals, general hospitals, and tertiary hospitals in B city. Data were collected from April 25 to May 13, 2022 using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, Scheffé́ tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 28.0.
Results
The mean scores for retirement expectations, retirement readiness, and retirement anxiety were 3.49±0.38, 3.21±0.59, and 2.48±0.51, respectively. Retirement anxiety was found to be significantly affected by new beginnings (β=-.31, p<.001) for retirement expectations and life design readiness (β=-.27, p=.002) and, leisure readiness (β=-.27, p<.001) for retirement readiness. These variables accounted for 33.0% the retirement anxiety among middle-aged nurses.
Conclusion
To reduce retirement anxiety among middle-aged nurses, it is necessary to adopt an organizational approach enhancing their perceptions and using a policy alternative to make use of older nurses' extensive knowledge and experience.