Factors affecting work ability index among polish nurses working in hospitals – A prospective observational survey

Aims To assess the ability to work of Polish nurses by age groups. Background The ability to work is widely discussed in the literature in the context of nurses' productivity; thus, it is necessary to identify the ability to work when facing an increasing demand for services. Methods The observational study involved 349 professionally active nurses aged 46.9 ± 9.7 years, with a length of service of 23.5 ± 9.6 years. The Work Ability Index (WAI) was used to assess the nurses' ability to work. Results The ability to work decreases with age (r s = −0.324, p