Thank you very much for taking the time to be here today. In particular, congratulations on nursing week. My great grandmother was a nurse who graduated in 1917 and worked into her 80s. So your point is exceptionally well taken with respect to nurses choosing to stay with their profession for a very long period of time.
We're here today to talk about whether or not individuals choose to stay in the workforce and what would encourage them to do so, or what might be the barriers to them participating. I recognize you have a dual problem of having young individuals in your profession who are looking for roles and older individuals staying, and that presents a bit of a challenge.
I want to ask if you could comment for me on the things that your profession is doing to encourage your older workers, the nurses that have the 20 or 30 years of experience, to mentor and therefore allow that natural transition to take place. I recognize that's one of the great challenges. We see that in my profession as well, as an orthopedic surgeon. What are those promising programs that you have that are helping that transition?
I have a second question for you. You talked about the need to adjust work hours, adjust the environment that individuals are working in who are a little bit older. What are the specifics that you think are the items we need to concentrate on, whether it's changing the physical environment or changing the work hours that would facilitate older nurses feeling they could continue to participate, even in a part-time role, in the institutions they're working in?