The role of job alienation in work ability deterioration and unhealthy ageing

Low work ability in older nurses is due to ageing and to an increase in overcommitment yielded by perceived high demands, low job control and high harassment at work. On the contrary, among the nurses under 50 years old, decrease of WAI turned out to be more associated with higher uncertainty about patients' treatment and lower work meaning, which both affect the possibility to reach more professional competence and develop occupational expertise.