Factors Influencing Nurses’ Intention to Leave Their Employment in Federal Tertiary Hospitals in South East Nigeria

Background: Nursing workforce attrition from Nigerian federal tertiary hospitals threatens care quality and human resources for health. Understanding intent-to-leave predictors is critical for targeted retention strategies. Aim: This study identified factors influencing nurses' intention to leave their employment at federal tertiary hospitals in South East Nigeria. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study recruited 210 registered nurses from three federal teaching hospitals through stratified random sampling. The Turnover Intention Scale and validated tools measuring job satisfaction, professional autonomy, and working conditions were administered. Multiple linear regression was used in SPSS version 27. Results: High intention to leave was recorded in 52% of respondents. The strongest predictors were poor remuneration, limited career progression opportunities, inadequate management support, and exposure to workplace violence. Each unit decrease in job satisfaction was associated with a 0.46-point increase in turnover intention (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Multifactorial interventions addressing remuneration, career pathways, and workplace safety are necessary to reduce nurse attrition from Nigerian federal hospitals. Policy recommendations include transparent promotion criteria, salary review, and violence prevention frameworks. Keywords: nurse turnover intention, retention, South East Nigeria, job satisfaction, workforce.