PURPOSE: Medical institutions and their patients benefit from continued employment of nurses. In this study an assessment was done of important factors that influence nurses' intention to leaving their jobs. METHODS: The sample consisted of 229 university hospital nurses. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé, Pearson's Correlation Analysis, and Hierarchical Multiple Regression. RESULTS: The control variables, including age, current position, and health status explained 18% (F=16.37, p<.001) of variance in retention intention. The control variables, bullying, job stress, self-esteem, and burnout collectively explained 27% of variance in retention intention. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the factors influencing retention intention are age, current position, and health status, while self-esteem and burnout in work places are new and more recent factors that impact retention intention. These findings can be utilized to develop strategies to increase self-esteem and retention intention.