Abstract
Nurse retention has become a critical issue in healthcare management given the increasing global nursing shortage and its impact on patient safety and hospital sustainability. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a deficit of 5.7 million nurses worldwide by 2030, while in Indonesia nurse turnover intention has been reported as high as 23.7% in private hospitals. This study aims to synthesize evidence on the organizational determinants of nurse retention by conducting a narrative literature review. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2025 were retrieved from Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Indonesian journals indexed in SINTA-2, focusing on themes of workload, compensation, organizational culture, leadership, and employee engagement with career development. The findings show that excessive workloads, inequitable compensation, unsupportive organizational cultures, authoritarian leadership, and lack of career pathways significantly elevated intention to exit the organization. Conversely, transformational leadership, fair and transparent compensation, a culture of collaboration, structured mentoring, and opportunities for professional growth are consistently associated with stronger retention outcomes. These results highlight that retention is a multidimensional construct shaped by both structural and psychological factors within organizations. The study contributes academically by integrating diverse literature into a coherent framework and practically by offering evidence-based recommendations for Indonesian hospitals. Strengthening organizational strategies to retain nurses is vital not only to reduce workforce attrition but also to enhance patient safety, service quality, and the long-term resilience of healthcare systems.