Retention Intention of Clinical Nurses Returning from Parental Leave in South Korea: A Structural Equation Modeling Study

Purpose: This study aimed to test a hypothesized structural model explaining retention intention among nurses returning from parental leave based on the Job Demands–Resources framework. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and April 2019 with 196 nurses who had returned to work after parental leave from 13 general hospitals in Korea. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 21.0. The hypothesized model included parenting stress, spousal support, and work–family balance conflict as exogenous variables; resilience, positive affect, and job satisfaction as mediating variables; and retention intention as the outcome variable. Structural equation modeling was used to assess model fit and test the hypothesized pathways. Results: The respecified model showed improved but marginally acceptable fit compared with the initial hypothesized model (χ2/df = 2.004, SRMR = 0.067, RMSEA = 0.072, GFI = 0.798, NFI = 0.821, TLI = 0.887, CFI = 0.900). Positive affect and job satisfaction showed significant positive direct associations with retention intention. Resilience and work–family balance conflict showed significant indirect and total associations with retention intention, despite nonsignificant direct associations. Spousal support showed a significant indirect, but not direct, association with retention intention. The respecified model accounted for 52% of the variance in retention intention. Conclusions: Retention intention among nurses returning from parental leave was directly associated with positive affect and job satisfaction, whereas resilience, work–family balance conflict, and spousal support showed important indirect associations. Nursing managers may consider strategies to reduce work–family balance conflict and support positive psychological resources and reintegration, including structured return-to-work programs, mentoring, flexible scheduling, equitable workload distribution, and family-friendly workplace policies.