LAUSR

Abstract Aim The three‐component model of commitment, resilience and selected nurse characteristics were tested as predictors of nurses' intent to leave the profession. Background In the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic, news reports suggest that a mass exodus of nursing professionals is occurring. Method This nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational, predictive study used a cross‐sectional approach to collect survey data from a convenience sample of 189 registered nurses (RNs) who were providing direct patient care in adult inpatient units with a high likelihood of admitting patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 and met other eligibility requirements. Results Most (73.5%) plan to remain in the nursing profession and feel highly resilient. Only affective commitment demonstrated a significant relationship to the intention to leave the nursing profession. Conclusions The study was conducted after the pandemic had been in effect for a prolonged time, and it is likely the nurses with the intent to leave the profession had already left. The findings provide a glimpse of a sample of nurses drawn from a population likely much different from only a few months prior. Implications for Nursing Management Strategies to retain nurses should include efforts to strengthen professional commitment and build resilience.