Effects of nursing work environment, professional autonomy, and organizational commitment on retention intention among pediatric inpatient unit nurses in South Korea: a descriptive cross-sectional study

PURPOSE: Nurse retention remains a critical workforce challenge; however, evidence on retention intention among pediatric nurses remains limited. This study examined the levels of nursing work environment, professional autonomy, and organizational commitment among pediatric inpatient unit nurses and assessed their effects on retention intention. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 50 pediatric nurses from a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Data were collected through an online survey between November 2025 and January 2026. Nursing work environment, professional autonomy, organizational commitment, and retention intention were measured using validated instruments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and bootstrap multiple linear regression in IBM SPSS ver. 29.0. RESULTS: The mean scores were 2.24±0.48 for nursing work environment, 3.64±0.44 for professional autonomy, 2.91±0.64 for organizational commitment, and 5.03±1.49 for retention intention. Organizational commitment showed a moderate positive correlation with retention intention. The regression model including organizational commitment explained 37% of the variance in retention intention (adjusted R2=.37). Organizational commitment was the strongest predictor, followed by educational level; nurses with master's degrees had lower retention intention than those with bachelor's degrees. Conclusion: Organizational commitment was the strongest predictor of retention intention among pediatric inpatient unit nurses. Organizational strategies that strengthen commitment may help improve pediatric nurse retention. In addition, a clinical ladder system for highly educated and experienced nurses, together with policies reflecting the distinctive demands of pediatric care, may be needed to support a sustainable nursing workforce.