Understanding Generation‐Z New Graduate Nurses' Intention to Stay: Applying the Stress and Coping Model

Aim This study aimed to develop and evaluate a hypothetical model based on Lazarus and Folkman's stress and coping framework to identify the factors and pathways influencing Generation Z new graduate nurses' intention to stay in the job. Design This model validation study employed a cross‐sectional path analysis approach using structural equation modelling. Methods The participants were 215 nurses born after 1995 who had < 1 year of nursing experience and were working at three general hospitals located in Seoul, Korea. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the collected data, and the model was validated through confirmatory factor analysis. Key variables included character strengths and job resources (exogenous) and reality shock, work–life balance and intention to stay (endogenous). Path analysis with phantom variables was conducted to explore mediating effects. Results The model showed proper fit indices: χ 2 /df = 2.34, TLI = 0.90, CFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.06. Character strengths ( ß = 0.41, p < 0.001) and reality shock ( ß = −0.75, p = 0.002) had significant direct effects, explaining 53.5% of the variance in intention to stay. Reality shock also mediated the relationships between character strengths, job resources and intention to stay, emphasising its pivotal role in retention strategies for Generation‐Z nurses. The findings indicate that character strengths and reality shock are important factors in the intention to stay of new graduate nurses in Generation‐Z. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.