Purpose: This study examined the job stress and perception of unit managers' authentic leadership on clinical nurses' intention to stay in nursing. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study utilized self-administered questionnaires. The study recruited a convenience sample of 211 clinical nurses from threertiary hospitals in South Korea. The survey was conducted between July and August 2021. The collected data underwent hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results: The regression analyses indicated that clinical nurses' intention to stay was significantly associated with job stress (B=-0.06, 95% CI [-0.09, -0.04]), six or more years of clinical practice (B=0.60, 95% CI [0.13, 1.07]), men (B=0.87, 95% CI [0.30, 1.44]), and being placed on their desired nursing unit (B=0.39, 95% CI [0.27, 0.76]). Intention to stay was not found to be associated with authentic leadership by the unit managers. Conclusion: It is essential to implement workplace health promotion programs to prevent and reduce job stress among nurses to retain proficient clinical nurses. Additionally, nursing workforce management strategies tailored to the specific sex and career path of nurses are necessary. Moreover, careful consideration should be given to nursing unit placements that align...