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Perceived organizational support is a crucial factor in encouraging employees to stay in their organizations for a longer time. Public hospitals in South Africa face major challenges in attracting and retaining nurses, leading to high nurse turnover rates in the public health sector. This study investigates the effects of perceived organizational support on nurse retention in the South African Public Health Sector. While the relationship between perceived organizational support and employee retention has been extensively studied in various sectors, limited research exists within the South African’s public health sector context. This research paper addresses that gap by examining how perceived organizational support influences the retention of nurses in public hospitals. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected from 230 nurses and analyzed using item analysis, factor analysis, and Pearson correlations. The findings revealed a moderate positive correlation between POS and nurse retention (r = 0.389, p < 0.01), indicating that higher levels of organizational support are associated with increased nurse retention. Public health administrators should therefore prioritize supportive organizational practices to attract and retain skilled nurses. Implementing supportive measures can mitigate high turnover and promote workforce stability in public hospitals. This study contributes to existing literature by providing sector-specific insights and highlights the value of organizational support in retaining nurses. This provides practical evidence to guide policies and management practices aimed at improving the nursing workforce in South African’s public health sector.