Background Predicting nurse turnover is important to prevent expensive and avoidable staff loss. One factor that may influence nurse turnover is nurse managers’ leadership styles. Three main leadership styles have been identified: transactional, in which leaders give contingent rewards; transformational, in which leaders inspire and motivate; and passive-avoidant, in which leaders are absent.

Aim To assess the effect of nurse managers’ leadership styles on predicted nurse turnover in Jordanian hospitals.

Method A descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study design was used. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X) was used to assess nurses’ perceptions of their nurse managers’ leadership styles, while the Anticipated Turnover Scale was used to assess nurses’ intention to leave the job. The questionnaires were distributed to 280 nurses in three public sector hospitals and one university-affiliated (teaching) hospital in the north of Jordan.

Results Responses were received from 250 nurses working in a variety of clinical areas, yielding a response rate of 89%. The respondents perceived that the transactional leadership style was the most common among their nurse managers, followed by the transformational style and passive-avoidant style. It was also identified that, on average, respondents had a slight intention to leave their jobs. The transformational leadership style was found to reduce predicted nurse turnover, while the passive-avoidant and transactional leadership styles had no significant effect on this.

Conclusion Understanding the effect of nurse managers’ leadership styles on predicted nurse turnover may improve retention. Therefore, nurse managers should undertake training programmes on effective leadership to improve nurses’ job satisfaction and reduce turnover.