Hospital executives are challenged to recruit and retain clinical nurses in a time when the national hospital nurse turnover rates are averaging above 20%. This literature review outlines nursing research that studied characteristics of nurse managers' leadership styles that enhance hospital nurse retention. Five consistent themes provided evidence of leadership traits that lead to job satisfaction and nurse retention. These were transformational leadership style, extroverted personality traits, magnet hospital organizational structures that support nurse empowerment, autonomy and group cohesion, tenure, and graduate education. Data from these studies provide a foundation for directing strategic plans to increase nurse retention and job satisfaction.