Aim This paper was designed to extend the extant research regarding factors related to nurses' turnover intentions. Methods This survey‐based study was based on a path analysis designed to verify a hypothesized causal model involving nurses' role stress, organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and burnout. This study distributed 500 questionnaires to nurses in general hospitals with more than 500 beds located in Seoul, Korea, during 16–30 April 2012. Results Role conflict, an underlying factor in role stress, had no significant effect on role stress, but the results showed that role ambiguity reduced organizational commitment. On the other hand, role conflict and role ambiguity increased the level of burnout. Organizational commitment reduced turnover intentions, and burnout increased turnover intentions. Role conflict and role ambiguity had no direct effect on turnover intentions, but they had indirect effects on organizational commitment and burnout. Conclusion To reduce nurses' turnover rate, this study recommends developing plans to improve their organizational commitment because it mediates role stress and turnover intention.