**4. Discussion**

This study explored the job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention of nurses who are nursing patients despite the risks in the long-term COVID-19 pandemic situation. There were differences in the nurses' job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention depending on their social characteristics. A specific discussion of these findings follows.

First, the participants recorded higher job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention depending on their age and work experience. The research findings support the results of previous research on the job engagemen<sup>t</sup> of nurses and organizational citizenship behavior, which revealed that a higher age leads to increased job engagement, organizational citizenship behavior, and career involvement [36]. Organizational citizenship behavior contributes to the maintenance and reinforcement of social and psychological contexts that support task performance for organizations above a minimum demand for duties, and it is necessary for medical treatment jobs. Medical organizations require close communication and cooperation between employees, and flexible job performance skills. This competence is complementary to "job engagement" with regard to carrying out duties with a positive attitude [37,38]. Nursing duties generally involve working in teams across three shifts to carry out continuous nursing duties. Therefore, in such a difficult situation as a pandemic, team formation that includes a nurse who is older and more experienced could help heighten nurses' job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention.

For COVID-19-related factors, job retention intention was low for the group who had experience taking care of patients infected with COVID-19 and the nurses working in COVID-19-related divisions. This result is similar to that of previous research, which has shown that exposure to environmental risks negatively influences the choice of sustainable jobs [39]. Before nurses in South Korea select their jobs, they take the oath of the Nightingale Pledge. This is because health and medical care are difficult and require sacrifices [40]. However, the study result implies that nurses' work ethic as professionals could diminish in situations similar to the COVID-19 pandemic in which their own lives are at risk. The decrease in the job retention intention of nurses signifies the decline of the nursing workforce, which is a large barrier to overcoming the COVID-19 situation. Accordingly, it has been suggested that measures are needed to heighten the job retention intention of nurses who work in COVID-19-related divisions, or care for patients infected with COVID-19. In particular, it should be taken into account that working in a stressful working environment (e.g., emergency department) or organizational variables (e.g., bad working environment) may lead to a low intention to retain the job.

Lastly, there are differences in job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention based on the categories and types of social support. This result is consistent with the research results that state that social support reduces job stress [41] and helps overcome disasters [42]. In addition, research targeted at nurses reports that the level of burnout decreases as social support increases [43]. Even in this study, the group that received support from their family in the same context showed the highest job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention. Currently, nurses are struggling psychologically with the exposure of their families to potential COVID-19 infection [44]. Therefore, family support could have increased importance for them because family members' support can reduce concerns about infecting family members because of their work. Regarding types of social support, support through mass media showed high job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention. The mass media applies the most direct decisive measures to people and society [45]. It has been reported that providing information about individuals in mass media positively influences their self-esteem, image, and sense of belonging [46]. The research finding of this study has the same context, as it suggests that the group that recognizes social support through mass media has high job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention. As the world continues to battle the pandemic, we need to support nurses who are treating COVID-19 patients with continuous messages of encouragemen<sup>t</sup> through the media.

This study identified the di fferences in nurses' job engagemen<sup>t</sup> and job retention intention through their social characteristics and social support to ensure the necessary job retention to cope with the COVID-19 situation. Nevertheless, this study has the following limitations: First, the continuing COVID-19 situation could cause varied job retention intentions depending on the level of fatigue and risks felt by nurses, so careful consideration is required in interpretation. Second, social support could vary according to method and meanings, depending on individuals' cultural di fferences. Third, this study was conducted in the context of COVID-19, a global infectious disease. Therefore, it is necessary to take care when extending interpretations to ordinary situations. Fourth, this study was conducted as a basic study due to the special circumstances of COVID-19. In future studies, a study including a control group should be conducted to increase the e ffectiveness. Lastly, this study identifies di fferences as a cross-sectional study, so it does not represent causal relations.
