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Aims: This article reports the results of a scoping review to identify initiatives for improving recruitment and retention of nurses in health care and ascertain their effectiveness. Background: The global shortage of nurses has results in greater competition for vacant posts and an increased need to retain existing post holders. While there are a large number of publications discussing ways to improve recruitment and retention, the effectiveness of these needs to be established. Evaluation: Thirteen papers met the inclusion criteria. There was no literature identified focusing on recruitment and only one paper reported a formal evaluation of a retention initiative. Key issues: Five themes summarized the initiatives for retaining nurses: leadership and support, ongoing professional development, recognition, work environment and flexible scheduling. Conclusion: While strategies have been proposed to retain nurses, there is a dearth of evidence supporting the effectiveness of these. Implications for Nursing Management: Although there is a lack of evaluations of retention strategies, the review identified a number of initiatives that warrant consideration. With the launch of the National Health Service People Plan in England in 2021, which is recommending initiatives identified in this review without robust evidence, an integrated programme of research evaluating this is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]