The purpose of this qualitative-phenomenological study was to provide an in depth understanding of the experiences of the registered nurses on why they left the clinical nursing practice. It also aimed to know the experiences why they had left the practice. The participants of the study were 10 Registered Nurses (RN) for the indepth interview and eight Registered Nurses (RN) for the focus group discussion. The major themes identified as regards the experiences of the registered nurses that shaped up their decision to leave clinical nursing were acquisition of valuable on-the-job skills; dealing with complex and chronic care needs of patient; unjust compensation; unconditional work schedule; and demanding and stressful hospital tasks. On how these nurses coped with the challenges of their experiences, six themes had emerged, namely: maintaining collegial relation with co-workers; holding on to family and friend support; employing positive attitude; applying internal coping strategies; observing time management; and asking for divine intervention. On what insights could the participants share to their peers and to the nursing practice in general, there were three themes that emerged, namely: embracing the call; continuing education; and pay incentives. Primarily, those were the reasons why nurses leave clinical nursing practice.
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