Purpose This study used a structural model to identify organizational characteristics, such as work environment, nursing organizational culture, and manager leadership of general hospital nurses, and to examine the effect of organizational characteristics on turnover intention through organizational silence. Methods Data were collected from July 1, 2017 to August 30, 2017, using structured questionnaires. Participants were nurses in general hospitals with more than 250 beds and less than 500 beds in Busan City and Gyeongsangnam Province. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. Results The nursing work environment, external employment opportunities, relationship-oriented culture, and acquiescent and defensive silence directly impacted turnover intention. Additionally, the nursing work environment and external employment opportunities indirectly affected turnover intention through acquiescent silence. Conclusion To lower general hospital nurses’ turnover intention, the external environment should be reviewed and continuously compared to provide a better internal nursing work environment. In addition, it is necessary to find a way to lower the acquiescent silence, which can negatively affect the organization, by creating a relationship-oriented culture that emphasizes the relationship between members.