This survey assessed agreement levels among public sector nurses in Macao regarding 57 factors potentially contributing to the nursing shortage. Previous qualitative research identified significant concerns among nurses about staffing levels and their impact on patient care. Using a quantitative design, questionnaires were distributed across hospitals, health centers, and health stations, with 467 of 743 questionnaires returned (62.85% response rate). Analysis revealed high agreement on several key contributors to the shortage, including dissatisfaction with salary and benefits, the burden of performing non-nursing and basic skill tasks, the need for continuing education, and challenges associated with the patient population. These findings underscore critical areas for nurse managers and policymakers to target in efforts to improve nurse retention and the quality of healthcare in Macao’s public sector.