Ensuring high performing individuals are employed in the pivotal role of nurse manager is key to meeting healthcare organizational goals. Retirements and a global shortage of nurses emphasize the urgent need to cultivate effective nurse manager recruitment strategies. Recruitment in rural areas is especially challenging. Despite the need for effective recruitment, little research has been done to provide guidance. The purpose of this exploratory descriptive study is to provide a greater understanding of factors that inspire nurses to pursue nurse manager positions in rural settings. The study retrospectively explored with nurse managers, what factors encouraged them to become managers. The overall research question is: “What factors within their experience impacted participants work motivation, organizational commitment, and extra-role behaviors leading them toward acquiring a rural nurse management position? Findings provide valuable information to guide rural health care organizations in developing effective nurse manager recruitment strategies.