Sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda patienter i livets slutskede : En litteraturöversikt.

Abstract Background: In the end-of-life phase, patients and their relatives seek dignity, safety, and participation, with control, privacy, and the presence of relatives highlighted as central. In acute care settings, time pressure and lack of continuity can create anxiety and hinder care that reflects patients’ wishes. Aim: To describe nurses’ experiences of caring for dying patients at the end of life. Method: A general literature review was conducted. Scientific original studies were identified through database searches in two databases. The inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed studies with full-text availability in English, published between 2016 and 2025. Twelve studies were quality appraised and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: The analysis generated four themes: emotional challenges, relationship building, organizational barriers, and competence development. Care was described as meaningful yet emotionally burdensome, particularly in situations involving ethical conflicts, perceived overtreatment, and when patients’ autonomy was restricted by routines or by relatives. Safety and dignity were strengthened through responsive communication, continuous presence, and caring acts directed towards both patients and relatives. Nursing care was impeded by lack of time, understaffing, high workload, insufficient privacy, unclear guidelines, and limited support resources. A need for education in palliative nursing care, communication, and ethical decision-making, as well as structured reflection and debriefing, was identified. Conclusion: End-of-life care requires organizational conditions that enable person-centered presence and conversations, clarify goals of care and responsibilities, and provide continuous competence development and support to reduce moral distress. Keywords: End-of-life care, experiences, nurses, palliative care.