Background: The way nurses encounter patients affects the whole nursing process. It can be influenced by several different factors. In Namibia the general health situation largely depends on socio-economic resources. The competence of the nurse and the way s/he responds to the needs of anxious patients is crucial in terms of how the patient experiences the nursing interventions. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the ways in which Namibian nurses respond to anxious patients in the context of nurse-patient encounters. Method: This empirical qualitative study is based on three semi-structured interviews and six non-structured observations which were carried out in Namibia during the spring of 2017. These were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results: The results consist of three main categories and eight sub categories. Namibian nurses respond to anxious patients by “Conversation”, “Calm behavior” and “Expression of compassion”. The nurse should have the language skills to explain and talk with the patient. Nurses must not be stressed out, have patience, show empathy and respect. Conclusion: The degree to which the nurse was calm and able to show compassion in the conversations determined the quality of the nurse-patient encounter and the success of the information exchange between them