Background: Nurses are exposed to a high workload at a high pace with several different types of work, usually performed under time pressure. This affects the nurse's mental health. Compassion fatigue is a condition that can hit the nurse in conjunction with all the stress associated with being exposed to patients' suffering and traumatic stories.

Aim: Nurses experience of compassion fatigue.

Method: A literature-based study was conducted. Seven articles were analyzed according to Friberg's five-step analysis.

Results: The analysis resulted in three main themes: Experiencing exhaustion, feeling insufficient, affected free time with seven sub-themes: Mental fatigue, feel tired despite rest, feeling guilt, lack of context, maintaining an emotional barrier, affected leisure time, overriding private relationships that showed how the nurse experienced fatigue.

Conclusion: Through knowledge of the condition and preventive measures, a more healthy and supportive work environment can be created for the nurse.