Background: Type 2 diabetes is a disease that is becoming more common in Europe. The disease mainly affects people of middle age and older. Living with type 2 diabetes causes a lot of lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity and a healthier diet. In later stages of the disease, antidiabetic agents may also be relevant. As a nurse, it is important to understand the patient's experience of living with type 2 diabetes in order to provide the patient with a person-centered care with a holistic approach.

Purpose: The purpose was to investigate patients' experiences of living with type 2 diabetes.

Method: A qualitative literature study based on eight nursing science articles.

Result: The result was presented in a main theme A changed life situation with five subcategories: Experiences of changes in diet and exercise, Experiences of motivation for lifestyle change, Experiences of knowledge and education in lifestyle changes, Experiences of guilt and shame and Acceptance. Patients experienced difficulty adjusting to living with type 2 diabetes. They experienced difficulties with changes in diet and exercise. Motivation was as an important factor for an increased quality of life. Many patients found it difficult to take in too much information at once and would rather have the information split up on several occasions. Accepting the disease increased the quality of life of the participants.

Conclusion: Experiences of living with type 2 diabetes vary. Some patients see the disease as a problem while others see no obstacles in everyday life. Patients living with type 2 diabetes need to be cared for by a person-centered approach where the focus is on the patient behind the disease.