Background: When the workload for the nurse becomes too high in relation to resources or time, there is an increased stress impact. This stress affects patient safety when the nurse tries to make up for the lack of time. The nurse must perform care with good quality, where nursing care must be in accordance with the patients’ physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural aspects. This includes, among other things, good communication where the patient has the opportunity to participate in their own care.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe nurses’ experience off work-related stress that can pose a risk to patient safety in a hospital environment.

Method: A literature-based study with a qualitative approach and analysis based on ten articles.

Results: The analysis resulted in three themes High workload leads to a lack of communication, Impaired ability to fulfill nursing responsibilities and Obstacles in the work environment risk safe handling of medicines.

Conclusion: Work-related stress affects patient safety negatively. Factors within nurses´ environment that emerge from this study can be helpful for further development within nursing and hospital organizations.