Background: It is valuable that the patients experience a good encounter with the nurse at the emergency department. There are several factors that can influence the encounter and the patients' perception of the nurses and the surroundings at the emergency department. To not be seen as the person you are or not treated well, is a common reason why patients feel health suffering. It is the patients' experience of the circumstances which determines whether situations cause health suffering or not. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe patients' experiences of the encounter with the nurse at the emergency department.

Method: The method used in this study was a literature review, based on qualitative studies. Ten articles were analyzed according to Friberg's (2012) qualitative content analyze in five steps. Results: The researchers found five themes that specifically stood out when studies were researched. The themes were feelings of: participation, being seen, abandonment, being dependent and vulnerability. Conclusion: The experience of the encounter with the nurse at the emergency department differ from each patient. All patients want to meet a nurse who characterises kindness and warmth. The nurses are the ones who can control the outcome of the encounter at the emergency department.