Background: Palliative care is an important part of nursing care. The need is expected to increase as the population ages. Financial problems and a lack of knowledge of health professionals are examples of reasons that many patients in the palliative phase does not receive the care they need. For the nurse to alleviate the suffering of the patient, more knowledge is needed about this form of care.

Aim: To illuminate the nurse's experiences of palliative care of adult patients.

Method: The method used was "to contribute to evidence-based care with the foundation in the analysis of qualitative research". This method was well suited to the purpose of which was to highlight the experiences of nurses. The inclusion criteria for this study was that the studies should be written based on the nurse's perspective, the participants should be registered nurses and focus on palliative care. In studies involving more professionals than the nurse's experiences presented were excluded, as well as studies on palliative care for children.

Results: The result gave the two main themes and four sub-themes. The first main theme was named "The nurse's experience of the encounter with the patient and family," and dealt with how communication could be used to teach patients and families and that communication could fail due to conflicts within the patient's family, but also if the patient was demented. The nurses could also experience grief when their patients died. The second main theme was named "the nurse's experience of their potential to alleviate suffering" and dealt with what was perceived promotion and what was perceived as an obstacle. To get to know the patient and find out their wishes seemed promotion to provide good care, and to have a good care plan. The environment, lack of knowledge and the time perceived as barriers to providing good care.

Conclusion: Based on the study's results it is concluded that nurses experienced knowledge, experience and personal commitment as important aspects to give the patient what is needed. Lack of financial resources and the environmental problems perceived as barriers to give the patient a good care along the patient's wishes. When cooperation between nurses and colleagues did not work nurses experienced frustration, failure and inadequacy, which resulted in the patient's suffering. On this basis it is considered that more resources and training is needed.