Background: Health care must meet the requirements for good care, the nurse working in the elderly care needs to possess different types of competence when treating elderly patients with depression. Developing a professional competence related to the profession requires knowledge acquisition, partly through proven experience and partly through theoretical learning. In 2020, approximately 215,200 people aged 65 or older received home health care financed by the municipality, and an increasing age inhance the need for further care.

Aim: The aim of this study was to highlight nurse's experiences of caring for older people with depression in the elderly care.

Method: A literature review study was conducted and data was collected from ten scientific articles in total, with eight qualitative and two mixed methods.

Result: Through the analysis, three main headings were developed; the importance of the care meeting, a continues care work and a multifaceted nursing care. Six more subcategories in relation to the main categories were then developed; the relationship between nurse and patient, to perform care during time limit, to work in a structured and routine manner, the nurse’s work towards a holistic perspective, to aquire knowledge and experience, and nurse’s views on depression.

Conclusion: Nurses’ views regarding caring for elderly people with depression is highly individual depending on experience, knowledge and current work situation. Increased knowledge about managing depression is therefore necessary to enable adequate care for elderly patients suffering from depression.