Background: Many people visit the emergency departments every day and the complaints from patients in health care are increasing. Patients need to feel they are being seen and the care must be based on respect for each persons’ equal value, which meets the need for security and safety in each patient.

Objective: The aim of the study was to describe patients’ experiences of nurses’ encounters in emergency departments

Method: A literature review was made from eleven quantitative studies and one qualitative study.

Results: Three main themes; To be seen as a patient, To be helped and get information, To get care at the emergency department with a total of six sub themes. The result showed that the patients’ need, in contrast to the nurses’ characteristics, could affect the patients’ experiences of how nurses’ encounters them. Factors that also affect patients´ experience of encounters were mainly confirmation, information and the environment.

Conclusion: When the patients have the feeling of being confirmed, involved and informed by the nurse the meeting between patients’ and nurses’ were experienced as more satisfying.

Keywords: Encounters, Emergency department, Nursing care, Patient satisfaction, Person centred care.