Göransson, P & Hansson, A-M. The encounter with death – a literature review on nurses’ experiences. Degree Project, 15 Credit Points. Nursing Programme, Malmö University: Health and Society, Department of Nursing, 2011. Death is something all of us will be confronted with sooner or later. Nevertheless it is a subject rarely spoken of. The most important task for health care is to save lives, but occasionally patients die. Irrespective of death being sudden or expected, it awakes thoughts and emotions in everyone involved. The aim of the study was to investigate nurses’ experience of encounters with death and dying patients. Literature study was chosen as method. Searches in the databases Cinahl, Pubmed and Psycinfo resulted in eleven scientific publications (ten different studies). The studies were performed in Sweden, England, USA, Iran and Taiwan between 1998 and 2010, and in them palliative as well as emergency and intensive care are represented. The result shows that grief, fear, guilt and powerlessness are common feelings when nurses encounter death and dying. But for some nurses encountering death has meant a feeling of relief, or even an increased zest for life. To handle the negative feelings it is important for nurses to find a balance between intimacy and distance. Many nurses also find it useful to gain control over the situation. Support is found through talking to colleagues, but someone also mentioned religious belief. Humour is another way to handle the situation. For many nurses the experience of death and dying also seem to have had a positive effect on their view of life and helped them to develop as human beings.