Background: South Africa has about 50 million people, the world highest number of HIV-positive and has a BNP at 6170 USD. The nurses are registered as a nurse after four years studies and there are approximately 2 nurses per 1000 citizens, compared to Sweden’s 10/1000. Dordrecht Provincially Aided Hospital is a district hospital, offering services as emergency, medical, surgery, maternity, paediatrics, antiretroviral treatment and serves about 15 000 people. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore and describe nurses’ daily work at DPAH. Method: The study is accomplished as an ethnographic study, with participant observations, informal conversations and a questionnaire. It is performed as a field study at the hospital for eight weeks. Eight nurses have been participating in the study. Results: The analysis of the gathered data resulted in a general description of the daily work, but also in 5 categories describing the daily work. These categories were patients relations, staff relations, responsibility, nursing and HIV. Conclusions: The strength of this study has been the ability to provide an over all picture of the daily work which has not been done before