Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe nurses' experiences of meeting patients in palliative nursing in somatic wards and how the nurses coped with the strain of nursing dying patients. Qualitative interviews were performed and the data analysis was based on grounded theory method. The core category »the dialogical relationship« was emerged. This category explains how the meeting between the nurse and the patient can be made good through different actions and interaction such as good nursing care, how the patient is treated, courage in spite of fear, relations to the patient, the nurse's coping with difficulties and factors affecting the meeting. In the meeting with dying patients it was important that a good relationship was established, the nurse dared to be herself/himself, to be a fellow-being, to be natural and emotionally engaged. The meeting place was of less importance — of vital importance for the palliative nursing was the nurse's relationship with the patient.