Background: Negative effects on health caused by work-related stress is widespread among nurses because of several factors, for example a high workload in combination with great responsibilities for patients' safety, health and wellbeing. In-patient care is an area where nurses experience particularly high demand and where the effects on patient safety also risk being especially severe, whereby it is not possible to ignore, it is of assence to explore what coping strategies are experienced as stress reducing. Aim:  The aim of this study was to describe nurses coping strategies to manage occupational stress in in-patient care. Methods: A qualitative literature review. Articles analysed using a thematic analysis method. Results: The findings are based on ten qualitative scientific articles. Three main themes were identified: Resoursces and support for managing stress, Attitudes for managing stress, Behavior and activity for managing stress. Conclusion: The authors of this study argue for the importance of combining implementation of education programs on stress-reduction with structural changes of outer conditions on a local as well as a global level.