Background: In palliative care, nurses are often faced with ethical dilemmas where the patient's need for symptom relief, autonomy, and participation can be difficult to balance. The work environment can be characterized by emotional strain and limited resources, which can affect the ability to provide high-quality, person-centered care. The nurse's primary task is to create care encounters that reduce suffering and promote well-being, while also considering the patient's wishes and the impact of family members.

Aim: To describe nurses' experiences of ethical dilemmas in palliative care.

Method: A general literature review with a qualitative design, based on 10 original articles. A qualitative, manifest content analysis according to Graneheim and Lundman (2004) was used.

Results: Two main categories were identified: Care organization and Emotional strain. These were further divided into a total of 6 subcategories.

Conclusion: Nurses in palliative care often face ethical dilemmas that impact both their workload and emotional well-being. Issues in the healthcare organization, such as inadequate communication and lack of staff, contribute to increased ethical stress and feelings of inadequacy. To improve the work environment and strengthen the nurse's professional role, increased organizational support, better collaboration within the care team, and training in handling ethical dilemmas are needed.