Background: Mental illness is a major social and public health problem around the world. As a result of mental illness, the person may suffer from other diseases. Mental illnesses often create prejudices, which can affect the relationship between patient and nurse. Every person is unique and can sometimes deviate from the pattern we expect, for that reason the nurse's nursing knowledge is important in order to apply and personalize care for the patient.

Aim: The aim was to describe nurses attitudes when caring for patients with mental illness.

Method: A literature review in accordance with Fribergs method was selected and the results were compiled from ten scientific articles. The data collection was done in the databases Cinahl Complete and PubMed. The articles have been categorized and analyzed.

Results: The results of the literature review describe both positive but mainly negative attitudes of caring patients with mental illness. The results are reported under five categories: Attitudes and stigmatization, feelings of fear and anxiety, lack of knowledge, lack of education and communication.

Summary: The results of the literature review showed that negative attitudes and stigmatization occurred with several nurses. They experienced feelings such as fear and worry as well as lack of communication. The results also indicate that there is a great need for education and knowledge regarding the care of patients with mental illness.