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Background: Lifestyle diseases are the leading causes of death, disability and healthcare costs worldwide. Despite advances in pharmacological treatment, lifestyle modification remains a primary treatment. For behavioral change, it is of great importance that a patient is motivated, as this helps them maintain interest. Primary care nurses can be the patient's first point of contact, therefore they have the opportunity to identify patients with risk factors before the onset of disease. Nurses' skills in motivating patients to make lifestyle changes are therefore crucial.

Aim: The purpose of the literature study was to describe nurses' experiences of motivating patients to make lifestyle changes- in primary care.

Methods: The literature study was based on 10 studies with a qualitative approach. Database search was conducted in Cinahl and Psycinfo. The analysis was carried out using Friberg's five-step model.

Results: The analysis resulted in four categories and twelve subcategories. The four categories concludes "The nurses’ own prerequisites affect", "The patient’s starting point affects", "The conversation as a tool" and "The organization as a barrier or enabler".

Conclusion: Nurses' experiences of motivating patients to make lifestyle changes are perceived to be influenced by both internal factors of the nurse and external factors from the patient and the organization as well as how the conversation is structured. By prioritizing disease prevention, the need for care can be reduced and a sustainable work situation for all healthcare professionals can be created. This could also lead to shorter waiting lists, faster care and a reduction in chronic, fatal diseases in society.