Introduction: This study addresses self-injury among patients receiving care in forensic psychiatry.Background: Self-injury is common among patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder with elements ofdepression and schizophrenia. Self-injury affects both the patient as well as their surroundings.Objective: To describe nurses' experiences of caring for patients with self-injurious behavior in forensic psychiatric care.Method: A qualitative approach was applied. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight nurses. The data werethereafter analysed with an inductive and manifest content analysis.Results: The results are presented according to two categories: ‘caring that evokes emotions’ and ‘caring that requires teamwork’.Discussion: In the present study, we demonstrate a duplicitous problem in which carers are divided over what is expected of them asresponsible and professional caregivers and their perceived lack of skills and their frustration.Conclusion: Viewing self-injury as a complex expression of mental illness, we recommend that further research is needed in this area– especially in the forensic psychiatric care context, where long term health care relationships are involved.