Objective To explore nurses' experiences of ethics dilemma and coping strategies involed in caring dying patients. Methods Interviews were conducted with 25 nurses from four different levels of hospitals in Shanghai. Results The ethical dilemmas that participants encountered with were derived from different standpoint and ethics decision-making between "relieve pain" and "extend life span","life value" and "insufficient medical resources","agent execution for patients' rights of being informed consent" and"medical intervention rights". Nurses' coping strategies included patiently communicating with family members to achieve agreement,failing to change family's decision then passively accepting it by self-adjustment,and following hospital rules and regulation or relying on team decision-making. Conclusion The study analyzed and discussed the reasons behind ethical dilemmas,as well as providing some suggestions on how to improve the coping abilities for nurse staffs. It can provide reference and basis for ethical decision-making.