OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe nurse anaesthetists' experiences of encountering and caring for children in connection to anaesthesia. METHODS Qualitative design. METHODS Sixteen written narratives based on eight nurse anaesthetists' experiences of meeting children was analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS The overarching theme was: "anaesthetizing children is a complex caring situation, including interactions with the child and parents as well as ensuring patient safety, affected by the perioperative team and organizational prerequisites". The nurses stated that in their interaction with the family, their goal was to ensure that children and parents felt secure and calm. "Striving to work in confidence" underlined the team and organizational influences. Encountering children involves more than knowledge about technical equipment, procedures and drugs. Knowledge about children's development and fears and parents' needs are essential for an optimal caring situation. Organizations need to realize that extra time, skills and resources are needed to safely anaesthetize children.