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Introduction and background: The last decade has seen a steady and rising use of coercion in mental health care, as well as an increase in the number of forms it takes. The application of these measures frequently relies on the work of nurses, but few studies have analyzed the human rights issues raised by these practices.Aim: To produce a qualitative synthesis of how human rights are integrated into the practice of nurses who use coercion in mental health care.Methodology: A systematic review of qualitative scientific literature published between 2008 and 2018 was conducted and supplemented by a meta-ethnographic analysis.Results: The analysis of the forty-six selected studies revealed four distinct themes: coercion in mental health care as a socio-legal object, issues of recognition of human rights in mental health care, role conflict experienced by nurses, and the conceptualization of coercion as a necessary evil or a critical incident.Discussion and conclusion: Further research is needed to understand the specifics of the continuum of support and control that characterizes the coercive work of psychiatric nurses.