The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 impacted several Asian countries. Healthcare workers (HCWs) were the highest risk persons to be contaminated with SARS, and nurses were the most vulnerable healthcare workers, enduring tremendous stress. The purpose of this study was to describe both the impact on nurses' and the way they coped during the SARS outbreak in 2003. Four focus groups consisting of 27 nurses were conducted at one hospital in southern Taiwan. The tape-recorded group discussions were transcribed and then analyzed, using ATILAS 5.0 software. Impact and nurses' coping strategies were categorized as three aspects, including impacts of caring for SARS patients, interactions with medical disciplines, and coping strategies in the face of the SARS outbreak. Five themes emerged, including, encountering professional ethical dilemmas, being stigmatized, feeling stressed by caring for patients placed in quarantine, fear of being contaminated with SARS, and worry about harming their own families. Nurses' experiences of interaction with other medical disciplines were perceived as isolated and chaotic. Positive coping strategies included equipping oneself appropriately, remembering that one was in the same boat as other nurses, and support from significant others. The major impact on nurses came from professional ethical dilemmas and also the invoking of nurses' strengths to cope with tremendous stresses due to the SARS outbreak. Our study findings might be used to contribute to future directions to administrators to implement substantial support and programs for staff nurses.