Objective To comprehend hospital nurses′ experience of participating in volunteer service for elder care, and to provide a reference for development of volunteer service strategies and advancement of volunteer service for elder care. Methods Purposive sampling was used to select 18 hospital nurses for a semi-structured interview.The data were analyzed by using Colaizzi′s seven-step analytical approach. Results A total of 3 themes which branched out into 7 sub-themes were extracted: dual motivation （advocacy of professional value, pursuit of personal value）; gains and challenges （positive emotional experience, self-growth and development, difficulties and challenges）; reflection and expectation （volunteer teams lacking organization and management, volunteerism in need of participation at the individual, organization and community levels）. Conclusion Although nurses foster positive emotional experiences and opportunities for self-growth by participating in volunteer service for elder care, they also encounter certain pressure.It is necessary to enhance nurses′ motivation to volunteer, reduce the barriers to volunteer service, and promote the joint participation at the individual, organization and community levels.