Malnutrition and pressure ulcers are well-known problems in many healthcare settings. The aim of the study was to examine nurses’ perceptions of assessment and documentation regarding malnutrition and pressure ulcers, to what extent assessment tools are used and nurses’ perceptions regarding these tools. Data were collected in two steps. First, 16 nurses responsible for medical care in community care (response rate 98%) and 28 head nurses in three hospitals (response rate 100%) participated in a telephone interview. In the next step questionnaires were distributed to 89 nurses in communities (response rate 71%) and 115 nurses in three hospitals (response rate 65%), all in one county in Sweden. The result showed that malnutrition and pressure ulcers were present and that an assessment in order to identify patients with malnutrition and pressure ulcers was always made by 12% respectively 42% of the nurses. Less than one third of the nurses knew about assessment tools and few used them. Perceived advantages with assessment tools were early discovery of risk patients and early interventions as well as support of nurses in carrying out uniform assessments. Negative aspects were that they could be misleading and time-consuming. Weight-changes (54%) were documented as well as mobility (53%), patients’ perception of pressure ulcer (33%), psychological status (30%) and body mass index (12%). More than half of the nurses stated that there were no written guidelines.