Patients in intensive care are often intubated, and therefore unable to speak, which leads to difficulties in communication. The ICU is a very stressful environment and can be experienced as foreign and frightening by both patients and their close ones. The ICU nurse’s caring responsibilities includes both the care of the critically ill patient and the support of relatives who are often in shock. This balance is not always straightforward, and acting professionally in both instances can lead to problems. The professional competence of an ICU nurse has been described as a calm surface, beneath which rages a conflict between medical and ethical issues. As such, communicating professionally with relatives is a challenge that rivals the nurse’s medical responsibilities. The aim of the study was to describe the significance of the nurse's communication with close relatives in the ICU patient room. The study was conducted using a qualitative and inductive approach. A non-participant, semi-structured, observational method was used. Seven observations were conducted. The results of the study are presented in five categories: to prioritise attention; be available for relatives; listen, inform, be sensitive and responsive; to value the meeting and to juxtapose between compassion and objectivity. We have found that the nurse possess the power to make a difference in how the relation between the nurse and close ones turns out and also that several factors can affect their relation.