The aim of this paper is to examine the way in which nurses manage patients who are unable to consent to nursing care procedures. This paper reports on a qualitative study using focus groups and critical incidents collected through in-depth interviews to explore the way in which nurses obtain consent prior to nursing care procedures. The finding indicate that nurses are uneasy about administering care to a patient who cannot consent. When complicating factors are present this unease is exacerbated and sometimes the appropriate delivery of care is withheld.