This study investigated the communication ability of university students and aimed to elucidate the characteristics of and issues related to communication skills in order to improve their communication abilities. Our subjects were 18 university students from the Faculty of Nursing, and we conducted an anonymous self-reporting survey. The survey focused on: 1） a sense of difficulty during communication with the subject; 2） evaluation of communication skills using the ENDCOREs （ENCODE DECODE CONTROL REGULATION） scale; and 3） a process report from a nursing setting titled“ Reflecting on the characteristics of my own communication”. The results from university students who experienced a sense of difficulty during communication made the following overall concerns clear: 1） It is difficult to express our thoughts and emotions; 2） We are unable to react with empathy to the subjects’ opinions and point of view or respond to situations with appropriate flexibility; and 3） It is difficult to relate to subjects. In order to improve their communication skills, university nursing students must first acquire competency in verbal and non-verbal expression and interpretation, then gain the relational competency that forms the foundation for approaching subjects appropriately and having smooth social interactions
