Objective To identify nurses′ perceptions of communication needs of patients on mechanical ventilation based on Maslow′s hierarchy of needs theory. Methods A total of 146 ICU nurses were investigated in terms of their perceptions of communication needs of patients on mechanical ventilation. Results For question about frequency of communication with ventilated patients, 23.29% of nurses selected very frequently and 36.99% of them selected frequently. Only 4.11% of nurses thought they communicated very smoothly with ventilated patients and 31.51% of them reported relatively smoothly. Nurses believed that the top priority of patients′ communication needs was self-actualization. Conclusion The frequency of communication between nurses and ventilated patients is relatively high, but the communication effects are not satisfactory; nurses are deeply aware of advanced needs of patients on mechanical ventilation. Communication skills of nurses should be enhanced, thus to ensure effective communication. 