Reading comprehension in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) has received considerable attention from linguistic researchers all over the world. The skill of reading comprehension enables learners to access scientific and academic information more effectively and efficiently than the others. However, in English for specific purposes (ESP) classrooms, students encounter different reading comprehension challenges, which they have never had in their general English lessons. This study explored the difficulties experienced by ESP nursing students and how those difficulties were addressed. It was conducted primarily by employing two data collection strategies, questionnaires and focus group interviews. The questionnaire was distributed to 300 first-year nursing students,
while 12 students participated in three focused group interviews. The research results suggest that students had a low performance in reading medical texts mainly because of the lack of linguistic knowledge, prior knowledge, and reading strategies. Four strategies are suggested to address reading difficulties and improve reading performance. These include: i) increasing students’ vocabulary, ii) strengthening students’ grammatical knowledge, iii) increasing students’ exposure to medical texts, and iv) raising students’ awareness of the importance of reading medical texts for future learning. The study raises several implications for learners and teachers, relevant authorities and institutions in ESPcontexts.