Objective to explore the effect of external diaphragm pacing in rehabilitation nursing of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）. Methods A total of 60 COPD patients were randomized into 2 groups of 30 cases each. The control group was subjected to traditional respiratory muscle training for 20 days while the intervention group additionally received external diaphragm pacing. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) , modified Barthel Index, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were used to measure the patients before and after the intervention. Results After the intervention, the CAT results, Barthel scores, FVC and FEV1 readings,had significant differences between the 2 groups (P<0.01 for all).Conclusion External diaphragm pacing can effectively improve pulmonary function of COPD patients, and enhance their activity levels of daily living and quality of life.