Objective To cultivate qualified specialty nurses in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and to promote recovery of patients. Methods We established a nurse training management committee for specialty nurse training in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, clarified the training objectives and time schedule; prepared teaching materials and designed courses; selected trainers and practice bases;selected 151 qualified trainees from different levels of hospitals in China (77 trainees in the first session and 74 in the second session), and provided 4-week theoretical teaching and 6-week clinical practice. Comprehensive assessment was performed at completion of each session of teaching, with a full score of 300. Results All trainees completed the training, passed the assessment, and obtained the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation specialist nurse certificate. The total score of comprehensive assessment and teaching satisfaction of trainees in the second session were significantly higher than those in the first session (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion Implementation of the nurse training program in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation has cultivated a group of qualified specialty nurses in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation for clinical practice, which is beneficial to improve the level of rehabilitation intervention for patients with cardiopulmonary diseases. At the same time, a standardized training system might lay a solid foundation for nursing training.