Objective To investigate the impact of discharge guidance quality on patients′ adherence to rehabilitation training, and to analyze the mediating effect of discharge readiness and patients′ illness perception. Methods A total of 224 patients receiving radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were investigated at discharge using Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and their compliance with rehabilitation training was evaluated 1 month after discharge. Results Patients′ compliance with rehabilitation training was (2.62±0.59). Discharge readiness (β=0.120) and illness perception (β=0.147) played a partial mediating role in the relationship between nurses′ discharge guidance quality and patients′ rehabilitation compliance. Conclusion Compliance with rehabilitation training in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is at a medium level. Nursing staff can improve patients′ rehabilitation training compliance through high-quality discharge guidance which aims at enhancing patients′ discharge readiness and illness perception.