Objective To determine the effect of preoperative prehabilitation based on target responsibility oriented nursing on recovery of elderly patients following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods Totally, 100 patients undergoing THA were divided into 2 groups based on the units they were admitted to, with 50 cases in each group. The control group received routine nursing, while the intervention group additionally received preoperative prehabilitation based on target responsibility oriented nursing. The Harris Hip Score (HHS)，Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score, and VAS score for pain assessment were compared between the two groups at 1 week and 2 weeks postoperatively. The time to get out of bed after operation was also compared between the two groups. Results HHS and ADL scores measured at 1 week and 2 weeks after operation in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group ;the time to get out of bed in the intervention group was significantly shorter than in the control group (P<0.05 for all). There was no significant difference in VAS score between the two groups at 1 week and 2 weeks after operation (P>0.05 for both). Conclusion Preoperative prehabilitation based on target responsibility oriented nursing could improve rehabilitation effect of postoperative hip function.