Objective To understand the status quo of effective coughing ability in patients with lung cancer after operation, and to provide reference for accelerating the postoperative rehabilitation of patients. Methods A total of 120 patients with lung cancer surgery were selected by convenience sampling method.The coughing ability of the patients was evaluated 24 hours after the surgery, and the general information and kinesiophobia of patients were collected to analyze the influencing factors of the coughing ability of lung cancer patients after surgery. Results The coughing ability score of patients after operation was 3.04±0.60, with 19 cases (15.83%) having a weak coughing ability and 101 cases (84.17%) having a strong coughing ability. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that pain severity at the postoperative 24 h, mastery of correct coughing methods, and cognition of the importance of coughing were independent influencing factors for the coughing ability of lung cancer patients after operation （all P＜0.05）, which jointly explained 62.70% of the total variation. Conclusion There are still some patients with weak coughing ability after lung cancer surgery, and it is necessary to provide effective coughing health guidance to patients, objectively and dynamically assess coughing ability, and strengthen nursing intervention to improve the postoperative coughing ability of lung cancer patients and promote their postoperative recovery.