Objective To evaluate the accuracy of head-of-bed elevation in postoperative lung cancer patients, in order to identify the compliance of patients and nurses, and to decrease the postoperative complications and restore rehabilitation. Methods 300 postoperative lung cancer patients were divided into two groups (150 patients in experimental group and 150 patients in control group) by random digital table method. The head of the beds were elevated according to the marking sign on the intravenous infusion stand in experimental group, whereas in control group nurses elevating the bed to the height that patients felt comfortable. The compliance of patients and nurses, the indwelling time of thoracic drainage tube, postoperative complication, and the length of hospital stay were recorded and analyzed. Results The compliance of nurses and patients in the experimental group were 98.7% (148/150) and 95.3% (143/150), respectively, compared to 93.3% (140/150) and 87.3% (131/150) in the control group (X2=5.56, 6.06, P<0.05). Significant difference was found in indwelling time of thoracic drainage tube between the experimental group [(96.0±27.8) h] and the control group [(103.1±24.1) h] . The length of hospital stay in experimental group was (7.9±2.1) d, compared with (8.4±2.2) d in control group (t=-2.45,-1.99, P<0.05). There was significant difference in postoperative complications between experimental group [12.0% (18/150)] and control group [20.7% (31/150)]( X2=4.12,P<0.05). Conclusions Evaluating the head of the bed accurately by the marking sign on intravenous infusion stand stand can promote the postoperative care outcome of lung cancer patients, decrease the postoperative complications and restore rehabilitation.