Objective To explore the effects of "3S2E" nursing management model in patients with severe pneumonia. Methods Totally 168 patients with severe pneumonia enrolled in the ICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2017 to February 2019 were selected by convenient sampling, and numbered according to the order of admission. Patients with odd numbers were divided into the observation group (n=84), while patients with even numbers were divided into the control group (n=84). Patients in the control group received interventions based on the routine nursing protocol for the ICU, while patients in the observation group received "3S2E" nursing model on the basis of routine nursing. Changes in respiratory function and vital signs, Self-Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Depression Scale (SDS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, mechanical ventilation time, length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Results After the intervention, the ventilatory capacity per minute, respiratory rate, rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), oxygenation index, mean arterial pressure, central arterial pressure and heart rate of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The SAS, SDS and PSQI scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group ,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The mechanical ventilation time and length of hospital stay in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The intervention of "3S2E" nursing management model in patients with severe pneumonia can effectively improve the patient's respiratory function, reduce their anxiety and depression, improve their sleep quality.