Objective:To analyze the application value of PAD (Presentation-Assimilation-Discussion) class and case teaching combined with brainstorming in the practice teaching of nursing students in the department of cardiovascular surgery.Methods:A total of 81 undergraduate nursing students who practiced in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from June 2019 to April 2020 were selected as the research objects. They were randomly divided into the control group ( n=40, brainstorming teaching) and the observation group ( n=41, PAD class combined with case teaching). After one month of intervention, the teaching effect on the two groups of nursing students were evaluated through the nursing students' clinical communication ability scale, Chinese version of self-assessment of clinical reflection and reasoning (SACRR), and competency inventory for registered nurse (CIRN). And the teaching quality was assessed by the clinical nursing teacher teaching behavior assessment scale. SPSS 22.0 was used for t-test. Results:The scores of each dimension and total scores of clinical communication ability scale, Chinese version SACRR and CIRN of nursing students in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The scores of nursing teaching behavior evaluation of clinical teachers in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The combination of PAD class and case teaching with brainstorming can improve the clinical communication ability of nursing students in cardiovascular surgery practice, help to promote the transformation of their clinical thinking ability, improve their core competences, and play an important role in improving the teaching quality.