Objective To investigate the potential nursing risks and coping strategies of surgical nursing. METHODS: Eighty patients admitted to our hospital for surgery from December 2021 to December 2022 were selected to analyze the potential nursing risks of surgical care, and they were randomly divided into 40 each in the observation group (targeted coping strategies) and the control group (routine care). RESULTS: The observation group had higher nursing satisfaction, lower incidence of nursing risk events, and more significant improvement in dysphoria, self-management ability, and quality of life (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: By analyzing the potential nursing risks of surgical nursing and adopting targeted coping strategies, more desirable nursing outcomes can be obtained.