Objective: To explore the effectiveness of high-quality nursing applied to the treatment of pleural effusion with closed thoracic drainage. Methods: From March 2024, the hospital began to collect case data on the treatment of pleural effusion with closed thoracic drainage. By March 2025, a total of 72 cases were included and randomly grouped using a computer system. One group of 36 cases received routine nursing as the reference group, and another group of 36 cases received high-quality nursing as the experimental group. The drainage volume, complications, and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results: The daily drainage volume, drainage time, and hospital stay in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the reference group (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the experimental group was 11.11%, which was significantly lower than 27.78% in the reference group (P < 0.05). The nursing satisfaction in the experimental group was 94.44%, which was significantly higher than 66.67% in the reference group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The application of high-quality nursing in the treatment of pleural effusion with closed thoracic drainage can significantly reduce drainage time and volume, with fewer complications and higher overall nursing satisfaction. It can be further promoted in nursing practice.