Objective To investigate the effect of sequential nursing on wound healing effect after plastic surgery and skin grafting in patients with arm burns. Methods A total of 90 patients with arm burns undergoing plastic surgery and skin grafting admitted to Nanchong Central Hospital from June 2023 to June 2025 were selected, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the random number table method, with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional nursing, and the observation group received sequential nursing on the basis of the control group. The wound healing effect, nursing satisfaction and quality of life were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of wound healing in the observation group (95.56%) was higher than that in the control group (75.56%) (P<0.05). The nursing satisfaction in the observation group (93.33%) was higher than that in the control group (73.33%) (P<0.05). After nursing, the scores of quality of life in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Sequential nursing for patients with arm burns undergoing plastic surgery and skin grafting can effectively promote wound repair and functional recovery, improve postoperative wound healing effect, and help to improve nursing satisfaction and quality of life.