Incentive spirometry (IS) is one intervention used to prevent pulmonary complications after surgery. Incidence for pulmonary complications after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is 30-60%, which greatly affects morbidity and mortality (Yazdannik et al., 2016). Nurses play a critical role in patient IS compliance by providing education on correct use and reminders to use the IS device. Unfortunately, IS compliance is not optimal, as demonstrated in a cross-sectional survey where 86% of providers believed IS compliance was poor (Eltorai et al., 2018). While substantial evidence is available that supports IS as a treatment, there is an insufficient amount of research on improving IS compliance. A quasi-experimental pretest and posttest design was used to determine if nurses gained knowledge from an IS evidenced based education. Chart audits were completed three months before and after the nursing evidenced based education on documentation of IS frequency and volume, and incidence of pneumonia and progression of atelectasis. Nurses caring for patients in the immediate postoperative period after undergoing CABG surgery were given a 15 minute evidenced based IS education. Nurses had improved feelings on incentive spirometry efficacy following the nurse education. There was an increase of nurses that strongly agreed IS helps reverse atelectasis (from 37.5 to 95.5%) and prevent pneumonia (from 45.8% to 95.8%). Nurses demonstrated improved understanding of correct use of the IS device following the nursing education, with 87.5% of nurses correctly identifying the target inspiratory flow. There was a 43.68% increase in total times that IS was documented in the post education patient group (148 vs. 108). An independent T-test revealed that the IS use increase was statistically significant (p=.027). In regard to postoperative pulmonary complications, there were no patients that developed pneumonia by POD3. There were three patients that had improved atelectasis by postoperative day three, compared to six in the post education group. The present study’s results mirrors Eltorai et al (2019) and Alwekhyan et al. (2021) in that improved patient IS use led to decreased postoperative pulmonary complications. Further research is needed to capture true patient IS compliance and improvement in patient understanding after enhanced nursing education. Interdisciplinary teams should be included in IS quality improvement projects including respiratory therapists. Finally, standardization is needed on IS use as nurse responses on ideal daily frequency and ideal daily improvement in volume differed vastly.