In the context of the burgeoning development of day surgery, the shortened hospital stay has led to a relative reduction in the professional care that patients receive. As a result, more stringent requirements for nursing quality management have emerged. Scientific and objective sensitive indicators can provide quantitative standards for monitoring and evaluating nursing quality. This article comprehensively reviews the definition, classification, construction steps, and methods of nursing quality sensitive indicators. Additionally, it delves into the current status of the construction and application of such indicators for day surgery both at home and abroad. Those insights can offer a scientific foundation for the management of nursing quality in day surgery settings.