Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) have a considerable mortality and morbidity rate. Surgery is one of the most effective treatments, however it may compromise the independence of patients after its performance. The Rehabilitation Nurse (RN) intervention is essential for recovery. Objective: To compare the dependence degree between patients who underwent RN intervention versus general health care after HNC surgery. Methods: Patients submitted to different types of HNC surgery, were divided into two groups intervention by the RN versus general health care, the outcome was the Barthel Index Discharge categorized as dichotomic to assess the patient independence at discharge and their differences calculated by statistical analysis. To analyze the effect of the RN intervention on dependence, a Poisson regression model was used, adjusting the confounding factors Initial Barthel Index and Age in the variable Barthel Index Discharge>91. Results: In middle/late postoperative period, in the group with RN intervention (n=79) the hospitalization time was reduced by 4.29 days versus general health care (n=72). At discharge, the Barthel Index (p<0.005) improved significantly in the RN intervention group compared to the general health care group. The intervention of the RN after surgery had a positive effect on the functional capacity of the patients, after adjusting the confounding factors (RR:1.47; 95%CI[1.02; 2.12]). Conclusion: The RN intervention is an added value in the independence of the patient submitted to HNC surgery. It is an innovative study in patient after diagnosis HNC, showing that intervention of RN through rehabilitation programs allows independence after his surgery. 5 succinct Key points: Independence of the patient submitted to HNC surgery; early rehabilitation in postoperative period; rehabilitation nursing programs; self-care optimization; regression model.