Objective To explore the effects of need-oriented return-to-work training on work adaptation and social support in returning postpartum nurses, so as to provide a reference for nurses to quickly adapt to work roles.Methods Convenience sampling was used to select postpartum nurses returning to work within 1 week, then two hospital branches were randomized into an experimental group (n=37) and a control group (n=34) according to the lottery method.The control group adopted the conventional offline return-to-work training mode, the content mainly involved specialized theory and skills training, while the experimental group additionally implemented a combination of offline and online return-to-work training based on return-to-work needs, the training content included mother and child care, stress management, interpersonal relationships and professional training.The training in both groups lasted 3 months.The scores of return-to-work adaptation and social support in both groups were assessed and compared before the training and 3 months after the training.Results Thirty-five nurses in the experimental group and thirty-three nurses in the control group completed the study.Three months after the training, the scores of return-to-work adaptation, social support, and theoretical exams in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (all P＜0.05).However, there was no statistically significant difference in the skill exam scores between the two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusion The nee-doriented return-to-work training can effectively improve work adaptation and social support in returning postpartum nurses, which is conducive for them to adapting to work role and improving the quality of nursing.