Objective To explore the situation of discharge readiness in mothers of preterm infants, to analyzes the influence factors, and to provide basis for improving discharge readiness level in mothers of preterm infants. Methods A total of 257 mothers of premature infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units of three first-class hospitals in Qingdao city were selected by convenience sampling method.The mothers were subjected to a 3-phase program aiming at improving mothers′ caring skill levels during hospitalization of the babies.The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Pediatric Nurse Parent Partnership Scale (PNPPS) were used for questionnaire survey of the mothers. Results The total score for the questionnaire survey was averagely (83.31±9.44) points for discharge readiness, (48.38±5.42) points for social support, (146.55±15.65) points for partnerships between mothers and nurses.There were significant differences in the scores of discharge readiness among mothers with or without parenting experience and by different educational levels (P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Pearson correlation analysis showed that there were significantly positive correlation between discharge readiness and mother-nurse partnerships,likewise between discharge readiness and social support (all P＜0.01).Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that parenting experience, social support level and mother-nurse partnership level were main factors influencing discharge readiness level in mothers of preterm infants (all P＜0.01). Conclusion Medical staff can improve discharge readiness of mothers of preterm infants by working on the factors affecting mothers′ discharge readiness, such as providing adequate social support and developing strategies to strengthen their partnership with nurses.