Statement of purpose Motor vehicle traffic crashes are one of the top mechanisms of injury for children in New York City and throughout the United States. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2019) encourages hospitals to provide child passenger safety (CPS) programming and resources to ensure that children are being transported safely upon discharge. Literature shows that implementing a CPS education program in pediatric hospitals is an effective way to decrease car seat misuse. Although discharge education is recommended, there is a lack of literature to show the knowledge level of nurses who provide this education. The purpose of this study is to determine the CPS knowledge level of RNs before and after an educational session given by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor.

Methods/Approach 133 RNs in the Neonatal ICU, Pediatric ICU, General Pediatric Unit, and Mother-Baby Unit in a hospital in New York City participated. Pre/post-test design was used. A demographic questionnaire and an 11 question pre/post-test was given. A 30-minute education session on CPS was given by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor to all RNs.

Results There was a significant increase (p≤0.0001) in child passenger safety confidence and knowledge level in participating RNs after a 30-minute modular educational session, as evidenced by post-test scores.

Conclusion Appropriate knowledge of CPS is essential for RNs when they are expected to provide discharge education to caregivers. The results of this study support providing formal CPS education to all RNs working in pediatric hospitals.