POSITION STATEMENTS
SPN defines a position statement as a statement that is relevant within the current healthcare environment. It clearly and succinctly states SPN's position on an emerging, controversial or debatable topic.
The purpose of SPN position statements is to articulate the Society's official stance on a course of action or a SPN policy on pivotal issues affecting the specialty of pediatric nursing and the health care of children and their families.
The following position statements provide a well-thought-out starting point for advocacy around that issue. Use these statements to serve as a reference to support your policy at your institution.
SPN produced and endorsed position statements are researched, written, and reviewed by pediatric nurses with specialized expertise in the area of concern. All position statements go through committee and Board of Director review at a minimum of every two years.
SPN Produced Position Statements
Safe staffing for Pediatric Patients
January 22, 2024
Pediatric nurses are essential to the successful delivery of safe and effective care to hospitalized children. The healthcare needs of pediatric patients present unique challenges, and particular attention must be given to differing developmental stages, limited communication abilities, differences in epidemiology of disease, and the patient and family-centered approach to provision of nursing care.
Access to Care
October 26, 2023
The Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) believes that all children deserve access to lifelong, affordable, comprehensive, health care across all care delivery settings. Health care that is designed to meet the holistic needs of children and their families must also be timely, evidence based, and coordinated to ensure the provision of quality and equitable services.
IMPORTANCE OF DIRECT PEDIATRIC CLINICALS IN UNDERGRADUATE NURSING EDUCATION
September 25, 2023
The Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) recognizes the need for child health clinical and didactic content in undergraduate nursing programs. The healthcare needs of pediatric patients present unique challenges and particular attention must be given to differing epidemiology of disease in pediatric patients and approaches to treatment, developmental stages, limited communication abilities in infants and young children, and the provision of nursing care in the context of the family.
Importance of Immunization
January 26, 2021
Last updated: September 22, 2025
Immunizations are a safe and effective intervention for the prevention of communicable diseases. Vaccine-preventable diseases can have devastating impacts on the health and well-being of children and youth. Vaccines, therefore, serve as one of the most important health strategies to combat these diseases and promote the health of our society.
Tobacco Exposure in Children, Adolescents and Families
April 23, 2020
Updated February 18, 2025
In the United States, tobacco smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [NCCDPHP], 2020; Gentzke et al., 2020). Tobacco smoking has been on a steady decline for both adults (1970-2020) and youth (1985-2015); however, with the introduction of e-cigarettes, there has been a significant increase in tobacco use by middle and high school-aged children (Gentzke et al., 2019). The use of e-cigarettes under the age of 14 is associated with a higher likelihood of initiating tobacco smoking and creating another generation addicted to tobacco (Lee et al., 2021).
The Role of the Pediatric Nurse in the Promotion and Protection of Human Milk and Breastfeeding
June 23, 2022
Updated June 16, 2025
To optimize child health and developmental outcomes, the World Health Organization (WHO) (2022) and the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) (2021a, 2021b) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of complementary foods for the first year and beyond. However, despite improvements in breastfeeding initiation rates in the United States, exclusive breastfeeding rates at six months and one year remain low (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ([CDC], 2021).
SPN Endorsed Position Statements
The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health
SPN endorses this policy statement developed and copyrighted by the American Academy of Pediatrics in August of 2019
Firearm-Related Injuries Affecting the Pediatric Population
SPN endorses this policy statement developed and copyrighted by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2012 and reaffirmed in 2017.
Weighing All Patients in Kilograms
SPN endorses this policy statement developed and copyrighted by the Emergency Nurses Association in 2020.
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