Free Courses to Boost Your Pediatric Respiratory Care Skills

In the past year, 200 children for every 100,000 were hospitalized due to a respiratory virus like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19.

That’s one child for every 500.

Stats like these highlight the importance of specialized pediatric clinical education to ensure children get appropriate care and treatment, regardless of the type of hospital where they’re receiving care.

The Children’s Hospital Association’s Pediatric Learning Solutions (PLS) is making a bundle of online courses available free of charge to any clinician, at any hospital.

The Essential Pediatric Respiratory Care Bundle includes five courses built around evidence-based practices. Designed for clinicians who care for both kids and adults, the training helps teams confidently care for children facing serious respiratory challenges.

This resource is available to hospitals at no cost through Feb.28.

Why pediatric-specific training matters

Respiratory illnesses like RSV are especially dangerous for young children, with the CDC estimating up to 80,000 hospitalizations annually among kids under 5. Additionally, 216 children died from influenza in the last respiratory illness season.

We want to train as many clinicians as possible because children’s care can vary widely depending on where they’re treated — whether in a children’s hospital, a community facility, or a rural emergency department.

Many clinicians in adult-focused hospitals or rural clinics may not regularly treat pediatric patients, making targeted education a key factor in improving care and outcomes.

“These courses give nurses and respiratory therapists a chance to refresh their knowledge and build confidence to treat pediatric patients,” said Amy Nelson, vice president of Pediatric Learning Solutions. “We want them to feel ready and supported when respiratory illnesses hit.”

What’s included

The bundle features interactive, scenario-based learning across the five courses:

• Asthma, including risk factors and management strategies
• Basic principles of oxygen therapy, specialty gases, and noninvasive ventilation
• Lower airway diseaseslike bronchiolitis and pneumonia
• Pediatric assessment of the respiratory system
• RSV

Who should enroll

The Essential Pediatric Respiratory Care Bundle is ideal for:

• Emergency department staff (physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists)
• Inpatient clinicians
• Hospital teams preparing to cross-train for pediatric care

Whether you’re in a children’s hospital, an adult-focused acute care setting, or a rural ED, this resource is designed to help you deliver timely, expert care when it matters most.

Access the bundle.