Criteria for Infant Safe Sleep Model of Excellence Award in North Carolina
To become an Infant Safe Sleep Model of Excellence Hospital, your hospital must meet the criteria
listed in all four program areas.
To become an Infant Safe Sleep Leader, your hospital must meet the criteria under at least one of the
program areas.
Documentation: Include as much of the requested documentation as possible. If you are not able to
include a piece of the documentation, you must explain why you are not able to provide it and why you
think you are still eligible to be recognized in this area. If you have additional documentation that is not
requested, you may include it, but you must include an explanation of why it is relevant. Additional
documentation is not required.
Efforts towards: Many hospitals are working toward achieving these goals and we want to know what
you are doing. In the section titled, “Efforts toward Completion of Criteria”, we recognize work that is
in progress. If you believe you match some but not all criteria in a particular area, please let us know.
Our goal is to help you achieve Leader or Model of Excellence status.
I. POLICY
CRITERIA
 The hospital must have a separate SIDS/Infant Safe Sleep policy that is endorsed by hospital
administrators and is based on AAP guidelines. The policy must include staff training and
modeling/education for parents.
The policy may be a part of an overall infant safety or similar hospital policy as long as SIDS/Infant Safe
Sleep is a stand-alone section.

The SIDS/Infant Safe Sleep policy must currently be operational and must be in practice for at least
3 months prior to the date of the application, with documented evidence of when it was initiated.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

A copy of the hospital infant safe sleep policy with an effective date of at least 3 months prior to
when the application is submitted.
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EXAMPLE:
 http://www.firstcandle.org/professionals/program-highlights/model-behavior-nurses-ceprogram/materials/
EFFORTS TOWARD COMPLETION OF CRITERIA
 With administrative endorsement, the hospital has created a consistent policy addressing safe
sleep training and practices based on AAP guidelines, which includes modeling and education
for parents before discharge. The policy has not yet been implemented or has been
implemented for less than 3 months.
 Hospital staff has evaluated current policies and has determined an interest in and need to
create a consistent policy regarding infant safe sleep practices according to AAP guidelines. This
may or may not include endorsement of policy creation by hospital administrators.
II. STAFF TRAINING AND EDUCATION
CRITERIA
 All hospital staff working on units serving children less than one year of age (NICU, Newborn
Nursery, OB/Mother-Baby, General Pediatrics) have undergone a training that includes:
o Epidemiology of SIDS and accidental infant asphyxiation.
o Importance and implementation of infant safe sleep practices according to AAP guidelines
to ensure a safe sleep environment in the hospital setting.
o How to model safe sleep behavior and educate parents.
 New staff must receive safe sleep education or training within 3 months of their hire date.
 Staff must participate in annual training and/or receive educational updates on current SIDS/Infant
Safe Sleep statistics and best practices, as needed.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
 Copies of training materials or curricula including handouts, slides or other materials used to
educate new staff and update existing staff.
 Documentation of recent staff education, updates or trainings (e.g. unit, date, number trained,
topics).
EXAMPLES:
 PowerPoint or print materials that are used to train new staff on the SIDS/Safe Sleep best
practices, policies and model behaviors.
 PowerPoint or print materials that are used to update current staff on the SIDS/Safe Sleep best
practices, policies and model behaviors.
EFFORTS TOWARD COMPLETION OF CRITERIA
 Staff in one or more, but not all, of the units listed above has been trained on all of these topics. Or,
staff has been trained on some, but not all, of the topics. Complete safe sleep training will include
all topics listed, for all relevant staff.
 Current staff is fully trained on all topics trained but new staff has not received safe sleep training.
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
Staff has been trained in the past but has not received any updated information or training on the
most current data and practice standards in the past year.
III. PARENT EDUCATION AND MODELING
CRITERIA
 Staff provides parent education on SIDS/Infant Safe Sleep (through use of video, live
demonstration, and/or distribution and explanation of written materials) to all parents of children
less than one year of age (NICU, Newborn Nursery, OB/Mother-Baby, and General Pediatrics).
Completion of parent education is documented in patient file prior to discharge.
 Staff incorporates SIDS/infant safe sleep education into childbirth classes for parents and other
family members.
 All hospital staff working on units serving children less than one year of age model SIDS/Infant Safe
Sleep practices in the hospital setting (unless contraindicated for medical reasons).
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
 Copies of infant safe sleep materials provided to parents as part of childbirth/prenatal classes after
delivery and during hospital stays.
 Copies of the form used to document infant safe sleep patient education in patient file.
EXAMPLES:
 Take-home materials for new parents/parents-to-be either developed by the hospital or from other
sources.
 Materials or names of videos with appropriate SIDS/Infant Safe Sleep information used to educate
parents.
EFFORTS TOWARD COMPLETION OF CRITERIA
 Staff models infant safe sleep procedures and provides education to new parents prior to
discharge. However, safe sleep education is not included in childbirth education classes.
 Staff models infant safe sleep procedures in one, but not all units of the hospital. Staff in this unit
may or may not also provide parent education prior to discharge.
 Staff models safe sleep procedures but does not provide safe sleep education directly to parents
prior to discharge.
IV. COMMUNITY OUTREACH
CRITERIA
 Staff participates in activities throughout the year that result in education about infant safe sleep
practices in the local community.
 Hospital displays SIDS/Infant Safe Sleep educational messages either in the hospital or in the local
community at least twice a year.
 Hospital includes information on SIDS/Infant Safe Sleep in internal hospital or public website or
newsletter at least twice a year.
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
Hospital conducts at least one media effort such as inviting media to an event, writing an editorial
or letter to the editor or posting a press release.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
 An outreach log (or equivalent) that includes a description of each outreach activity, date(s) of the
activity, location and approximate number of community members reached.
 Pictures of boards, displays, or educational tools used.
 Copies of hospital newsletters and/or online materials.
 Public Service Announcements, press releases, newspaper articles or other media.
 Additional documentation.
EXAMPLES:
There are a variety of educational opportunities within the local community. Hospitals that reach
beyond their doors to educate others about safe sleep practices are helping to increase knowledge of
this important topic. Examples of community outreach activities:
 Hospital staff attends community events/health fairs etc. that include specific safe sleep
information, educational activities, and distribution of educational materials.
 The hospital publishes information about infant safe sleep in hospital bulletins/on their website.
 The hospital’s Public Relations Department successfully utilizes local media (print, radio or
television) to educate the public about the importance of safe sleep practices.
 Staff provides educational opportunities throughout the hospital through board displays, written
materials distribution or video based education.
 The hospital serves as a mentor to another area hospital interested in addressing infant safe sleep.
 A key hospital employee writes a letter to the editor of a local paper addressing the importance of
infant safe sleep.
EFFORTS TOWARD COMPLETION OF CRITERIA
 Hospital has created a plan and has scheduled future dates to outreach to the local community but
has not yet implemented these plans.
 Hospital has created displays with SIDS/Safe Sleep information intended for the public but has not
yet conducted educational activities or health fairs to distribute the information to the public.
 Hospital does only a few one-time community based activities a year but is not yet a regular activity
or priority.
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