Background: The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into healthcare necessitates that nursing education evolves to equip students with essential technological competencies. Objectives: To explore pediatric nursing students' perceptions of AI in nursing and analyze associations with sociodemographic factors and prior AI knowledge. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025 across five universities in Baghdad. A non-probability sample of 500 pediatric nursing students completed the Shinners Artificial Intelligence Perception (SAIP) tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential comparisons (t-tests/ANOVA) via SPSS. Results: Participants had a mean age of 21 ±1.02 years. While 79.8% reported previous knowledge of AI, 59.8% had not utilized it for academic purposes. Overall, students demonstrated a moderate level of perception toward AI (Mean score range: 24–36). Significant associations were found between perception levels and sex (p=0.009), socioeconomic status (p=0.05), and prior AI knowledge (p=0.03). Only 4% of students at Madenat Al-Elem University, Iraq exhibited "high" perception, which was the highest proportion among the universities surveyed. Conclusion: Pediatric nursing students possess moderate readiness for AI adoption but lack deep engagement with specific clinical applications. Curriculum reform integrating nursing informatics competencies is essential to bridge the gap between general awareness and professional application.
