ACLS certification

I was told by a nurse recruiter that as an entry level RN you do not need any certifications BUT.........if you have been out of school for 6 months or more without a RN job with clinical time then you should get certifications. They said because 6 months is too long to be away from the clinical setting and recruiters do not like to hire you so getting the certifications after 6 months looks good to the recruiters.

Well........ If you're going to get ACLS, make sure you take a telemetry class first. You can get through ACLS without the tele course, but you won't really understand the rhythms which means you really won't know what you're doing.

It's like a 3-hour/semester college class crammed into 2 days. Certainly not a good learning technique and for sure, not a remembering technique. I just redid mine for the 3rd time, and it's very stressful for me. I work in OB, so we never use it. It's like a new thing every time.

Being Certified in ACLS never hurt anyone in a job interview. I am a Clinical Coordinator in a PACU and this is a definite "perk"

I took ACLS this weekend and I failed the megacode but passed the written exam. You have to study the book and make sure you run through the CD-ROM for meds and rhythm strips. Definitely take the self-evaluation too, it'll help you focus on your weak points. I did that today when I got home and went through the entire course again and I feel much more confident I'll pass next time. I only have to retake the megacode when I go back within 30 days (at no additional cost). When you get the book make sure you memorize the algorithms throughly because you move between them during the megacode. It's kind of nerve-wrecking but the instructors are really awesome and they can't help you during the megacode so ask lots of questions during the practice sessions. Good luck, study hard, and enjoy it.