BLS or ACLS certification for new grad

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 4, 2011

I'm a new grad and I have ACLS and PALS, and I'm signed up for an IV class next week. I got ACLS through a classmate who was a paramedic and did the course for us really cheap. PALS was quite expensive, but since I'm interested in pediatrics I decided to go for it. I felt it was worthwhile even though so far it hasn't done much for me job-search wise. Firstly it makes you feel that you're being proactive. Also, you get a better handle on what goes on during a code situation. In nursing school you always hear the term "coding' being thrown around, and we always checked the crash cart first thing whenever we came onto the floor. But until I took ACLS I didn't really understand what was involved in calling a code, how you know whether a situation warrants a code, and what role you'll be expected to play during a code. It was a great review of information I already knew and helped things come together.

As far as knowledge of arrhythmias, here is a great site that helps you learn how to read EKG strips. It's kind of a right brain activity--if you just keep playing over and over, your mind will start to see the patterns and you wont' have to memorize anything, you'll just recognize them off the bat.

http://www.skillstat.com/flash/ecgsim531.html

salimom · Feb 18, 2011

Thanks so much for all of the responses! I went ahead and got my BLS, and was able to get hired on at a great hospital. I'm sure I will pursue other certifications in the future.

tntrn, ASN, RN · Feb 18, 2011

Thanks so much for your responses, saved me a couple of hundred dollars! I was CPR/BLS certified at the beginning of school, but it expired last month and I figured if I needed to upgrade to ACLS I would do it now. Thanks again!

Where I work, you have to be current in BLS (and will be terminated on the day it expires if you haven't renewed before then) and ACLS.

I wouldn't bother with ACLS before getting hired, because it's pricey, and if it takes you a long time (and I hope it doesn't) to find employment, the clock is ticking on that two years before you have to renew. In addition, for me, ACLS is the most stressful part of my 34 year nursing degree so I wouldn't take it until you absolutely have to. Once hired, your employer should pay for it too.

doggymom · Mar 19, 2011

I am a recent graduate and just took the ACLS course. (I originally signed up for it because I thought that it would help me to find a job, but before I started the course, I obtained my first job in the MICU!) The course is tough for a new graduate - especially one without even any tech experience (as in my case) - but it is well worth the money! I feel empowered now to not only recognize a potentially life-threatening condition, but also what to do about it! I went into the course with only the basic graduate nursing knowledge - and walked out knowing my basic arrythmias/ dysrhythmias and what to do about them - and what to do about suspected stroke and MI. I wish that I had taken the course before I had med-surg 2!

But I totally agree that passing the megacode (the written exam wasn't bad) was far more stressful than passing my boards! I took the boards and passed in 75 questions and less than an hour - and never broke a sweat. ACLS was stressful because I just felt like, wow, someone's life is going to be in my hands! But wow, what an awesome experience! I think that doing ACLS brought it home for me that I am a real nurse - even more than graduation, passing my boards, or getting a job in the ICU!

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck. I know that the field is tight right now and the job search is frustrating. In an ideal world, I'd be in peds and I wouldn't have over an hour commute when I start next month. But I'm happy to have found a job - and excited to be working in such a challenging, fast-paced hospital and unit with great, friendly nurses where I'll learn a ton!

justinsmom · Mar 21, 2011

I'm glad it worked out for you! I noticed someone in this thread did an on-line BLS renewal. Be really careful with those. You can do the book learning portion of a BLS course on-line, but you have to be evaluated and tested in-person by an AHA instructor. Those on-line only renewal courses are not going to be accepted by most employers -- or so I have been told.

I renewed my BLS certification through a company in the San Francisco Bay Area called In Home CPR -- they come to your home. Very easy to get it done with a couple friends. And a lot more fun!

Kristin Hefley · Nov 8, 2011

Hi there...

I wanted to recommend http://www.thunderbirdhealthcare.com for all your BLS-ACLS & PALS needs. Whichever course you decide is the right one (or needed one) for you, this is a great company to work with. I was able to get my BLS Certification online, and recieved a E-Card to show my employer within 30 minutes of me completing the online test. I was also able to talk to an actual person when I called with questions before buying and completing the course, which was huge for me because a couple others I tried didn't answer my calls or return my messages left. Price is GREAT too!!!

Best of Luck to You!!!

beccathenurse · Apr 10, 2012

I am an unemployed recent graduate. I am freshly licensed and looking for a job (RN, would love Emergency) in a very saturated job market. I am planning to take my ACLS and anything else that might give me an edge over the other 100's of applicants. I did not like the city where I went to nursing school so I can not utilize my clinical connections in that I am in a new place. Also I have an associate's degree and there seems to be a trend in hospitals away from hiring associates.

In this thread I read one post that stated we needed to take an EKG course prior to the ACLS. Is that accurated?

Also are there are other certifications or even affiliations that anyone in the know in the RN world might suggest. Would the TNCC for trauma be encouraged (or even attainable or do I need to be employed in a trauma setting)?

I am willing to go out of state. I have lived in several other cities that may have better job markets than the one I am in now. I would of course have to certified to their state's board of health but does anyone know if ACLS and even my BLS transfer from state to state?

Any other thoughts on proactive ways to get myself into a good ER position with a good residency would be greatly appreciated. I am okay with volunteering or doing whatever it takes to get my foot in the door. ER tech... anything.

AZMOMO2 · Apr 12, 2012

BLS and ACLS transfer, they are national certifications.

timweave · Jun 15, 2012

Actually, each Training Center/training Site, set their own pricing for the course. I know of a place in Ohio that does ACLS and PALS for 185.00 which also includes your book. The renewal for ACLS and PALS was 115.00.