Can I get ACLS, PAL, and BLS certification before I graduate?

caliotter3 · Mar 6, 2007

Yes. You take BLS cert first. The other two will be difficult and require study first, but it is doable. You need ability to interpret EKGs before ACLS. Some places require you to take a separate course in EKGs first. It is a very good idea.

Scrubz · Mar 6, 2007

Yes. You take BLS cert first. The other two will be difficult and require study first, but it is doable. You need ability to interpret EKGs before ACLS. Some places require you to take a separate course in EKGs first. It is a very good idea.

Thanks for the advice! I've been doing some reading and see that it's highly reccomended that I get BLS certification first, so that's my first step. I plan on working ICU as soon as I graduate, and I just wanted to go ahead and get those certifications out of the way. Plus that stuff is really interesting to me so I'd probably have fun taking the classes! Thanks for the tips!!

Lisa CCU RN, RN · Mar 7, 2007

Where do you go to take the classes?

caliotter3 · Mar 7, 2007

Go to http://www.americanheart.org. You can find the location of providers of these courses there.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2007

Unless you're real good at interpreting arrhythmias you're not going to do well in ACLS and PALS. BLS for sure, (isn't that required for nursing school?), but I would wait until you learn rhythm strips, which will hopefully be part of your ICU classes during your orientation. There's the added bonus they will pay for it and might even teach it.

Rhythm strips are part of the test in ACLS. It's nice to be ambitious, but there's no harm in waiting. Most places don't require them of new grads.

opps, I see someone else said the same thing. My point being this is all hard to do while you're taking other classes, and you want to do ACLS and rhythms justice.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Mar 7, 2007

The other advantage to waiting would be that your employer will likely pay for the classes once you're working, as opposed to paying the fees (usually ~$250 for ACLS or PALS around here) yourself.

Scrubz · Mar 7, 2007

Thanks for the advice.

ladyinred667 · Mar 7, 2007

BLS for sure, (isn't that required for nursing school?),

I was going to ask the same. I had to get my BLS before I started the nursing program, and I had to renew it this year or else I wouldn't have been able to continue in clinicals.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2007

I had to get my BLS before my LPN classes started.

Scrubz · Mar 7, 2007

I'm CPR certified, but I don't have BLS certification.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Mar 7, 2007

CPR = BLS. Just make sure it's "CPR for the Healthcare Provider" (aka Pro CPR).

Getting into an ACLS class without being an EMT-P, RN, PA or MD can be tricky. I was accepted into a course as an EMT-B because the instructors knew me (guess who ran the mega-code ).