Certifications must haves

[M_fisk]

Can anyone tell me what certifications (For Nursing and below) a medical provider could get to improve their medical professional proficiency Besides BLS, PALS, PEARS, ACLS ?

Thank you Nurses for all that you do. I'm currently an EMT and am looking to go to Nursing school after I get out of the Marines.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

The vast majority of certifications require experience- they denote expertise in a specialty. Beyond life support, there aren't many that are going to be relevant right out of school.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

FEMA and the CDC both offer free courses/certifications.

[klone, MSN, RN]

What is PEARS?

But yes, Rose Queen is correct - beyond those types of certifications, any others are typically for nurses with at least a year or two of experience in a particularly specialty.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

What is PEARS?

But yes, Rose Queen is correct - beyond those types of certifications, any others are typically for nurses with at least a year or two of experience in a particularly specialty.

Pediatric Emergency Assessment Recognition and Stabilization.

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

As others have said, certifications tend to fall into two categories: those which teach you a skill that you can put into practice right away (i.e. BLS, PALS, ACLS), and those which demonstrate proficiency after at least a year or two of experience (i.e. CCRN).

The certifications and courses you need will vary greatly depending on your area of specialty. For instance:

PALS/PEARS Certification: only relevant for those caring for peds patients (including ED)

Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Certification: only relevant for those caring for newborns or attending deliveries (including ED)

NIH Stroke Scale Certification: anyone caring for adults

Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC): only relevant to those caring for trauma patients

Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO): relevant to those working in critical care settings

ONS Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certificate Course: only relevant to those administering chemo

I'm sure there are tons more. However, despite the fact that all of these courses and certificates are available, I wouldn't try to take them all. Each class is really expensive, and the information will be really hard to apply and retain if you're just doing a bunch of certificates for the sake of doing a bunch of certificates. If your employer requires that you get a specific certification (i.e. TNCC for ED nurses), they will pay for it; they may actually prefer that you complete the course with their recommended instructor since then they have control over the quality of the course. I also wouldn't get a ton of certifications for the sake of bolstering a resume, since it looks a little insincere. Instead, just focus on the certifications for the specialties that really interest you.

So in summary, the certification 'must-haves' depend entirely on your specialty. For NICU nurses attending deliveries, NRP is a must-have. For oncology nurses, chemotherapy certification is a must-have. For ED nurses, TNCC is a must-have. However, you don't actually have to have any of these certifications until after you actually start a job in one of those specialties.