Certifications

Be sure that by the time you graduate your BLS certification is up to date. Also, start looking into the facilities and positions that you plan to apply to. Look at the certifications that they prefer or require and be sure to obtain them. One big one that might assist you is your ACLS certification. Best wishes.

You need BLS for almost every nursing position. The rest depends on what unit you are hoping to be hired on. Med surg, CCU, ICU, ED all want ACLS. L&D and postpartum want NRP, I think NICU does too. Peds want STABLE and PALS.

You can look online at the hospitals in your area on their job sites and see what job requirements are, that's probably the best place to figure it out.

As mentioned above, BLS and ACLS are general ones that are good to have. NRP is good for NICU and L & D and PALS for any Peds dept. For ER, ACLS and PALS are required either before or after hire (depends on the facility, some wont consider you without it some will, but having them prior to interview gives you a leg up in the process). IV and EKG certifications also look good on resume but are not required. For L & D, EFM cert is great however if you do not already work in the department it may be difficult. EFM is easier if you are already working hands on with the monitoring equipment.

In NYC no hospitals i heard of use STABLE. However, this may be a regional thing. STABLE it seems, is used more in the midwest/West of the US.

Thank you all for your responses! Can I get any of these as a student?

Thank you all for your responses! Can I get any of these as a student?

Most yes. But the NRP, ACLS, PALS and STABLE usually mean more with some clinical experience. Most employers that require these certifications will offer them to candidates upon employer, often during orientation.

This can be costly to secure as a student as NRP, ACLS, and PALS can cost $150-$300 per class depending on the training center.

Thank you so much! Your help is greatly appreciated.

What kind of nursing do you want to do? You can get all of those certs without being a working RN. Some managers don't look at them without experience, however, they certainly can't HURT your chances, and having the cert at least qualifies you for more positions.