ACLS certification, TNCC, other certs

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi,

I researched about how to achieve a ACLS certification. However, whenever I go to the Heart and Stroke website, it offers a 12 hour certification. BUT when I research ACLS a company called QRS educational services offers a ACLS Prep session in Ontario for 3 hours. I looked into it more and realized that the ACLS provider certification is only for 8 hours but if it is your first time, you are asked to take the prep session. Could this be the same ACLS certification but just divided into 2 parts?

One other thing, If I am applying for an ER RN position, would taking ACLS and TNCC help my application? Would my employer provide those training for me? How about N95 mask fit test certification? It is quit hard to find companies that offer them and those I did find has some sort of issue raised in the BBB. Would the employer offer the N95 mask fit testing during my orientation? I did hear that employers provide those training so should I just skip renewing those certification with N95

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ACLS is two parts. There's an online portion, then a classroom portion. Your employer should pay for your training. We go every two years on my unit.

TNCC should be done after ER experience. The test would not make a lick of sense to you right now. Your employer may reimburse you after you take it. I think you need so many hours of trauma experience to take it. I could be wrong on that.

And yes, your employer will fit test you. We do it every year.

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Thank you for replying! It is great to know. It would also help me save money. Job hunting is brutal these days. It is definitely depressing.

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ACLS is two parts. There's an online portion, then a classroom portion. Your employer should pay for your training. We go every two years on my unit.

TNCC should be done after ER experience. The test would not make a lick of sense to you right now. Your employer may reimburse you after you take it. I think you need so many hours of trauma experience to take it. I could be wrong on that.

And yes, your employer will fit test you. We do it every year.

Would you think taking the ACCN in Emergency Nursing be beneficial? I love learning new things but right now, I am so confused on which one to do first. Whenever I go on interviews, they ask me on whether I have certifications and I only have the BLS which is the minimum. I saw that they seem to prefer that I have other certifications as well including ACLS, PALS, CTAS, etc. Those certifications are so expensive though. If only I am not financially strapped, I would definitely take it :(

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Would you think taking the ACCN in Emergency Nursing be beneficial? I love learning new things but right now, I am so confused on which one to do first. Whenever I go on interviews, they ask me on whether I have certifications and I only have the BLS which is the minimum. I saw that they seem to prefer that I have other certifications as well including ACLS, PALS, CTAS, etc. Those certifications are so expensive though. If only I am not financially strapped, I would definitely take it :(

I don't know why they would expect you to have any certifications as a new grad. Many you can't get until you have experience in that particular specialty. I started in ICU and my hospital requires ACLS but they pay for it. I had to get so many hours of critical care experience before I was eligible to sit for the CCRN.

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I don't know why they would expect you to have any certifications as a new grad. Many you can't get until you have experience in that particular specialty. I started in ICU and my hospital requires ACLS but they pay for it. I had to get so many hours of critical care experience before I was eligible to sit for the CCRN.

The thing is the position I applying for is not under the New Grad Residency program, just the normal RN route. And yes, even I get confused at times since whenever I go on interviews, I see this lists of certifications and asks me if I do have any of them. Which I do not. I am also a bit hesitant in taking the ACLS since it specifically states that I need to be able to read ECG rhythms which I can to an extent i.e. I look/study the ACLS precourse and check my nursing texts but it was not really an indepth discussion about it in nursing school. I just do not want to take it and possibly fail and lose my money which is already a struggle since I could not find a job yet!

I am also sort of thinking of taking my ACCN focusing on Emergency Nursing though I can take it online and in a span of 2 years. I cannot do the practicum though unless I have at least a year of nursing experience which I hope to get soon. Nursing is so expensive with all these certifications that we need to get. I certainly hope the interviewer would not hold it against me that I do not have these advanced certifications. But I fear that somebody (a new grad too) who does applies for the same job and they would end up hiring that person due to them getting the ACLS. I am really confused and stressed at this point. Been applying to so many jobs and still not getting hired. :(

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I don't know why they would expect you to have any certifications as a new grad. Many you can't get until you have experience in that particular specialty. I started in ICU and my hospital requires ACLS but they pay for it. I had to get so many hours of critical care experience before I was eligible to sit for the CCRN.

Do you think taking an EKG course would help? All these courses are so expensive! I wish it were cheaper especially for new grads like me. I wish I could be more competitive especially since I lack the experience but finances are holding me back.

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There is so much else that comes into play with being offered a job that you'd be remiss not to consider aspects other than just having certifications. Maybe it's common to expect new grads to have certifications in some areas of the country, but I haven't heard of it at all in my area - employers fully expect that gaining necessary certifications will be part of the orientation process.

The main other thing to review/consider is whether you are interviewing well. Are you making connections with your interviewers? Convincing them that you really want the job and are capable of performing it?

You say you are getting interviews. They already know (or assume) that you don't have certifications before they choose to interview you, based on information you provide in the application and resume. These facts might suggest that it's the interview itself that could be improved upon. Although this may seem a harder problem to fix, you can do it - by reviewing your interview experiences carefully in your mind to see where you might be able to improve and then working on those areas. Stay positive!

Good luck!

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There is so much else that comes into play with being offered a job that you'd be remiss not to consider aspects other than just having certifications. Maybe it's common to expect new grads to have certifications in some areas of the country, but I haven't heard of it at all in my area - employers fully expect that gaining necessary certifications will be part of the orientation process.

The main other thing to review/consider is whether you are interviewing well. Are you making connections with your interviewers? Convincing them that you really want the job and are capable of performing it?

You say you are getting interviews. They already know (or assume) that you don't have certifications before they choose to interview you, based on information you provide in the application and resume. These facts might suggest that it's the interview itself that could be improved upon. Although this may seem a harder problem to fix, you can do it - by reviewing your interview experiences carefully in your mind to see where you might be able to improve and then working on those areas. Stay positive!

Good luck!

Thank you for your feedback! I am definitely making the connection though I am reviewing my nursing knowledge more based on my interview experience. You are indeed correct and I do reflect on what had happened during the interview and how to improve in case I do not get a job offer from those previous interviews.

See, that is what I am kinda confused with since even though they know based on my resume and application, etc, they still ask me at the beginning of the interview regarding what certifications I have which as a new grad is intimidating and makes me think on whether I should fork out the money (very expensive ACLS course) to get AT LEAST an extra certification not just the bare minimum expected of being an RN.

If only money was not an issue, I would have taken ALL the certifications I could get. I am still waiting for the results but the waiting game is definitely making me more anxious, over think things, punish myself on how to improve my interview skills, and research on how to make my resume stand-out more through gaining more certifications.

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