Grad in Dec, BLS expires in Jan - renew myself or will employer pay?

[Guest915876]

I graduate at the end of December but my BLS expires in January. Do employers pay for their new employees to renew their certifications or should I be trying to schedule my renewal prior to getting a job?

Thanks!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

DO you have a job lined up already? I ask because whether or not BLS is paid for depends on the employer. Our local hospitals all include BLS as part of the orientation training. Our LTC doesn't hire in big enough numbers to offer it as part of the training, but if you need it they will reimburse for the class. Then there are several job postings I see that list BLS as a requirement to even be have your application considered, so if you don't already have a job I would suggest that you keep it current yourself.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I graduate at the end of December but my BLS expires in January. Do employers pay for their new employees to renew their certifications or should I be trying to schedule my renewal prior to getting a job?

Thanks!

Best idea is to schedule your renewal ASAP. You'll look a lot more attractive to an employer with your BLS in hand.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

If you don't have a job by he time your certification expires, you will need to renew from scratch. Also, you want a valid card while applying, a new employer may not take too kindly to paying for class from scratch again. My current employer pays for the recent, but your card has to be valid (so you can't let it expire). Look at the bright side; this may be the last time you have to do it on your own :)