New nurse credentials needed?

[swansonplace]

Just wondering what are the credentials that new grad nurses that are getting hired should have?

For example: volunteer, certifications, GPA, etc.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

BLS is a given. ACLS is nice if you can afford it, but not the end of the world if you can't. Depending on what/where you want to work, NRP, PALS, IV, EKG...

Most specialty certifications (like ANCC) require actual nursing experience so you wouldn't be able to get them.

Volunteer work does look good on a resume.

GPA: only list it if it's a good one (3.5 and up), or list the Latin honors that you graduated/expect to graduate with (e.g., summa cum laude). Don't expect a high GPA to guarantee you a job, but it may help you snag an interview.