Online BLS/ACLS certification

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Has anyone used emergencycourses.com for BLS or ACLS certification? Would you recommend it? Do you feel like you learned the skills well enough online as opposed to in-person?

Could you recommend any other places offering these certifications online?

Would it be a good idea or not worth it for a new nursing student to get ACLS certified?

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

Most employers will not accept online CPR or ACLS. You're better off buying a book and studying it yourself. Your best bet would be to start with a telemetry class. ACLS will be no good if you have no clue what rhythm you're seeing.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

You realize it says 80% online/20% hands on. So you still have to do the megacodes/skills portion in person.

That's how my facility does it - it's through AHA, but you go through all the lessons online, take the test, print out your completed certificate and bring it with you to the skills lab.

No AHA-approved certification will be 100% online. You still always have to do the skills checkoff in person somewhere.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Most facilities only accept AHA because they require demonstration of skills. AHA does have an online course, but it must be followed up with competency demonstration or you will not get certified (no card).

BTW, our facility prefers new grads do NOT have ACLS. They need to concentrate on learning other things at first and do not have the experience to make those critical decisions.

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classicdame...that is interesting and good info...so getting ACLS certified would be something to put off until later it sounds like.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
classicdame...that is interesting and good info...so getting ACLS certified would be something to put off until later it sounds like.

As a new student, you wouldn't understand what is being taught in the ACLS class to begin with. You need to know how to read an EKG monitor. After you get your nursing license and start working somewhere, if you are in a position that needs ACLS certification, they will train you. Besides, as a nursing student in clinicals, they may potentially allow you to do chest compressions in a code, but nothing more. So why bother getting ACLS for school? You won't use it and it will expire by the time you graduate. And the information you learn in ACLS probably won't do any good for you in school.

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OK. Good to know. Thanks for the info guys.

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