Bhurd08

I work with a company that provides ACLS, PALS and BLS classes through the AHA, all over northern California. Last year we started a program for new nurses and students that we called, "Pass Now-Pay Later." The upshot is that you take the classes, get certified without paying anything out of pocket up front (other than for the books). We issue a temporary certificate at the end of each class that states that you have successfully completed the course and that your card is pending. New nurses then take these temporary certs to their interviews, and when they get the job, and the actual card is required, they pay the regular registration fee and we send the cards. Students or new grads that pay up front get a discounted fee reserved for students that pay at the time of the class. If you don't get a job you don't pay. (We hope you'll get a job sometime in the next two years) In Sacramento and in Merced we have conducted several classes of all students, and had a blast. A few paid at the time of the class but most didn't. Most have now been hired and have since paid for their cards, a few haven't but we're all in it together. Maybe other companies would consider doing something similar to make things easier as you are just starting out and don't have a steady income yet. It has worked out really well for us.

Only the American Heart Association's ACLS online course will result in an AHA card. You can take it through their website for $105 and then find an AHA Training Center to complete the "hands-on" skills portion of the class. Most people can complete the online portion in about 12 hours. However there are a lot of nurses (and physicians) that end up taking a regular classroom based course because after paying the non-refundable fee, they still have a hard time passing the written test. If you haven't taken the class before, it's probably a better idea to find a class that your friends have found that they really enjoyed. ACLS can be a great experience or a disaster, depending on where you take it. In our area its less expensive to take the classroom course. Hope that helps.