RN BLS PALS CCRN - translation please!

Gator,SN · Jun 9, 2004

RN- Registered Nurse

PALS- Pediatric Advanced Life Support

ACLS- Advanced Cardiac Life Support

CCRN- Certified CriticalCare Registered Nurse

BLS- Basic Life Support

PEDS-Pediatrics

After you get your RN license you can get PALS and ACLS. You will probably need BLS (which is CPR/choking) to start nursing school. The CCRN certification takes several years of experience to aquire working in a critical care area.

Hope this helps!

Gator

nycNurse2b · Jun 9, 2004

What is entailed in getting PALS and ALCS certifications? How does one go about doing that?

TMPaul · Jun 9, 2004

What is entailed in getting PALS and ALCS certifications? How does one go about doing that?

Both are very intense courses (usually 2 days, 8 hours each) with both a written and a skills test (you must pass both to be certified). Most hospitals/medical centers offer them through the education department. I would advise getting a book ahead of time and study before theclass.

Good Luck!! :)

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jun 9, 2004

What is entailed in getting PALS and ALCS certifications? How does one go about doing that?

You find/enroll in a course, review the materials they give you, attend the course (2 8-hour days each) and take a written exam and participate in a "mega-code" in which you are presented with a scenario and you utilize the concepts from the course to tell/demonstrate what you would do in each step of the scenario. PALS and ACLS certifications are for 2 years (just like BLS and NRP) at which time you take a one-day (usually not even a whole day) refresher course during which you are presented with any updates of current recommendations and you retake the exam and mega-code.

Just FYI - nursing students do not really need these certifications and the courses can be expensive ($300/course I think?). If I were you, I would wait and let your employer send you to these classes - they will pay for the class and pay you for attending. The information presented in the courses will also make more sense to you after you have been working as a nurse for a while. Any employer that requires you to already be certified (especially if they require you to have CCRN) will also require that you already have experience - you have to have at least a year of experience to sit for CCRN.

Guest27531 · Jun 10, 2004

... just want to know what i should be thinking abou to achieve my goal...

nycNURSE2B

WTG! You already have the makings of a great nurse, planning ahead!

Deborah

Darlene K. · Jun 10, 2004

You find/enroll in a course, review the materials they give you, attend the course (2 8-hour days each) and take a written exam and participate in a "mega-code" in which you are presented with a scenario and you utilize the concepts from the course to tell/demonstrate what you would do in each step of the scenario. PALS and ACLS certifications are for 2 years (just like BLS and NRP) at which time you take a one-day (usually not even a whole day) refresher course during which you are presented with any updates of current recommendations and you retake the exam and mega-code.
Just FYI - nursing students do not really need these certifications and the courses can be expensive ($300/course I think?). If I were you, I would wait and let your employer send you to these classes - they will pay for the class and pay you for attending. The information presented in the courses will also make more sense to you after you have been working as a nurse for a while. Any employer that requires you to already be certified (especially if they require you to have CCRN) will also require that you already have experience - you have to have at least a year of experience to sit for CCRN.

As a "new" nurse, usually you are allowed up to 1 year to obtain these certifications after you are hired. I agree, don't spend your money while your in school, your employer will take care of it. Good luck!

nycNurse2b · Jun 14, 2004

....to all who took the time to respond!!

GReatly appreciated!