Suggest "certifications"

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Hello all. Just looking for suggestions. I graduate with my BSN in December and want to get some certifications under my belt for my resume. I will take ACLS and PALS within my program. What else do you suggest? Burn certification/Stroke, etc. I am sure there are a ton that I am not aware of. Thanks!

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

After two years in your specialty of choice, sit for the specialty certification exam if there is one (i.e. Medical-Surgical Nursing - American Nurses Credentialing Center - ANCC)

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LOVE the avatar! Thanks : )

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

You have to have so many hours in a specialty area to sit for an exam. There is the ANCC and AMSN. ANCC is a bit more broad compared to the AMSN which is strictly med/surg. Of course there are many other certifications out there, but those are the most common ones, I believe.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

As already stated, you need to work at least two years in your specialty before you can sit for a certification exam offered by the ANCC. You can also take an exam in your sub-speciality....for example, say you work on a med-surg unit. You can take the med-surg certification exam once you become eligible. Say your unit also takes care of a lot of neuro patients. You may also be eligible for sit for the CNRN exam (for neuro nurses). You have to be taking care of the patient population that corresponds with the exam you want to take to be eligible, too. So if for example I wanted to take the CNRN (neuro) exam, I couldn't because I don't work on a neuro unit or take care of a lot of neuro patients.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

CEN can be taken with no experience, its expensive and hard, CPEN requires experience.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
CEN can be taken with no experience, its expensive and hard, CPEN requires experience.

How much would it be worth if you have no experience? You'd (not you personally) be trying to take a cert. covering material you know little to nothing about. Most ED nurses who take the exam say it was difficult; I can't imagine what it would be like to try it with no experience.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

To me, specialty certification implies and is designed to demonstrate expertise in a certain area. If not accompanied by experience, it is meaningless.

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Thanks for all the great ideas..but I was more leaning towards the ACLS/PALS etc. type certifications to be achieved prior to working in the hospital. I know that once I start working in a particular area, I will continue on from there. Thanks!

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Neither one is a certification--just so you're clear. If you take ACLS and pass, you get a provider card, but it doesn't certify you, and they're usually very clear about that at the beginning of the course. Your employer certifies that you are competent to perform those skills.

It can't hurt to get them, and it might help. My personal feeling is those courses make more sense after you've been working in an area like tele/ICU/PICU for a little before you take them. YMMV.

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Neither one is a certification--just so you're clear. If you take ACLS and pass, you get a provider card, but it doesn't certify you, and they're usually very clear about that at the beginning of the course. Your employer certifies that you are competent to perform those skills.

It can't hurt to get them, and it might help. My personal feeling is those courses make more sense after you've been working in an area like tele/ICU/PICU for a little before you take them. YMMV.

I haven't heard that one before. According to my ACLS instructor and my employer I am ACLS certified because I passed the mega code simulation and written exam.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I haven't heard that one before. According to my ACLS instructor and my employer I am ACLS certified because I passed the mega code simulation and written exam.

Every course I have taken, and at different facilities all stressed that it is not a certification.

ETA: This is from AHA's site; note that it does not say certification/certificate.

"Upon successful course completion, including demonstration of skills competency in all learning stations and passing the CPR and AED skills test, bag-mask ventilation skills test, a Megacode test and a written test, students receive an ACLS course completion card, valid for two years."

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