should i take a cpr class now or...?

[nurse_tobe]

hello everyone! i live in northern illinois and take my cna state test on the 18th. i'm so excited! i have heard conflicting information about the cpr certification and getting a job. i was told by a fellow student not to bother taking a cpr class because if you are hired by a nursing home, your employer will pay for you to take the cpr course or reimburse you for taking it. i also heard from another source that no place will hire you AT ALL without a cpr certification. so...which one is it? does anyone know anything or have any experience with either situation? i would hate to shell out $100+ and then find out that i could have done it for free. but then again, i don't want to have to wait any longer to be able to get a job, so i want to take the class asap. if all else fails, i will just take the class. $100 is a small investment considering the cost of my cna class and being able to finally get a job in the healthcare field. im so tired of being a security guard! lol. any feedback is appreciated. thanks.

[daisy-mae]

My experience is that you have to have your CPR done prior to employment. My employer does not pay for certification. For your CPR class, I would look for a local fire department that offers classes. I will be doing mine in 2 weeks and the cost I'd only $45 for American Red Cross for the healthcare professional.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

I would have to say that you should watch the job postings. If the majority of them state "CPR certificate required" then that means that it's required that you have CPR certification as a condition of applying to them. In other words, for those employers, you have to have the CPR certification first. If the job advertisement does not state "CPR certification required "or something similar to that, then for that employer you likely do not need CPR certification to be hired.

Some employers will state specifically which certification they require for employment, others will not. Expect that if you are in the healthcare field that you will be required to be CPR certified to a level equivalent to AHA's "Healthcare Provider" level.

Something to remember is that sometimes your employer will pay for only a certification to a certain level, and any certifications above that, will be on your dime. Currently, I am not in a medical field for my full-time employment. My employer requires me to have CPR, but they do not require me to have the "Healthcare Provider" level CPR, therefore they will not pay for that course. Instead, they will pay for Adult CPR for the lay rescuer because that is all they require. They also require First Aid certification, my education and training go far beyond that, but they will not reimburse me for continuing education units to maintain my certification becauser it is above what they require.

In any event, if you are contacted by a potential employer, ask them what they require for CPR certification, as a condition of beginning employment with them. That will give you an excellent idea if you should have the certification already, or if you can hold off and allow them to reimburse you or cover the cost and send you to the class themselves.

[MommaTy]

Not always true. The nursing home I'm in won't pay for CPR and doesn't care if I have it or not. But I am signed up for May 24th to get it anyway. I need it for the RN program I start fall 2013. Some jobs won't hire you without CPR certification. They would pick another applicant with CPR before one without one. That's how it is here in Massachusetts where I am.

[Kitsey]

My facility in Wisconsin also doesn't care if we have it or not.