TNCC Before Graduation?

Your employer will most likely pay for you to get what certifications they want you to have and you will do better in the classes once you have experience.

If you do not mind paying the money for the cert then go for it. Best advice to get job in the ER is to get job as tech, secretary etc, before you graduate almost guarantee yourself a job in ER. If you cannot get a support staff job at very least do your preceptorship in ER. During your preceptorship ask a ton of questions and work your A$$ off. I mean do not ever even sit there always something to be done in the ER. Nothing ER nurses respect more than hard worker after all we are the ones that pick up all the slack from the support staff and MDs. If you do this I would be very surprised if you didn't get job offer.

To answer your question simply....No. No real advantage. I don't think a TNCC cert will help you get a job in the ER if you are a new grad. Our dept requires nurses to have this cert w/in a year of being hired. I took it at about 7-8 months and it didn't make a lot of sense as I was not involved in the traumas. I took my re-cert a two years later and things just made more sense and it was easier to apply to daily practice.

Our NM doesn't look for a new grad to have any certifications except BLS. If you have ACLS, that's fine but certainly not required.

I wouldn't spend my money on certs that I don't *need* before I actually need to have them. The hospital will pay for you to get anything required.

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