Types of certifications

Hello,

I am interested in learning what are all the different types of certifications out there! I would like to look more appealing to future employers, and I believe this will help :)

I know of acls, pals, wound.... what else is out there for new Nurses to obtain?

Thank you!!

Most certifications that are of interest to hiring managers are the ones that you can get only after you have had time in the specialty, accumulated a certain number of hours before taking the certification exams. ACLS, PALS, those you can take without any nursing experience at all. Wound care certification can be obtained from a number of sources but the ones that matter will be ones that you get after a year, two or more working with wound care.

Most certifications are a demonstration of content and practice mastery by experienced nurses. (For example, CCRN, RN-BC and the like)

I think you are referring to courses you might take such as PALS/ ACLS to make yourself more desirable to an employer as a new RN, correct? These are not certifications as the term applies in nursing.

In my experience, any of these courses an employer wants you to have (outside of BLS) are provided during orientation.

You could consider taking an EKG class or obtaining an IV Therapy certification. Depending on your area of interest you may find locally courses in critical care, ER, peds, NICU etc... that are offered once a week for eight weeks through a consortium or independent program.

Any continuing education units you can obtain that support the area of nursing you want to go into further demonstrates your desire to learn. Although many classes are obtained during orientation, to a facility that is eager to get you up and running and may be on a tight budget, having some additional training or certs may give you the edge (my personal opinion from my own experience but certainly not standard everywhere).

Good luck! Call your local facilities and area training institutions and see what is offered to non-employees. Lots of online opportunities are available too.