Nurses General Nursing
Published Dec 19, 2012
Hey All-
I was wondering what are some of the certifications you all hold as established nurses? Please if you put an acronym can you expand on it and tell me which area you work in?
Thanks so much!
Tzs1981rn
19 Posts
I maintain the following:CMSRN (certified med surg rn)ACLS (advanced cardio life support)PALS (peds advanced life support)BLS (basic life support)I will be adding CCRN (critical care rn) for peds in the next 6 months :)
limaRN, BSN, RN
122 Posts
I have ACLS, BLS, PALS (pediatric advanced life support). I also have my CCRN (critical care registered nurse). I am working right now on obtaining my CSC (cardiac surgery certification). I will be taking that test in january! I work in an ICU/CTICU.
woodsyny, MSN
636 Posts
I am a certified radiology nurse (CRN), PALS,ACLS,BLS and did hold TNCC but let it expire after I left the ER.
confusedstudent_88, BSN, RN
64 Posts
Thank you all soo much for responding. Where can I take these courses? Is it something my school will offer me or through an agency after graduation?
OCNRN63, RN
5,978 Posts
OCN- Oncology Certified Nurse.
KelRN215, BSN, RN
1 Article; 7,349 Posts
No, NURSING certifications require one to be a nurse working in that specialty area for a period of (usually) 18-24 months. You cannot take nursing certifications as a student because they are certifications for nurses. You CAN take BLS (obviously, probably required for your program) and I'm not sure about ACLS and PALS... those are not nursing specific certifications but I've never heard of students being allowed to take those tests.
My only certifications are PEARS (Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization) and BLS. I could take the CPN or the CPON exams but don't really see the point.
bubblejet50
230 Posts
I took my ACLS and PALS a month before I graduated. They were both $200. I feel like I learned a lot from those classes even if my job does not require them (i work with developmental disabilities now) and I am toying with TNCC. Its a lot of money to not use so I am unsure if the info outweighs the cost. We do have a lot of self harming emergencies so I would like more of the first responder info
DoeRN
941 Posts
I have:
ACLS
BLS
CPI
OCN that's all I'm going to get. My boss wants me to get my med surg cert but she doesn't know I'm not going to be doing direct care much longer so I don't see a point in getting it. I also have my chemo cert but I don't think it is a national certification. Just through ONS or something like that.
Susie2310
2,121 Posts
I have my CEN.
joanna73, BSN, RN
4,767 Posts
I have the following: BSN, BLS, MDS 2.0 User, Geriatric Nursing, and Crisis Intervention certifications.
LearningByMistakes
45 Posts
You can take ACLS as a nursing student, we have done several courses for nursing schools over the years (Medic students take it). PALS can also be taken by students (Medic students take it). I am not a Nurse, however I am a 28 year Paramedic and we take many of the same courses. I have
BLS Instructor
ACLS Instructor
PALS Instructor
PHTLS Instructor
ABLS Instructor
AMLS
NRP
CCEMT-P (Critical Care EMT-Paramedic)
and
FP-C (Flight Paramedic – Certified)
Scott33, BSN, EMT-P
31 Posts
Ohh, two FP-C's on the same thread
Most of my certs are more applicable to my paramedic role than my nursing one...
TNCC
ENPC
PHTLS (prehospital trauma life support)
PHTLS instructor
AMLS (advanced medical life support)
PALS (pediatric advanced life support)
PEPP (pediatric education for prehospital professionals)
NRP (neonatal resuscitation program)
PNCCT (pediatric & neonatal critical care transport)
CCEMTP (critical care emergency transport program)
CCP-C (certified critical care paramedic)
FP-C (certified flight paramedic)
I failed my CFRN 1 day after passing my FP-C...to be continued.