What is the quickest specialty certification out there?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey everyone,

I see that a lot of the specialty certifications out there require 2 years+ experience or so many hours or whatever. I'm wondering what certification out there is the quickest to get? Anyone know? The quickest I've seen is wound care I think...

Any insight would be great! Many thanks!

There's a difference between certifications such as wound care, ACLS, PALS...the certifications that one gets and can be marketable in any unit, and specialty certification certifications such as Med/Surg, Trauma (TNCC), hospice, etc.

General certifications are not usually that time consuming. I would see about becoming instructor certified to teach a CNA class, and as the pp suggested ACLS, PALS....because in itself, there are many nurses who get general certifications as part of their job requirements.

If you are bilingual and are certified to teach, that is even better.

Specialty certifications require that you actively work in the area for some time. In researching, you may find that this is not something that you can get directly out of school without having worked in the area.

I do believe you need clarification on the immigration rules as to what kind of certifications they are accepting. It is a catch-22 in that you may not be able to work with just a student visa, so you may be limited to general certifications. Which are common for nurses to obtain as they need them for their jobs. So there is no "pressing need" and may not get you to your goal.

Another thought is to continue on to your masters, start a schooling that you can do along with working (emt, paramedic immedietely come to mind, or OR scrub technician) that makes sense for what you want to do, but to continue to school yourself.

I am not trying to be ignorant, however, if you speak fluently another language--there is needs for medical translators, all sorts of facilities need bi-lingual services...

Just be sure you are 100% certain of what will qualify you to stay. Notouriously, H1B1 visas are difficult if not impossible for a number of workers to obtain. (and apparently there needs to be a sponsor involved?) Just be sure that you don't waste time on useless information in your head if you don't plan on using a certification, nor does it get you anywhere near where you need to be.

Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.
Most of the hospitals in my area are requiring a certification in order to get a job. They don't care if you have a BSN or MSN etc., but they do want you to have a certification in something. I do not know what the rationale for that requirement is, unless it is to avoid hiring new nurses, who haven't had time to get a certification in anything. (I am not talking about ACLS, PALS, etc.)[/quote']

Can I ask where you are located? That makes more sense to me than making everyone get a BSN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

@OP - if you had stated why you needed it quickly the answers wouldn't have been so inflammatory. I also do not understand what a certification has to do with immigration, I know many nurses that are from other countries that do not have a specialty certification. Being a Registered Nurse is considered a specialty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I know ortho cert (ONC) is at least 2 years in that field., I am halfway there (THEN I take the test). I am also interested in CDE and that is 2 years +1000 hours and a test. No short road to any specialty cert. For good reason I might add. :0)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Ok, so at the risk of offending.... I am curious about this as well. I already know I'll be starting with TNCC, ACLS, and eventually working towards CEN (I want to work emergency/trauma).

But just out of curiousity... are there certs that have a lesser time requirement? Would be interesting if there are people out there flaunting these or that certificate, when really... not much went into it.

The importance of most certification exams is that many require x amount of hours, in that specialty, in order to sit for the exam. Grabbing whatever certification that is the quickest.....I am not so sure fulfills the "specialty" requirement for a VISA.

While ACLS is doable if you have no actual critical care experience.....TNCC will be very difficult with no actual ER/ EMT/Medic experience. It is an intense course about advanced treatment of Trauma. While it is possible to pass the CEN exam and they only RECOMMEND 2 years experience to sit for the exam....it is extremely difficult to apply skill and learning that you do possess to situational questions.

Another recommended course for the ED which I feel it absolutely necessary is ENPC. http://www.ena.org/education/ENPC-TNCC/enpc/Documents/Course%20Comparison.pdf

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
The importance of most certification exams is that many require x amount of hours, in that specialty, in order to sit for the exam. Grabbing whatever certification that is the quickest.....I am not so sure fulfills the "specialty" requirement for a VISA.

While ACLS is doable if you have no actual critical care experience.....TNCC will be very difficult with no actual ER/ EMT/Medic experience. It is an intense course about advanced treatment of Trauma. While it is possible to pass the CEN exam and they only RECOMMEND 2 years experience to sit for the exam....it is extremely difficult to apply skill and learning that you do possess to situational questions.

Another recommended course for the ED which I feel it absolutely necessary is ENPC. http://www.ena.org/education/ENPC-TNCC/enpc/Documents/Course Comparison.pdf

If you don't have those recommended 2 years but somehow pass the test, putting that CEN on your badge is going to be pretty misleading if you don't have the skills and knowledge to back it up. It's possible to pass a test as a fluke, but if you can't put your money where your mouth is, well...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
If you don't have those recommended 2 years but somehow pass the test, putting that CEN on your badge is going to be pretty misleading if you don't have the skills and knowledge to back it up. It's possible to pass a test as a fluke, but if you can't put your money where your mouth is, well...

I completely agree.....which ha al;ways bee one of ,y problems with the CEN that the 2 years isn't required

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'd just like to clarify the difference between some of the letters being bandied about.

TNCC is just a 2-day class with a test at the end. If you get the book and study at little, it's not a big deal. The same is true for ACLS, PALS, etc. These are self-contained classes that provide instruction and then test on the material.

Specialty certifications like CEN, CCRN, etc are certifying a nurse as competent in the knowledge base of a given specialty. These are broad-knowledge exams in the appropriate specialty that either recommend or require a certain number of hours of experience in the specialty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in FNP, ONP.

To be clear, I was suggesting the OP become a ACLS or PALS instructor, not just become certified. Any idiot can take and pass the course, we need instructors! Being able to help teach the courses might potentially make him/her a more appealing hire.

Beyond that, I agree with OCNRN63

Up Vote Up Vote ×
If you don't have those recommended 2 years but somehow pass the test, putting that CEN on your badge is going to be pretty misleading if you don't have the skills and knowledge to back it up. It's possible to pass a test as a fluke, but if you can't put your money where your mouth is, well...

I know several nurses who passed the CPEN with a year of experience, so I'm not sure it's a fluke if you can study and apply sound test taking techniques and pass. Perhaps the exams should be harder if it's possible to pass them with minimal experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
To be clear, I was suggesting the OP become a ACLS or PALS instructor, not just become certified. Any idiot can take and pass the course, we need instructors! Being able to help teach the courses might potentially make him/her a more appealing hire.

Because yeah, we want the blind leading the blind in learning to resuscitate people. I've been PALS trained for years and still learn stuff at the classes because the people teaching actually know their stuff. Anyone can memorize the books, but when people take the class, they aren't going to just be asking the teachers to regurgitate the book.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
To be clear, I was suggesting the OP become a ACLS or PALS instructor, not just become certified. Any idiot can take and pass the course, we need instructors!

I've been PALS trained for years and still learn stuff at the classes because the people teaching actually know their stuff. Anyone can memorize the books, but when people take the class, they aren't going to just be asking the teachers to regurgitate the book.

BlueDevil, I could get certified and teach the class but it wouldn't be a great class because I haven't got extensive experience.

My ACLS classes have been taught by either a 25-year paramedic or a 10-year ED doc. What has made the class worthwhile are all the real-life case studies that they introduce, not the algorithms or mock codes which come right out of the (excellent) AHA book.

I don't think anybody's got any business 'teaching' ACLS unless they've got 50-100 codes or near-codes under their belt.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment