Will paying for ACLS etc myself help me land a job?

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2012

It certainly won't hurt your chances of getting hired, IF you're applying to areas where these are necessary (ICU, ER, Peds ICU, Telemetry, etc.) Most general floors will only require BLS.

While it might give you a leg up over other new grads, don't expect ACLS certification to work a miracle with your applications, either. At the end of the day, hospitals are still looking for experience. Without the practice experience to apply the ACLS classes, the certifications aren't as valuable. The areas that require these certifications are more specialty areas that are less likely to hire new grads to begin with.

If you don't have the money for it right now, then don't put yourself into debt trying to pay for them, because chances are they won't prove as useful as you're hoping. Your money might be better spent hiring a professional to help with your resume and really make your application stand out.

MPKH, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2012

I don't think it's a wise move, especially when you consider the fact that many hospitals will pay for you to take those courses if it is needed in your job. I just don't think that having those certifications will make you all that more marketable--after all, a certificate is just an asset to what YOU can bring to the unit. I advise you to spend some time working on your resume and cover letter.

mikeicurn, ASN, RN · Jun 23, 2012

I got my ACLS certification after I graduated. My clinical instructor offered it for the cost of the text book, so it cost me around $25. I won't say it got me my job in a small ICU, but it did look good on my resume. Even with this deal, only 10 or so of my classmates took advantage of the offer. The attitude seemed to be "if the hospital wants me to have it, they will pay for me to take it".

I think it put me a bit ahead of other applicants. Not only was it one less thing my manager had to deal with, but it showed some initiative on my part. But, I wouldn't recommend spending money on it if I didn't have the money to spare.

Ultimately whether or not having ACLS will help you get a job completely depends on who you are sitting across from. What will impress one manager, won't mean a thing to another. In my unit my old manager (who hired me) achieved her BSN later on in life. She worked as a bedside nurse for many years, and was very "hands on". She was impressed more with practical experience than formal education. She recently left and my new manager is a MSN who has primarily worked in management roles with little "bedside" experience. She focuses much more on formal education. She is currently trying to fill two open positions. What she is looking for in applicants is no doubt very different than my old manager. So there is no universal answer to "what will help me get hired". You just have to do all you can to plump up your resume, and sow, sow, sow, and hope you soon get to reap.

Good luck!

sbostonRN · Jun 23, 2012

I got my ACLS around the time that I graduated nursing school. The good part about it was I had just finished my cardiac courses and the certification was very easy for me to pass. However, it didn't help me get my job and I haven't used it at all in my first year of practice, as a LTC/rehab nurse. Recently I got a job in acute rehab and my ACLS did help me get that job (along with my magical 1 year of experience).

It cost me $325 for certification, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you know you'll be working in a hospital or acute rehab. Otherwise you probably won't need it.

2ndTime · Jun 23, 2012

I would say go for it if you are having difficulty getting an interview. I did it right before I graduated. I don't think it helped my get a job, however. I feel like my BSN was the deciding factor in landing my first job. My new manager just gave me the advise to re-certify next year with the hospital even though my certification will not be expiring because "it would be more meaningful to me after getting experience". So take that as you will...

Even though I don't think that for this particular hospital it helped me, I think getting your ACLS shows your commitment and willingness to go the extra mile. For some employers it means a lot. Especially if there 100s of applicants.

Also I only paid $90.00 for the class plus the price of the book. So the cost for me wasn't too bad. I definitely wouldn't pay $300 or more for it.

whatdoIdonow? · Jun 25, 2012

That's about what it would cost me too! I was registered for the class...then the transmission went out on the car so I no longer can afford it!

If I have money left over from student aid (I'm working on a few prereqs for the RN-BSN program and keeping my student loan at bay by taking part time classes) then I might take it.

Thanks for the input!

circularstaircase · Jun 26, 2012

I just graduated nursing school a little over a month ago. Two weeks after graduation I took an ACLS certification course and wound up getting a job offer the following week. I'm not saying that the certification itself is what got me the job, but I will say that both the nurse manager and recruiter seemed very impressed that I "had the initiative" to get ACLS certified on my own. I think getting ACLS certified will certainly boost your chances. These days nursing jobs (especially acute care/hospital jobs) are sooo hard to find. Any little certification you obtain helps set you apart from all the other new grads. I say go for it!! :)

Good luck on your job search btw!!

whatdoIdonow? · Jun 26, 2012

Thanks for the encouragement! I already have the book, I figure I will start studying it and then when the money come, take the class. Hopefully, that will make the information stay with me if I have some time to dwell on it.

samyaira · Jun 28, 2012

ACLS certification is just paper; you're an RN, you can obviously pass classes. Experience with the steps and scenarios of ACLS is really the key. When employers are looking for RNs with ACLS, who they really want are people who are certified AND experienced.

It can't *hurt* to have the cert, but I don't think it helps much either. And being unemployed, the last thing you need is to shell out more dollars. Let your future employer pay you to take the class if you need it, and let them pay for the class.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2012

My current manager did not pay for my ACLS certification, even though she knows I have graduated and will get my license soon. She wanted to pay for more established nurses (rather than someone in transition from CNA to RN) to get ACLS. I paid for it myself just because I'd rather have this knowledge on hand when I start as a nurse. Fortunately, it was only $125 because I am an employee of the hospital. As opposed to $200 through the other hospital in my city. I also plan to get NIH certification and take an EKG class.

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Nursecheens · Jul 5, 2012

It can definitely help you land a job. I recently got mine my

from http://www.aclscertification.com and it wasn't too bad. You might want to check to see if your employer accepts online ACLS courses though because some do and some don't - although I think most do accept them online now. Good luck!