Making the decision to become a nurse offers you a host of different career paths that’ll allow you to move in any many directions as you advance throughout your education and career. That said, knowing the responsibilities you’ll need to meet before choosing any one path is essential to advancing successfully.
For example, should you decide to work in an area where you’ll repeatedly deal with individuals facing life-threatening events, having your ACLS certification is a must. But what is an ACLS certification and why do you need it? In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at what ACLS certification is and why you should consider getting it for your career.
The ACLS Certification
What is an ACLS certification?
Whether you’re a registered nurse or someone who’s working toward their degree, chances are you’ve heard of the basic life support (BLS) certification, which is something that’s required for all nurses to take. Beyond BLS, however, there’s advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), which teaches nurses how to specifically deal with adults who’re critically ill and learn skills like being able to recognize and manage respiratory issues and cardiac arrest, peri-arrest conditions like symptomatic bradycardia, ACS, stroke, and intubation. While BLS provides you with the basic skills you need, ACLS further builds upon these skills to ensure that you’re prepared for whatever you may face when helping treat those who are dealing with serious health issues.
Who should get it?
Medical professionals who intend on working in the intensive care unit (ICU) within their hospital, or wish to venture into another career path like a paramedic, will need to get their ACLS certification as it teaches you all of the essential skills needed to save a life in these types of environments (it’ll also be a requirement if you’re moving into these types of fields). That said, having an ACLS certification can be good to have anyway, as it adds value to you as a professional and makes it easy for you to switch from one career path to another should you wish to switch careers or move forward in the future.
How do I get started?
Getting access to an ACLS course is quite simple. However, finding the right online class that’ll offer you the right study materials and give you the best experience possible is essential to passing the first time and getting your certification card. One way to make sure you’re on the right track is to take an online ACLS course like that offered by eMedCert.
eMedCert’s online certification course gives you access to 8 CE/CME credits (as well as AMA, ANCC, ACPE, and ADA), adheres to the current AHA and ILCOR guidelines, is valid for two years, requires no skills testing, offers interactive training materials that can be used a self-guided pace, and offers unlimited exam retakes and immediate exam results.
If you’re looking to not only get your certification as soon as possible, but to have the best certification program and materials at your disposal to pass your ACLS certification with flying colors, eMedCert’s ACLS certification course will give you everything you need to succeed and thrive in your nursing career (and provide you with the support you will need when you must undergo a recertification course.
Healthcare professionals operating in critical care units and similar environments need to have the proper training and certifications in order to provide the proper emergency response for their patients. If you anticipate that ACLS training will be in your future, use the guide above to learn more about what ACLS is and how you can get started on getting your certification.