What is ACLS Certification?

What is ACLS Certification?

If you are a working medical professional, especially a nurse who works with adults, then you will need to obtain an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification before you begin practicing. There are some cases where you can obtain this certification within 6 months of your start date, but you should preferably become ACLS certified before you start work.

An ACLS certification is an integral part of the qualifications for your nursing position and has proven effective at saving lives for the nurses that have relied on their ACLS training. While this certification is vital, finding the time for in-person classes can be difficult. Online education is now available to help nurses access ACLS certification courses.

Receiving your ACLS certification online can help you balance your daily responsibilities without disrupting your schedule. By having the ability to complete the program in your own home at your convenience, receiving this crucial certification has become much more accessible to interested nurses.

If you’re on the fence about online certifications or just want more information on what is ACLS for, then you’ll want to continue reading through our helpful guide. We’ll answer questions like what is ACLS certification, who can get certified, why it is important, and how you can go about completing an online ACLS program.

Can Anyone Get ACLS Certified?

While ACLS training online has made it much more convenient for healthcare professionals who need to get certified, it is important to recognize that there are some limitations regarding who should use the program.

While ACLS medical training is a requirement for most nurses and can be an invaluable life-saving tool, it is not the only certification you will need as a nurse. Some nurses may also be required to have a PALS certification or a BLS certification.

If your employer accepts an online ACLS certification, then you should absolutely feel comfortable registering for one of eMedCert’s courses. The instances where an online ACLS certification may not be valid will be with employers who require an AHA certification.

Online ACLS courses are a convenient alternative to in-person AHA courses that can become costly and difficult to attend for many nurses. So, if you’re wondering, “can anyone get ACLS certified?” then the answer is yes. However, you need to understand the requirements of your job as well as the certification standards set forth by your particular employer.

What is ACLS Certification for Nurses?

ACLS training for nurses is one of the many qualifications necessary for this essential medical profession. As mentioned earlier, another important certification nurses may be required to have is a Basic Life Support certification, typically referred to as BLS. A BLS certification teaches CPR and other life-saving skills that will be invaluable during your work as a nurse.

Depending on your role as a nurse, and even for other medical professionals, an ACLS certification will help you prepare for cardiovascular emergencies such as sudden cardiac death or heart failure.

For a more specific display of the importance of ACLS certification, you might ask what can ACLS-certified nurses do? Here are a few skills that this certification will offer you:

• Recognize the signs and symptoms of cardiac or respiratory arrest
• Gain the ability to manage these concerns for patient treatment
• Understand how to manage a patient's airway, as well as strokes and other emergencies
• Assist or direct a resuscitation effort

These are just some of the benefits of ACLS certification, but you will find many more when you complete your ACLS program.

We mentioned before how some employers will require an in-person certification over an online ACLS course, but that does not mean an online ACLS certification course could not still be useful for these medical professionals. For example, you could potentially utilize ACLS continuing education credits for nurses in order to cover your continuing education requirements. Once again, this may depend on your employer's standards, so we still recommend that you double-check first.

So, to summarize the question of what is ACLS certification for nurses, think about it as another essential tool in a vast medical toolbox. With the help of ACLS certification, you are providing your patients with the assurance that you are qualified to assist them in the case of cardiac emergencies.

How to Obtain ACLS Certification

With the importance of ACLS established, it would now be useful to discuss how to obtain ACLS certification for those who are interested. The ability to get an ACLS certification online has made this task much easier and more accessible for aspiring nurses, but you should still understand what you are looking for in a program in order to find the best online ACLS course for you.

Recent years have provided much more opportunities for medical professionals to receive their ACLS certification online, however, this can mean you have many options to choose from. The first thing you should consider is the price.

While online ACLS courses help you budget your time, you should also consider your financial budget. There will be varying levels of cost for ACLS courses, but you should understand that no reputable course will be free.

If you’re considering ACLS recertification online, you should first ensure that your ACLS course is accepted by your employer. Once you have become ACLS certified, the next step is to ensure that your certification does not lapse and endanger your job. An ACLS certification is valid for 2 years.

Overall, the best online ACLS recertification service will come at a fair price, be accepted by your employer, clearly lay out their included ACLS course material, and offer robust customer support so that you can quickly resolve any issues that may arise.

How Much Does It Cost to Get ACLS Certified?

We touched on price a little bit, but it is important to understand what the differences in ACLS certification cost can mean. You will see a range of prices as you try to find your ideal program, but cheaper does not always mean worse, and more expensive does not always come with a significant upside. At the end of the day, the outcome is the same - getting your ACLS certification.

When you’re asking “how much does it cost to get ACLS certified?”, think about what you want and need out of the program. ACLS certification courses online will typically range from $169 to $275. Meanwhile, an ACLS renewal cost will be a bit cheaper and usually go from $119 to $275. The difference in these two price ranges shows in the fact that one is instructing an entirely new student, while the other serves as a refresher course.

As for the ranges among the individual courses, higher-cost courses may offer additional features that aren’t included in some of the more cost-friendly alternatives. This could mean things like video tutorials and additional practice opportunities that cheaper courses might not have.

On the other hand, a cheap ACLS course will be simpler and more to the point, sometimes offering fewer additional features but ensuring that all vital information and material is included. As long as your course provides all of the instructions that your employer requests, it should not matter which one you choose.

This is why it is important to consider your budget. If you think you could use the extra assistance from an expensive course, then it might be a good option. But make sure you can account for all of the added benefits that attempt to justify the cost. Otherwise, your best bet is to find the cheapest ACLS course out of the reputable options. This route offers you all of the essential education without any unnecessary bells and whistles.

How Long Does It Take to Become ACLS Certified?

ACLS certification may be more convenient in terms of travel and scheduling, but it is still important to understand how long an ACLS certification course will take.

You may be delighted to hear that ACLS certification courses are extremely flexible, and you can therefore complete them in as much or as little time as you want. This doesn’t mean you should drag out your experience for too long, or plan to rush through just before your work should begin, but if you have a schedule in mind then your ACLS certification should fit right in. Regardless, you should look for an ACLS course that does not have any time restrictions whatsoever.

Your first certification will take more time as you are getting acquainted with the material, but an ACLS renewal will typically take less time as you are simply refreshing your knowledge. So to answer the question of how long does it take to become ACLS certified: it’s completely up to you. How many hours is ACLS certification going to take is completely dependent on the individual in the course.

That having been said, if you already possess a solid foundation of ACLS knowledge, you can generally expect an online ACLS Recertification to take somewhere between 1-2 hours. On the other hand, an initial ACLS Certification will typically take between 2-4 hours.

After you complete your hard work, your next question should be, “how long does an ACLS certification last?” As we mentioned above, your ACLS certification will last for 2 years from the date that you pass your ACLS final exam.

If this guide has helped you become more comfortable with the idea of online ACLS certification, then you may be ready to begin your journey. At eMedCert, we can help you achieve ACLS certification on your time and at an unbeatable price point.