What to Know About the BLS, ACLS, and PALS Certifications

Career Resources / What to Know about BLS, ACLS, and PALs Certifications

Starting your career as a nurse includes several steps along the way. In addition to getting a nursing degree and passing the NCLEX exam, you should consider obtaining certifications that can help advance your nursing career.

Some aren’t optional, like the Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. All registered nurses (RNs) must obtain BLS. Depending on where you work, you might  need Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications.

Not sure which nursing certifications apply to your nursing career? In this article, you can learn:

• Who should get BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications?
• What is the BLS certification?
• What is the ACLS certification?
• What is the PALS certification?
• How do you renew the BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications?

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Who should get BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications?

Reviewing the list of certifications you can get as a nurse can feel like wading through alphabet soup. BLS, ACLS, and PALS are among the acronyms that get tossed out at nursing students as they work their way through requirements before they can start their careers.

Whether you should get these certifications depends on your nursing specialty. All nurses must complete a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification as part of their standardized training. You can’t work without it.

Regardless of whether you work in a private medical practice or in a hospital, you never know when you may need to administer basic life support to a patient.

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) is not the same as BLS. Basic life support techniques can be taught to anyone, regardless of their medical background. ACLS requires at least a basic grasp of medical knowledge.

For instance, understanding how a basic electrocardiogram (ECG) is beneficial to nurses seeking an ACLS certification. As part of ACLS certification, you’ll also learn about medications and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications are specific to RNs and other advanced degree nursing professionals who work specifically with pediatric patients.

When you should get these certifications

Whether you’re seeking a BLS, ACLS, or PALS certification, you must have the credentials in place before you begin working as a nurse. Most nursing job offers indicate that candidates must have a BLS before starting work.

Most healthcare employers give nurses 3 to 6 months to complete an ACLS or PALS certification after starting a new position that requires the training. In some cases, employers pay for you to obtain the certifications.

What is the BLS certification?

Basic Life Support (BLS) certification teaches nurses to recognize life-threatening emergencies that require administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save a person’s life.

BLS classes teach you how to:

• Administer high-quality chest compressions
• Deliver appropriate ventilations (breaths)
• Provide early use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)

To earn your BLS, you must take an American Heart Association course. You can choose between a blended learning option and traditional classroom training.

Most BLS courses take between 4 and 5 hours to complete. A few can be finished in as little as 2 hours.

BLS certification is valid for 2 years from the date on your certificate. You can take an abbreviated BLS review course to get recertified every 2 years.

What is the ACLS certification?

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) goes beyond the basics of life support learned in a BLS course. RNs who work in a hospital setting, with cardiac patients, or with critically-ill adults must obtain ACLS certification.

You can expect any ACLS course to include a review of materials learned in a BLS class. However, you can’t get both BLS and ACLS certification in the same course. You must take them separately if you wish to have both designations.

A prerequisite for taking the ACLS course is obtaining your BLS certification.

In an ACLS certification course you’ll learn how to:

• Prevent cardiac arrest
• Perform early and continuous CPR
• Recognize and intervene during cardiopulmonary arrest
• Identify conditions that can cause cardiopulmonary arrest

ACLS certification expires every two years, so you’ll need to take a recertification course to renew it.

What is the PALS certification?

Nurses with pediatric care specialties can get Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification. It teaches you how to administer life-saving care to infants and children. However, PALS doesn’t include training for critically ill infants in the neonatal care unit.

Some of the skills you can expect to learn during PALS certification include:

• Differentiating between stable and unstable patients with arrhythmias
• Early interventions for respiratory distress and failure
• Recognizing cardiopulmonary arrest
• Reviewing child and infant CPR and AED use

PALS certifications are good for two years before you must renew them.

How do you renew the BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications?

Like your other nursing credentials, it’s up to you to monitor the expiration dates for BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications. All three last for 2 years from the date of issuance.

You must check with the certifying bodies for each to determine the requirements for renewal. Continuing education courses can be part of the process. Most employers pay for renewal, so check with your supervisor about which certifying body to use.

If you choose to go outside your healthcare employer’s recommended certifying program, you may have to pay out of pocket to become certified or recertified. You can expect to pay about $90 for BLS certification and between $100 and $200 for ACLS and PALS certification.

What to expect

Recertification for ACLS and PALS is condensed into an 8-hour course. If you wait until your certification lapses, you’ll have to complete all the same coursework and requirements as for the initial certification.

BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications may be required depending on where you work and your nursing specialty. Each has a different purpose, so you’ll want to check with your employer about which is required for you to begin working. 

A word of caution: most healthcare providers – including hospitals – do not allow a grace period for recertification. If you let your credential lapse, you can be suspended from your job until they are active again.

Next steps

Make sure you’re ready for your BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications by studying course materials before the classes begin. If you choose to go through the American Red Cross to get your certifications, you can opt to receive course materials early.

Don’t risk having your credentials expire before you renew them. Pay attention to the expiration date and all requirements for renewal so you can be prepared to keep your credentials current.

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