Registered Nurse Certifications (Which Ones Are Worth It)
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For a Registered Nurse, the single thing that makes you an RN is your state license, not a certificate. You earn it by completing an approved ADN or BSN program and passing the NCLEX-RN, after which your state board of nursing grants the license. Everything else on this page builds on top of that license, so the license sits at the top of every list and must stay active and unencumbered.
The certifications below fall into two groups. Life-support cards such as BLS, ACLS, and PALS are short courses most employers require to put you on the floor. Specialty board certifications such as CCRN, CEN, and CMSRN are voluntary national credentials that demonstrate expertise in a clinical area, can lift pay, and matter for career growth and Magnet recognition. Here is who each is for, why it is worth it, and how to list them on your resume so they actually help.
Top certifications for a Registered Nurse
RN License (Registered Nurse, via NCLEX-RN)
State board of nursing; NCLEX-RN exam developed by NCSBN · Entry
Best for: Everyone who wants to practice as an RN.
The required credential that lets you work legally. It is a state license, not a national certification, and it defines the job.
Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross · Entry
Best for: Every working RN.
Required by nearly all employers and quick to earn; keep it current since it expires about every two years.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
American Heart Association (AHA) · Intermediate
Best for: RNs in hospitals, critical care, emergency, telemetry, and procedural areas.
Expected for most acute-care roles and often required within your first months; covers cardiac arrest and arrhythmia management.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
American Heart Association (AHA) · Intermediate
Best for: RNs who care for children in the ED, PICU, peds, or NICU-adjacent settings.
Required for most pediatric and emergency roles; the pediatric counterpart to ACLS.
Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Corporation · Advanced
Best for: ICU and critical care RNs with the required bedside hours.
The gold-standard critical care credential; proves expertise, often raises pay, and is valued at Magnet hospitals.
Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) · Advanced
Best for: Emergency department RNs.
The leading emergency nursing certification; widely recognized and a strong differentiator for ED roles.
Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN)
Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB) · Intermediate
Best for: Med-surg RNs with bedside experience.
The recognized med-surg specialty credential; demonstrates competence in the most common hospital unit and supports advancement.
Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)
Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) · Intermediate
Best for: Emergency and trauma RNs.
A standardized trauma course often required in EDs and trauma centers; pairs well with CEN.
Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN)
Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) · Advanced
Best for: RNs working in oncology and infusion.
The standard oncology nursing credential; signals specialized knowledge of cancer care and chemotherapy.
Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Corporation · Advanced
Best for: RNs in progressive care, step-down, and telemetry units.
The step-down counterpart to CCRN; recognizes expertise in moderately acute patients.
Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) · Advanced
Best for: RNs specializing in pediatric care.
A respected pediatric specialty credential that strengthens applications for childrens hospitals and peds units.
Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB)
National Certification Corporation (NCC) · Advanced
Best for: Labor and delivery and obstetric RNs.
The recognized credential for inpatient OB nursing; valued in labor and delivery and womens health units.
How to choose the right Registered Nurse certification
Start with the non-negotiables. You need an active RN license to work at all, and a current BLS card to be hired almost anywhere. Most hospital roles also expect ACLS, and pediatric or emergency roles expect PALS, usually within your first months. Get those first and keep them from expiring. Because the license is state-regulated, confirm rules with your own state board of nursing and check the Nurse Licensure Compact before working across state lines.
After the life-support cards, let your unit decide the specialty board certification. ICU points to CCRN, the emergency department to CEN and TNCC, step-down to PCCN, med-surg to CMSRN, oncology to OCN, pediatrics to CPN, and labor and delivery to RNC-OB. These specialty certifications are voluntary, but they raise pay at many employers, matter for clinical ladders, and are encouraged at Magnet hospitals. Most require a minimum number of bedside hours, so plan to earn them after a year or two in the specialty. Pick the credential your target employers actually list, not the longest collection of letters.
How to list certifications on a Registered Nurse resume
Put your RN license near the top, in your header or a dedicated Licenses and Certifications section, with the state, license number if you choose, and the year (for example, "Registered Nurse, State of Texas, RN License #XXXXXX, active"). List BLS and ACLS with the issuing body and expiration, since employers screen for current life-support cards. This helps both a skimming recruiter and the applicant tracking system, which often searches for "RN", "BLS", and "ACLS" directly.
Add specialty board certifications below those, each with the full credential, the issuing body, and the year (for example, "CCRN, AACN, 2024"). Use the standard letters recruiters search for, and spell the credential out once so the ATS catches both forms. Mark anything in progress honestly as "in progress" with an expected date, and drop expired or irrelevant entries. Never claim a credential you have not earned, because boards and state registries make it easy to verify.
Make your Registered Nurse certifications count on your resume
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Frequently asked questions
How do I become a Registered Nurse?
Complete an approved nursing program, either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), then pass the NCLEX-RN exam. The exam is developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), but your state board of nursing issues the actual license that lets you practice. Many employers now prefer or require a BSN.
Is an RN credential a license or a national certification?
The RN itself is a state license, not a national certification. Each state board of nursing issues and regulates it, though most states use the shared NCLEX-RN exam and many participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which lets you practice across member states on one multistate license. Specialty credentials like CCRN or CEN are separate voluntary national certifications.
Which RN certification raises pay the most?
It depends on your specialty, but national board certifications like the CCRN for critical care or CEN for emergency nursing are the clearest steps up, since many employers offer a pay differential or bonus for them and they support promotion on clinical ladders. Earning the certification that matches your unit usually pays off more than collecting unrelated ones.
Do I need ACLS to work as a Registered Nurse?
Not for every role, but most acute-care, critical care, emergency, and procedural positions require Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support from the American Heart Association, often within your first months on the job. BLS is required almost everywhere, while ACLS and PALS depend on the patient population you serve. Keep them current so they never block a job offer.
