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The Ultimate Guide to Nursing Resumes in 2024

How to write a nurse resume, nurse resume research, nursing resume readers & robots, choose a nurse resume format, nurse resume format & design, writing your nursing resume, common resume mistakes, nursing resume templates, nurse resume faqs.

Expert Reviewed by: Amanda Guarniere, NP, Founder of the Resume RX

In 2024, a vague, uninspiring nursing resume just won't cut it. Recent years have fostered growing competition for the best nursing jobs , creating a greater need for nurses to learn how to write exceptional nursing resumes. With vast opportunities and diverse requirements from various employers, every nurse must put their best foot forward to market themselves for the best positions. 

However, this ever-changing world of online applications and robotic resume readers makes it more complex for nurses to get to the first rounds of interviews. This article will help you tackle the daunting task of writing a nursing resume that stands out. We'll help you build a better nursing resume by giving you an inside look at how robotic resume readers work and providing tips on how to make your resume, things you should and shouldn't include, and provide examples and templates.

Think of your job search as your own personal marketing campaign. And the product is you! Your resume is an advertisement for your professional nursing brand. A brand is more than a logo - it’s the overall impression you give your audience. In this case, your audience is a potential employer. 

As with any advertisement, the goal of your nursing resume is to pique your audience’s interest in a limited amount of time. It’s commonly said that hiring managers will spend less than ten seconds reading your resume. And in many cases, it has to first be screened by a resume-reading robot before it reaches human hands.

So, you must carefully curate your brand for these employers. Captivate them with your professionalism, unique skillset, experience, and personality using your nursing resume. These tactics may help get your foot in the door for an interview, where you can close the deal by impressing them in person.

The first and most important step in any marketing campaign is the research phase. The more you learn about potential employers, the better you can tailor your registered nurse resume to their requirements.

Initial Employer Research for Nursing Resumes

Before you begin tailoring your resume for specific jobs, take some time to answer the following questions about each company:

• Who are they?
• What is their company culture?
• What do they struggle with as an organization?
• What qualities are they looking for in a potential candidate?
• Which of their desired qualities do you possess?

Researching Company Culture and Values

The internet has made it fairly easy to hop online and start your research right now from your mobile device. Employers' websites and social platforms will give you an inside glimpse at their culture and values.

Instead of simply reading a job posting, take a few extra steps to investigate the employer's online presence:

• Check out the company website - what does their mission statement say?
• See what they tweet about
• Investigate what photos they post on Instagram
• Learn about the articles they share on Facebook
• Check their LinkedIn - do you have any connections at the company?
• Look at their Google ratings

Examine Required vs Preferred Nursing Qualifications

The research phase isn't just about investigating the company - you also need to understand the job description. Specifically, understanding the difference between "required" and "preferred" qualifications will help you build a tailored resume for each job:

Required Qualifications

These are just what they say - requirements. Those who do not possess these qualifications will not be considered. 

Preferred Qualifications

Skills that are desired but are not deal-breakers for the employer. You may still be considered even if you do not possess these. 

As you personalize your nursing resume to different opportunities, these qualifications will, in part, guide what you do and do not include. You should include any and all required qualifications if you want an employer to consider your candidacy. 

If you do not possess some or all of the preferred qualifications, you can apply anyway and still be in the running. However, including the ones you do possess on your tailored nursing resume is always the best practice.

Build a Master Resume

You may want a solid starting point from which you can use your research to build a dedicated resume for each position you apply for. Queue the "master resume," a comprehensive working document that highlights everything you've accomplished and every skill you've fostered as a nurse thus far. 

We recommend starting with a foundational nurse resume so that you can alter it for each role you apply to. This way, you won't be rewriting a new resume for every single position. But you'll also avoid submitting "cookie-cutter" resumes that employers won't bother looking at twice.

Use Research to Personalize Your Nursing Resume

Dale Carnegie once said that “A person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Personalizing your RN resume matters, with both how you mention and address the future employer and how to include your specific qualifications that match what they are looking for.

Using your research and leveraging your professional brand and personality to target your nurse resume could lead to the interview of your dreams. Not targeting it, however, could lead you on the fast track to nowhere.

The internet revolution transformed the hiring process, impacting the entire labor market in a very short time. 15 years ago, printing your resume on off-white linen paper and hand-delivering it to employers was the status quo. But as little as five years later, doing so might only get you some perplexed looks and urges to apply online.

Technological advances will continue shaping the job market in 2024.  USC Annenberg reports that up to 55% of companies are making investments in AI recruiting measures. But even now, many employers screen online applicants using resume-reading robots. 

This section explores how these bots impact the hiring process and how to get your nursing resume past them and into a real person's hands.

What Is a Resume Reading Robot?

ATS systems are highly technical but can only do what their program says, unable to come close to human discretion. So, knowing how ATS systems work can help you write a resume that passes their screening.

Here's a brief overview of how employers use ATS software to screen nursing applicants:

1. Knockout Questions

Recruiters can use an ATS to scan for keywords or "knockout questions" like "Do you have an active Washington State Nursing License?" These functions help them swiftly eliminate unqualified candidates.

2. Disqualifying Statements

They may also configure the ATS to include “disqualifying statements.” An ATS searching for these statements will automatically reject nursing resumes with certain keywords or phrases. 

For example, an ATS screening for bachelor's-trained nurses might reject resumes that mention an associate's degree. If you have both, consider listing only your BSN.

3. Keyword Screening

Finally, recruiters may use the ATS to find resumes with exact keywords or phrases. These may include qualifications listed in the job description, degrees, or skills. They can program the ATS to reject any application that does not include their specified keywords.

How Does ATS Work?

Not all ATS systems are created equally. They vary greatly in their functionality and behavior. Most ATS systems are programmed to score resumes according to keywords. However, they can be configured to search and score resumes based on various other criteria.

The results are imperfect. Some ATS systems can't differentiate between titles, such as Clinical Nurse II and Registered Nurse, or distinguish between the terms BLS and Basic Life Support. So how do you navigate these intricacies in your nursing resume?

Best Practice:   R ead the job description and use the exact wording for the qualifications listed that you possess.

If you use acronyms and abbreviations, make sure to spell out the entire word, followed by the shortened version. It would be disappointing to have all the requested qualifications but be filtered out by the ATS because you used only the acronyms when the robot was programmed for the full phrases spelled out.

What Are the Shortcomings of ATS?

The problem is that ATS does not ‘read’ a resume as a human would - it simply collects data. It doesn’t care about aesthetics, either. It is programmed by an employer to search for the right keywords, in the right order, on the right part of the resume.  

Also, the system can get confused pretty easily. For example, if the font is too fancy or if it encounters unrecognizable symbols, it may score the resume as ‘unqualified’ and move on to the next resume. It does what it is configured to do, nothing more and nothing less.

While ATS has streamlined the hiring process for employers, it’s also made job search extremely challenging for the job seeker. In fact, 94% of hiring professionals say that ATS has positively influenced their hiring goals, while 80% of job seekers say that their online job search is stressful.

What Other Hiring Technology Might I Encounter?

Recently, some employers have started to use artificial intelligence in a different way - during the interview process. Rather than having strict ATS filters, they offer more candidates the opportunity to interview, but there is a catch.

You don't interview with the employer but with a computer. In these one-way or “on-demand” interviews, you essentially get the opportunity to record your video response to interview questions. After you submit it, hiring managers or recruiters review the video responses before choosing the candidates for formal interviews.

Does Every Employer Use ATS?

While many employers use ATS, there are definitely employers who still rely on human resource professionals to screen resumes. In those instances, a human resources professional usually skims the resumes and invites the most qualified candidates in for an interview.

The problem here is that most employers will receive hundreds of resumes for a single opening. To get through the resumes quickly, the HR professional may resort to a simple scan of the resumes knowing that even qualified applicants may not make it. It’s simply a way to reduce the number of applicants.

In either case, the goal of the modern resume is to ‘sell’ yourself in an organized, targeted manner for a specific role. The best way to design an effective, attention-grabbing resume is by making strong assertions in the beginning followed by supporting evidence.

How to Get Past the ATS

• Target your resume to the specific position. Do this by reading job descriptions and selecting keywords noted in the descriptions - competencies, skills sets, education, and experience.
• Match individual experiences to keywords/key skill sets found within the job posting.  
• Research the employer and target the resume based on the facility's values and culture. 
• Make strong assertions within the top ⅓ of the resume.
• Follow those assertions with supporting evidence.
• Include a “ Professional Summary ” if you are an experienced Nurse.
• Only apply to roles that you match 100% of the “Required Qualifications.” 
• Use simple fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
• Never use smaller than 10-point font. See Part 5 for more styling suggestions. 
• Use simple black bullet (dots) points, not special bullet symbols.
• Save your resume as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.
• If using an abbreviation, always spell out the words followed by the abbreviation or acronym. You never know how the abbreviation was entered into the ATS. 
• Use standard, simple section headers such as “Work History” or “Education.”
• Settings you’ve worked in 
• Patient demographics
• Policies/procedures
• EMR/EHR used
• Medications administered
• Equipment used
• Don’t use the same title as at your current employer if it is different from the title in the job description. Use the title in the job description. 
• Don’t overload your resume with keywords. Use them appropriately. Overusing keywords will flag a resume and could cause the ATS to lower your score.
• Don't forget to support the keywords you use with evidence throughout your resume.
• Do not put your contact information in the header section because ATS will not see it.
• Do not include tables because most ATS can’t read them. Other ATS can only read them if their operator programmed them to do so. 
• Do not use creative section headers such as “Where I’ve Worked” because the ATS likely doesn’t understand what that means.
• Don’t include a headshot, graphics, special fonts, photos, colored fonts, or unique bullets. 
• Do not state, “References available upon request.” It takes up too much space and is unnecessary. If employers want references, they’ll ask. 
• Don’t place skills at the bottom of the resume. Many ATS systems only scan the top ⅓ of the resume for keywords. If you have important keywords at the bottom, the ATS may not see them and could disqualify your resume. 
• Don’t use “I” statements; resumes should be written in the third person. 
• Do not rely on resume builder software. Stay in control of your registered nurse resume.

How to Spot an ATS

If you’ve ever visited a job posting and seen an “APPLY NOW” button, you’ve encountered the elusive resume-reading bot. ATS requires candidates to enter data on the front end. 

Maybe you’ve gone through the steps to create a login, complete the application and upload your resume. Perhaps you didn’t realize at the time that you were entering your information into an applicant tracking system.  

Raise your hand if you never heard back from an employer after applying online. Raise your other hand if you received an automated response “thanking” you for your interest and never heard back!

Now, keep in mind that it can be difficult to stand out when you are applying for a job online, especially when there is an ATS involved. As you consider your overall job search strategy, try to think of other ways that can increase your chances of getting a job. Don’t be afraid to ask your network connections for referrals and recommendations, or let friends and family know what type of position you are looking for and where. While your resume is absolutely important, it isn’t the only tool that can lead to you getting a job.

Prior to ever typing words onto your resume, it’s important to first decide on a resume format. There are three types of resume layouts. While we highly recommend the reverse-chronological layout for most nursing professionals, we’d encourage you to make the best choice for yourself.

Here’s a breakdown of the three most popular types of resume layouts: 

1. Reverse Chronological Nursing Resume

This layout focuses on career history and lists jobs in reverse chronological order. We recommend this type of registered nurse resume for the majority of healthcare professionals and will focus the details of this article on the format. It is best suited for:

• New nursing graduates
• Nurses with fewer than 5 roles within the past 5-7 years. 
• Travel Nurses with <10 completed assignments
• Nurses with experience in only 1-2 specialties
• Nurses applying for a similar role
• Nurses wanting to show vertical career progression 

2. Functional Nursing Resume

This nurse resume layout places emphasis on skills and deemphasizes work history. However, it does not pass the ATS test well, and hiring managers overall do not prefer it. We recommend against this layout for the majority of nursing professionals. Typically, people who use this format are: 

• Changing careers
• Have large gaps in employment
• Do have years of experience in the role in which they are applying

3. Combination Nursing Resume

This layout is a mixture of the reverse chronological and the functional resume. While it places emphasis on skill sets, abilities, and accomplishments, it also highlights applicable work history. We recommend combination resumes for nursing professionals with the following background, goals, and barriers: 

• Nurses with experience in multiple specialties and/or medical professions
• Seasoned travel nurses with >10 completed assignments
• Nurses with multiple small gaps in employment
• Nurses looking to change specialties
• Nurses interested in changing careers

Writing a nursing resume can feel overwhelming. It’s no easy task! Nowadays, nursing resumes must be able to pass through resume reading software before it even reaches a recruiter. That’s why we’ve put together THREE nurse resume templates to cater to your unique professional needs and employment situation.

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The first formatting and design consideration you should make when creating your nursing resume is how well an  ATS will read them. We recommend the following comprehensive design and formatting guidelines to appease common ATS systems:

Many experts believe you can achieve the perfect balance of text to white space in your nursing resume using the following margin settings:

• Top Margin: 1"
• Side Margins: .63"

Left alignment is standard since that’s how most people (and robots) read. You may think a justified alignment looks tidier, but it can leave uneven gaps between words and ultimately make text harder to read. 

In the nursing profession, length should not be the focus of the resume. While we recommend 1-2 pages, some nurses may have resumes with 3 (or more) pages.

Don’t stress over length too much. If the resume is slightly over the page amount by a few lines try changing the margin, font style, font size, or shortening statements. The bottom line is it should look visually appealing and should include keywords.

We recommend  Times New Roman or Arial to best utilize the functionality of the ATS. However, this is your personal preference. Take note that Times New Roman can be difficult to read if it is smaller than 11pt.

If you are striving for a resume that looks visually appealing when printed, there are great ways to achieve that without going overboard with design. For example, you could use the “small caps” feature for headings, which keeps the font the same but adds a bit more character and differentiation. Or, you could try a font pairing, using serif fonts for headers and sans serif for body text.

Important Note: Different font styles will take up different amounts of space. See how these identical statements look vastly different despite both being in 11 pt font:

Experienced Travel Nurse with 8 years experience in critical care nursing.

Throughout the resume, there should be different-sized fonts. We recommend the following for each section: 

It’s important to note that 10-point font should be the smallest size on the resume. 

While some ATS systems claim to read colors, we encourage you to simply use black. 

Special Characters

We recommend keeping the resume very simple. Basic bullet points (black dots) may be used when desired. Simple lines are acceptable as well. 

Design Features to Avoid

The following design features are best left off the resume: 

• Multiple font styles
• Special characters

As you’ve learned, ATS systems skim resumes and locate specific information in the correct order. We’d suggest using the following categories and section headers to optimize your nursing resume for ATS scoring.

Contact Information

This is the first section of the resume and does not require a title. Your name should be front and center. Don’t make the recruiter search for it. Make sure it’s the largest font on the page. While there are varying opinions on the exact placement of the name, we recommend a simple classic version in the following format:

Your name should be the first thing a recruiter, hiring manager, or ATS system sees on your nurse resume. It should share a line with your nursing credentials and be in a bold, readable, 18-22 pt font. If you go by a different name, make sure to list both in this section.

Nursing Credentials

Your nursing credentials should directly follow your first and last name on a nursing resume. The preferred order to list these in is Highest degree earned, Licensure, then National Certifications.

We've included a  credential quick reference guide below to help you fill out your resume perfectly.

The days of listing your home address on a resume are over - most employers don't need this information, and we advise against including it on your resume as a security precaution. However, this is a personal decision you can make at your own discretion.

You should never leave your location off completely because many employers have location parameters set in their ATS systems. Ensure you include your city and state in the contact information portion of your nursing resume.

Phone/Texting Number

Oh, technology! Yes, some employers will actually text their candidates. Make sure to indicate if you receive texts and whether the phone number is a cell phone or a home phone. This is a great time to make sure your voicemail message states your full name and is professional.

Email Address

It is in your best interest to ensure that you have a professional email address that does not reveal your age. Age discrimination is real, and listing your birth year or using an antiquated email service like AOL can definitely trigger it.

Your email address should include a variation of your name and some numbers if necessary. You can even make a totally separate email account and use it only for your job search.

LinkedIn Profile

If you have a LinkedIn profile definitely include it. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you could be missing out on opportunities. Now is the time to create one!

In your settings, you can easily create a shortened LinkedIn URL that doesn’t have a bunch of random numbers and letters.

How Your Digital Footprint Impacts Your Nursing Job Search

Though you may not list it, you should consider your social media and online presence when you complete the contact information portion of your resume. Potential employers will likely look you up online. Many Recruiters tell us that looking a candidate up on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter is one of the first things they do. So, make sure everything you post online is what you would want an employer to see. 

Additionally, online behavior can benefit you. Do you have a nursing-related website or blog? Are you an Instagram celebrity? Maybe you created a successful YouTube channel when you were a newbie nurse. Include all this on your resume if it relates to nursing. This is all part of your unique brand!

Nursing Resume Credential Quick Reference Guide

According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AACN), the preferred order is Highest degree earned, Licensure, and National Certification.

Educational degrees include doctoral degrees (Ph.D., DrPH, DNS, EdD, DNP), master’s degrees (MSN, MS, MA), bachelor’s degrees (BS, BSN, BA), and associate degrees (AD, ADN).

Licensure credentials include RN, LPN, CNA, and APRN.

National certification , which is occasionally voluntary for nurses and obligatory for advanced practice nurses, is awarded through accredited certifying bodies such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), includes RNBC (Registered Nurse-Board Certified) and FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified).

You may also choose to include awards and honors:

Outstanding achievements in nursing, such as FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing).

Other certifications that recognize additional skills, such as the EMT-Basic/EMT, awarded by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Here is an example of contact information on a nursing resume that puts it all together:

Penny Lite, BSN, RN   Los Angeles, CA | Text/Call: (987) 654 - 3210 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/pennylitern

Professional Summary

Don’t make an employer (or ATS) search your entire resume for reasons to invite you to an interview. Tell them right off the top exactly why you are the best candidate for the role.

Every position is unique, and this is your first opportunity to optimize the resume for ATS and to also catch the employer’s eye. Spend a little time to target it and let your qualifications and accomplishments shine. 

While there is some debate about how to introduce your resume, we suggest using a professional summary as opposed to a career objective. The professional summary can be formatted in either a short paragraph or a bulleted list asserting qualifications and providing a concise career snapshot.

How to Write a Professional Summary for a Nursing Resume

Think of your resume summary as an “elevator pitch” - a quick, attention-grabbing, loaded statement that entices the reader to want to continue on. Your professional summary is unique to you and should be targeted to a specific role, just like the cover letters career counselors used to tell us about.

However, it could definitely include the following information: 

• Number of years of experience in a specialty 
• Common keywords found in nursing job descriptions e.g., excellent patient care, acute care, family education, compassionate
• Facility designations or info about facilities 
• Supervisory experience and number of subordinates
• Special certifications or awards
• Language abilities
• Soft skills such as patience, compassion, and a cooperative spirit

Nursing professional summary example: 

4+ years nursing experience with strong clinical background in critical care (CCU) and intermediate care nursing (IMCU). Proactively streamlines operations, initiates tasks, and supports the healthcare team while prioritizing excellent patient care. Champions patient and family education by providing compassionate, inclusive care that encourages self-sufficiency. Recipient of the Daisy Award. Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Nursing Skills and Areas of Expertise

List your nursing skills within the top ⅓ of the resume - Don't make the common mistake of adding them last. With the popularity of ATS, this mistake could cost you an interview. This is especially true in nursing, as the profession requires very specific skills. 

Additionally, your hard skills should be directly targeted to the role as expressed in the job description. Is the employer asking for a specific EMR that you are experienced with? List it! Are you an expert at starting IVs because of your five years of experience in the emergency room? List it!

This should not be a generic list of skills but a specific list that is as quantified as possible. It’s possible that if you are a newer nurse or are making a specialty pivot you may not have hard skills to include. In that case, it’s okay to omit this section and highlight your transferable  soft nursing skills within your job history.

While most nurses list their license titles on their resumes, it’s been our experience that they leave off a few very important details - most notably, whether the license is active and the expiration date. 

Why is this important? Including this information lets potential employers know that you are ready to start work ASAP. They don’t have to wait for the licensing process. Including your license number is optional, and you can make this decision based on your privacy comfort. The employer will likely be verifying your license online anyway (this is all public information).

If you are an advanced practice nurse, you may decide to leave off license numbers for privacy purposes, especially your DEA number or controlled substance registration number.

Here’s an example of how to list your licensure:

Registered Nurse - California, #RN00101, expires 4/17/2024.

Certifications and Credentials

This is another key section where some important details are typically missing on the nursing resumes we’ve seen. While most nurses list their credentials, it’s important to list them in a specific manner.

Don’t simply list acronyms, as some ATS systems may not be programmed to read shortened versions. Make sure to list the accrediting body, credential/certification number (where applicable), and expiration date. 

Here’s an example of how to list your certifications and credentials: 

Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, expires: 12/1/2021

Work History

Employers want to know what you can do for them, period.  Nurse recruiters we’ve talked to will zero in on this section. What are they looking for? Evidence, facts, quantifiable points - proof to support the assertions made in your resume summary.

Vague work histories are particularly frustrating to employers - especially when applicants copy and paste job descriptions. To avoid falling into those pitfalls, try incorporating these tips: 

Use simple section headers such as “Work History” or “Relevant Experience,” these are ATS friendly. “What I’ve Done” is not. 

List your experience in reverse chronological order.  If you have a lengthy employment history, you may consider only including the most recent 10-15 years of experience. This will shorten your resume and also limit the chances that you’ll encounter age discrimination. Looking at the big-picture experience from 25 years ago doesn’t necessarily speak to your recent nursing experience because employers care about what you can do for them now.

Work History Format

Adding your work history in a logical format can help your nursing resume beat the ATS and impress recruiters. We recommend using the following format for each work history segment:

1. Job Title and Specialty

This is a controversial subject, but we believe employers care more about what you’ve done than who you’ve worked for. Use the job title as it is listed in the job posting, or use a more industry-wide job title. Registered Nurse as opposed to Clinical Nurse II. 

2. Facility Name

Add the name of the facility or company you worked for after your job title. You can add this on the same line or a different line, but using the same line will optimize space.

3. Employment Dates  

These are important and can be listed in a number of ways. However, it’s been our experience that specific dates are not necessary for a resume. On an application, yes, on a resume, not so much. You can simply list the months and years (mm/yy - present).

4. Facility-Specific and Unit-Specific Information

This information is helpful and important to employers but is left off the majority of resumes we’ve seen, it includes: 

• Trauma level: level I, II, III
• Facility Designations 
• Total Hospital beds
• Total unit beds

Primary Duties and Accomplishments

This section looks best in a bulleted list of no more than six points and should include duties, noteworthy accomplishments, and achievements. It’s important to emphasize specific duties and not be too vague.

Also, try your best not to simply regurgitate basic nursing duties that would be assumed of your role. This will take up valuable space on your resume and not really tell the reader much about you !

Wondering what specifics to include? Here are a few questions to get those wheels turning:

• What illnesses, injuries, or traumas do you care for? 
• What cases do you work on? 
• What type of medications do you administer and how? 
• What therapies do you perform? 
• What equipment do you use? 
• How have you improved processes? 
• When have I been first or best?
• No. 1 achievement in each position?
• Which achievements have the most impressive numbers?
• When have I been publicly recognized?

Write Strong Nursing Resume Bullets

Wondering how to order your bullets and what to include? Try this: start with a verb leading to quantifiable data or a specific point and include a relevant duty.

Use our comprehensive tables to build compelling nursing resume bullets that make your achievements shine:

Here is a brief work history resume example for nurses that puts it all together:

Registered Nurse, Acute Care - Example Medical Center 09-19 - Present

• Supervised staff of 15 registered nurses, 8 certified nursing assistants, and 7 paramedics while multitasking excellent patient care. 
• Cared for up to 4 patients per shift with acute neurological disorders, including strokes, spinal cord injuries, and head trauma.

Education and Training

In the nursing profession, education and training are of utmost importance. If you have work experience, this section can be fairly brief.  You should list your relevant degrees in chronological order. 

There are varying opinions regarding the specific ordering of education. However, we believe that the degree or certification title should be listed first. Employers care firstly that you have the education requirement they need and secondarily where you obtained the requirement. 

We suggest the following format:  Degree or Certification Title (acronym), Institution Name 

Here’s an example: 

Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN), University of Washington 

Should I Include Graduation Dates on a Nursing Resume?

You are not required to include your college or high school graduation dates on your nursing resume , as it could reveal your age. Age discrimination is the top form of employment discrimination and affects all age groups. If you graduated more than 10-15 years ago, it may be a good idea to omit the date.  But this is a personal decision you should make at your own discretion.

Should I Include My GPA on a Nursing Resume?

Including your GPA in your nursing resume is optional. If you are particularly proud of your GPA, by all means, add it! However, it is not required. If you graduated with honors that you are proud of, you can definitely include that as well. Again the resume is a unique snapshot of you!

Should I Include my Non-Nursing Degrees and Credentials?

If you possess other degrees not related to nursing, it is not necessary to include those on your nursing resume. Some second-career nurses like to list this information, especially if there has been an interesting career pivot or one that brings a lot of value to your role as a nurse. Remember, you are telling your personal, unique story, and you get to decide what to include.

How Do I Add In-Progress Advanced Education Programs?

If you are currently enrolled in higher education to advance your studies within the nursing field, that should be listed on your resume and state that the degree is pending or in progress. However, if you started a graduate degree program, never finished, and do not plan on finishing, it is unnecessary to include it on the resume. 

Should I Include my High School Education?

Nurses do not need to include their high school diplomas on their resumes. The nursing profession requires completion of higher education, and therefore, your higher degree trumps your diploma. 

Awards, Accomplishments, and Affiliations

Though this section is not required, we encourage including awards and accomplishments that are relevant to the nursing profession. These details will provide the potential employer with more proof and evidence of who you are as a nurse. 

In this section, you can include: 

• Awards and recognitions that are specific to the hospital or facility where you work, e.g. the Daisy Award, Employee of the Month, and Nursing Excellence Award
• Professional memberships and affiliations relating to nursing and/or healthcare
• Volunteer work, if it relates to nursing

We suggest the following format: Title, organization, year

Here are a couple of examples:

• Recipient, Nursing Excellence Award, Washington Medical Center
• Volunteer, American Red Cross - Haiti - 2012

Naming Your Nurse Resume Save File

One last thing, saving! Don’t just give your resume any old name! Hiring professionals sometimes receive multiple documents from candidates, and they don’t want to waste time sorting through every document to find the resume. Some prefer to organize resumes by specialty. Tell them exactly which document is your resume. 

We suggest the following format: firstlast_specialty_resume.doc

Here’s an example:

PennyLite_ICU_resume.doc

We’ve seen a lot of resumes over the years, and you might be surprised by the amount of strange information people have included on them. So, here are the top mistakes we’ve seen:

Woot! If you’ve made it this far you should have an excellent understanding of how to write a great nursing resume. We know it’s a lot of information right now, and we hope that you’ll use the information to advance your career.

For a little more help, try using our free resume templates. And when you’ve landed your next interview, check out the next part in this series, The Complete Guide to Nursing Job Interviews .

>> Download free nurse resume templates!

What should be included in a nursing resume?

• A nursing resume should include your education, experience, including clinical, work, and volunteer, any certifications you have, and skills. 

How do I write a nurse resume?

• You can use a template to fill out your nursing resume or fill out your own. 

How do I list my nursing skills on my resume?

• List skills that are in the job description or outline on the facility’s website. For instance, common nursing skills include critical thinking, teamwork, communication, team management, and high ethical standards. 

Do you put RN after your name on a resume?

• You can include "RN" or "RN, BSN"  if you have other credentials. If you haven’t passed your NCLEX yet, you can put G.N. for Graduate Nurse.

How long should a nurse's resume be?

• A nursing resume should be no longer than 1-2 pages. 

What is your greatest skill as a nurse?

• The most valuable skill you have as a nurse may depend on your exact role and specialty, but in general, communication, kindness, empathy, and critical thinking are highly valued traits as a nurse. 

How far back should a resume go?

• If you’re a recent graduate, you don’t need to go to high school, just include your college experience and degree. For experienced nurses, include all relevant experience. 

Amanda is an Ivy-league-educated nurse practitioner and career mentor who helps nurses find and land their dream jobs. She founded The Résumé Rx  in 2018 to help nurses with career and résumé strategy  Learn more about Amanda and her products at  www.theresumerx.com  and follow her on Instagram  @theresumerx.

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28 Nursing Resume Examples That Worked in 2024

• Nursing Resumes
• Nursing Student Resumes
• Nursing Resumes by Credentials
• Nursing Resumes by Role

Writing Your Nursing Resume

Although the demand for nurses is growing, getting a job in the nursing industry isn’t easy, especially if you’re making a start or submitting a letter of resignation at your current position. 

How are you supposed to know how to  write a stunning resume  so employers will immediately want to hire you and create a cover letter detailing your accomplishments? 

Getting into the nursing field is tough, so  we analyzed dozens of nursing resumes to learn what works and what doesn’t to help you get a great nursing job .

No matter your specialty or where you’re in your nursing career, we’ve got 28 nursing resume samples to help you  build a resume  from scratch or update your current resume to get you your next nursing job in 2024!

Nursing Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• One of the quickest ways to do so is by including your licenses in your title. This clearly signals to the employer that you’re qualified for the position.
• Adding an optional licenses section is another way to demonstrate your abilities, so if you have the room, make sure to add that section.
• Instead, tailor your resume to the  nursing job description . What keywords did they list? What responsibilities do they expect you to complete? Use this as your guide to include what employers most want to see.

Experienced Nurse Resume

• Some professions require CVs for senior-level officials, while other industries are fine with a resume no matter their seniority level. Check the job description to see what kind of information the employer requires, so you know what to write.
• Try to demonstrate the different specific responsibilities you’ve had throughout your career. What kinds of clinical techniques have you done? For example, have you assisted with ADLs, administered particular tests, or diagnosed specific types of diseases?

Nursing Student Resume

• The key is to be specific about what you contributed or learned during your time in school.
• How did you assist your peers or supervisors? Did you witness anything especially noteworthy? What did you learn? Listing details like these helps employers qualify your abilities. 
• While an objective is strictly optional, it’s a great way to convey your excitement for the position and some of your relevant skills. 

New Grad Nursing Resume

• If you lack experience, that’s okay! Just include more details about your clinical rotations. You can also mention non-healthcare-specific work experience if you have it.
• For example, does the job description talk a lot about compassionate care? Then you should include the phrase “compassion” in your skills section.

• As you progress, unleash quantified achievements in your previous roles, emphasizing how you helped patients and improved outcomes (hint: reducing medication errors by 28% and enhancing patient safety).

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Resume

• In addition to your title, if you have any certifications or additional licenses, include them on your resume in a designated section.
• If you’re struggling to know what to write on your CNA resume, it can help to look at  CNA resume examples  and local CNA job descriptions to determine what employers want to see and what metrics to include. 

RN BSN Resume

• Go beyond helping patients and list all the times you’ve helped doctors treat a condition more quickly or improved after-surgery recovery rates. Add how you’ve endeavored to assist patients remotely during tough times (if any) such as providing remote sessions during COVID-19.

Registered Nurse Resume

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Resume

• If your current specialization is different from the job description, don’t stress! You should still be specific about your experience, but focus on transferable skills that go hand-in-hand with other fields.
• For example, do you specialize in long-term care, nephrology, or developmental disabilities? Include how you applied those abilities throughout your LPN resume.
• Of course, you need to include where you got your nursing degree, but don’t stop there! Adding a certifications or licenses section can show off your training and catch a hiring manager’s eye quickly.

Critical Care Nursing Resume

• Gain promotion and assume a new role with greater responsibility after that. Use this to show your dedication by backing your achievements with numbers.

Director of Nursing Resume

• List down all the variety of software you’re proficient in and write how you’ve used each right from the beginning of your career. Last but not least, never forget to add your RN license!

NICU Nurse Resume

• Use the career objective to frame your clinical experience through the lens of NICU by highlighting your ability to communicate with families or work in high-pressure environments.

Operating Room Nurse Resume

• Surgeons are always seeking cutting-edge technology that can unlock new medical capabilities. Showcase your expertise in working with these innovative systems—like robotic arms—to enhance your operating room nurse resume .

School Nurse Resume

• Are you skilled in using platforms specific to educational institutions, such as SchoolMessenger? Include them on your school nurse resume to prove that you’re prepared to handle the caseload.

Telemetry Nurse Resume

• You can bolster your telemetry nurse resume by listing any special certifications that further qualify you for the task, such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).

Nurse Practitioner Resume

• The best format for nurses in 2024 is the reverse-chronological format since it shows how you’ve grown your skills over the years. However, if you have a gap in your job experience, there are other formats you can use to disguise that.
• Adding a few splashes of color to your  nurse practitioner resume  makes it look prettier and helps readability. Just be sure to choose a color that is easy on the eye (no neons, please).

ICU Nurse Resume

• To avoid the fear of the blank page, start by using a  resume outline  to give you a basic structure to follow and show you what your finished resume should look like.
• So, when you’re writing the work experience bullet points, use general responsibilities like “provided effective care”), but be specific about how you helped your patients (and what resulted from your ministrations). 

Travel Nurse Resume

• To help stand out above the competition, clarify your work experience sections so employers know if you’ve had traveling nurse contracts or not. 
• More likely than not, you don’t need a resume objective or summary, nor do you need to list individual projects. Remember that you can go into more detail about achievements and skills in your  nursing cover letter .

Charge Nurse Resume

• For example, have you had the opportunity to manage or lead co-workers? Have you ever trained a nurse and oversaw scheduling? Be specific about how you’ve managed projects and people and what resulted from your leadership.
• Want to know a quick and easy way to write a  charge nurse resume ? Start by using a  resume template  to format your information, then fill in the blanks with specific details about your past experience and skills.

Chief Nursing Officer Resume

• This formatting showcases your career growth and leadership development by highlighting your most recent (and likely most relevant) job. 
• We recommend you include six to 10 skills, with at least 70 percent hard skills such as BLS, QA/QC, federal compliance, and fiscal health analysis.

Telehealth Nurse Resume

• Luckily, there are multiple  resume tips  you can incorporate to make your resume a cut above the rest, including choosing specific hard skills in your skills section and formatting your resume in reverse-chronological order.
• If you have a degree higher than a high school diploma, ignore your high school information since employers don’t need it. If you have multiple nursing degrees, include all of them.

Nurse Consultant Resume

• Use business-related numbers like sales growth or revenue/profit increases to demonstrate your worth as an employee.
• Don’t forget to add other sections to showcase your training and certifications.
• If you decide to include these sections, keep them brief and include only what’s relevant to the job you’re seeking.

Office Nurse Resume

• Do your homework on the environment you’re applying to work in, and ensure you showcase why you’re a good fit for that specific job. After all, an ER unit with high patient turnover may be much more interested in your high-efficiency standards than an in-home clinic that consistently services a much smaller patient load.
• Sure, your resume may look good when you finish writing it, but have you run it through a  resume checker  yet? You might not realize you’ve been using passive voice or inconsistent punctuation, and even though you’re not applying for a job as an English Teacher, a hiring manager won’t be thrilled if you overlook little details when they’re going to literally put lives in your hands.

Home Dialysis Nurse Resume

• Unfortunately, as much as it may be interesting for you to look back over your life history, most hiring managers won’t be quite as thrilled about the prospect. Adding a career summary to your resume can give recruiters the highlights, without drowning them in a sea of information.
• Trust us on this, nothing bothers a hiring manager more than a resume that is 1.01 pages long.

ER Nurse Resume

• Certifications like the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) depict that you’ve done the work and undergone the rigorous training needed to be an ER nurse.

Labor and Delivery Nurse Resume

• If you’ve spent your time outside work organizing events to promote women’s health and reproductive rights, it’s a powerful statement that shows your passion and commitment and deserves to be mentioned in your resume.

Nurse Manager Resume

• If you’re well versed with a particular HR management tool or medical management software, it’s one less thing a hospital or healthcare center will have to train you on.

Pediatric Nurse Resume

• An extensive program, like a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, from an esteemed institute like Johns Hopkins University, for example, is a worthy inclusion in your pediatric nurse resume , demonstrating that you’ve learned from the best.

Related resume guides

• Physician Assistant
• Dental Assistant

Hiring managers typically receive a torrent of resumes whenever there’s an open position, so if you prepare your nursing resume haphazardly, you are more likely to get the boot than the job. To avoid that sad scenario, you need to make your nursing resume readable, logical, and pleasing to the eye. It should showcase your skills and experience while being ATS-compliant, and it should show off a bit of your personality, too. 

It make sound like an impossible task, but before your get overwhelmed, start by taking it one step at a time. First, choose your formatting style: reverse-chronological, functional, or hybrid.

Reverse-chronological, functional, and combination/hybrid format

A well-structured resume is essential for your job search. Even if your resume has perfect content, if your resume isn’t easy to skim at a glance, it’s unlikely you’ll be called for an interview. Your content matters, but so does  how  you present that content. Therefore, proper  resume formatting  is a salient feature you don’t want to get wrong.

There are three popular formatting options for designing your resume in 2024: reverse-chronological, functional, and hybrid. 

• Focuses more on your skills
• Ideal for a recent graduate or an entry-level candidate
• Reverse-chronological format
• The most common format
• Lists relevant experiences and skills in reverse-chronological order
• The best for making it past the ATS
• Combines functional and reverse-chronological features
• Highlights both your skills and experience
• Ideal if you have a handful of experience or are re-entering the workforce

The best bet for a nursing resume would be the reverse-chronological format. This helps the recruiter see your upward career progression. If you started as an intern in a given health organization, and then moved up the career ladder to become a full-fledged nurse, your potential employer will be able to track your progression and assess your qualifications faster.

Contact header

It’s important to include the relevant contact header information in the right order. If you’re a nurse, your   contact header should have the following:

• Your name —Employers won’t automatically know you, so you need to include your first and last name. 
• Phone number —Use your personal cellphone number instead of a work phone in case a potential employer calls when you’re not on the job.
• Email address —Include a professional email address, preferably combining your first and last name.
• City & state —This is optional but recommended so employers know if you’re local. 
• LinkedIn —Some employers require your LinkedIn profile, but even if it’s not mandatory, it’s helpful for employers to see your career progression.

The contact header should be, you guessed it, at the top of the page. Good font choices are Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, all at 12 point size. When it comes to color, remain conservative with black and white. Some  resume templates  can format your resume to strikingly display your contact information, just like this header:

Will your nursing resume beat the ATS?

Optimizing your resume for the Application Tracking System (ATS) increases your chances of being called for an interview. The ATS is a tool that many companies use to quickly scan resumes and weed out applicants without relying on someone to read through them first.

Most resumes aren’t designed to beat ATS, and end up being filtered out before they ever reach the recruiter. However, if you know how to properly  format your resume , you’ll pass the ATS scan and make your way to a person. Here’s what you should know about the role of fonts, font size, margins, header names, logical order, skills, and page length, as far as ATS-friendly resumes are concerned:

• ATS-friendly fonts make it easy for a computer to read your resume. Some of the most commonly used ATS-friendly fonts include: Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial. Preferably, they should have a font size of 10-12 points.
• Beyond just font type, font size also matters. Preferably, your body font size should be 10-12 points, while your headers can be bigger.
• Margins also matter, since the ATS automatically assumes your margins are the standard size of one-inch all around. Any bigger or smaller, and the ATS might mis-read your resume.
• Keywords are the main focus of the ATS, so make sure your skill keywords and header names match what’s in the job description.
• The ATS is not sensitive to the number of pages, but one page is the standard across professions. 

Writing your nursing resume

Putting together an effective nursing resume may seem overwhelming and not worth your effort. However, putting in the extra effort now will pay off when you get an interview. And remember, you’re not doing this alone. We’re dedicated to helping you  write an amazing resume  by providing advice on common frustrating decisions like this:

• When an objective is most useful on your nursing resume
• When a summary can be the preferred choice
• How to list your most relevant nursing work history
• Adding volunteer work and academic endeavors when work history is light

Do you need an objective or summary on your nursing resume?

When crafting your nursing resume, you have the option to use career objectives and summaries.

When to include a career objective in your resume:

• You can use an objective when changing or modifying your career.
• For instance, if you plan to change from a surgical assistant registered nurse to an emergency room registered nurse, you’d use an objective to highlight that you’re pursuing a new subfield within nursing.
• Use a career objective if you’re looking for an entry-level job and lack experience. 

When a summary is right for your resume:

• Use a summary to highlight your most valuable experience and skills. These are ideal when you have vast experience in nursing.
• For example, if you’ve worked in a health setting for 10 or more years, you can include a summary.
• A summary is effective for connecting varied work experiences.

When not to use objectives or summaries:

• Skip the objective or summary if you’re not planning to customize it to each position you apply for. Otherwise, it’s generic filler that takes up too much white space.
• This lacks specificity and reads “I just need a job to pay the bills.” While that may be true, employers want to know you’re passionate about your work and will improve your workplace.
• This lacks depth and work history details that should hallmark a summary. It’s void of substantial expertise, specializations, and skill specifics.

When objectives or summaries are worth including:

• This objective highlights the years of experience and the candidate’s field of expertise while also naming the potential employer.
• This summary highlights their years of experience, the key areas they’ve worked in, and their specialities within those fields.

Nursing work experience?

Don’t forget to indicate relevant experience in your resume. While we wouldn’t recommend including every job you’ve had since you were 16, you can get away with adding work experience from different fields if you’re an entry-level candidate.

However, if you’re applying for a senior position, you’ll need to include at least  three  nursing positions on your resume, especially if you’re applying for a managerial or specialty position. For instance, a director of care management requires nine years of experience, four of which must be managerial.

Conversely, a registered nurse position may require one year of direct patient care. The responsibilities, in this case, are not very demanding. If you lack experience overall, you can include any academic projects and volunteer work that is relevant to the  nursing job description .

Writing your job experience bullet points for your nursing resume

Three examples of poor job experience bullet points for nurses:

• Generally, you should avoid using “I,” and you should include specifics, not just generic statements of experience.
• This bullet includes “I” and lacks job specifics and quantifiable metrics.
• Although it may sound nice on the surface, it doesn’t answer exactly what the patient did and the results of their work.

Three examples of good job experience bullet points for nurses:

• This uses an action verb combined with quantifiable metrics.
• Again, this uses an action verb but furthermore, it describes exactly what the candidate provided (primary care training). 
• Specific, pertinent job duties show employers your skills and can also help you pass the ATS; two thumbs up for this one!

Quantify your impact as a nurse

When preparing your resume, remember that no employer wants to waste time reading vague statements about your performance. Instead, they want to see supporting details. So, whenever you can, you should quantify your impact and achievements.

For instance, if you say you “served many patients daily,” a potential employer might wonder about the exact number because ‘many’ is a relative term.

Examples of how to quantify metrics:

Suppose the  nursing job description  asks for a training specialist who can train other nurses. In that case, you can indicate the number of training sessions you conducted per day in your previous employment.

• Number of clinical training sessions per day
• Trained 75% of new hires on pre and postoperative care >20 days per month

Some of the health facilities labor under tremendous pressure. The number of patients you serve per day can help potential employers gauge whether you will cope well under pressure. So, it’s lucrative to include the number of patients you served per a specific amount of time.

• Number of patients served in a day 
• Worked in a setting with a 6:1 patient-nurse ratio, receiving 400+ visitors per day

Top skills for your nursing resume

It’s helpful to understand the differences between hard and soft skills to list in your  resume skills section . Keep the number of skills you list in between six and 10 to avoid overwhelming the reader.

Hard skills are those tools you use to do the job, aka technical abilities that require training. 

Examples of hard skills:

• ERM systems
• Medical documentation
• Infant and child care
• Emergency care
• Ambulatory care
• CPR certified

On the other hand, soft skills are abilities that are harder to quantify and are more personality-based.

Examples of soft skills:

• Communication 
• Professionalism
• Positive attitude

Get noticed! Look for keywords within a job description:

• Many companies use ATS to scan resumes for keywords from the job description, so it’s in your best interest to include the right keywords.
• Include keywords in both your  nursing cover letter  and resume. 
• Choosing keywords from the job description helps you customize your resume and thus, makes you more appealing to the hiring manager.
• Employing the right keywords makes your resume relevant and noticeable, giving you an edge over the competition.

Nursing education and certifications

When preparing your nursing resume, include all the elements that will increase your chances of getting the job. You need to indicate the following:

• Your education level
• Any certifications or licenses
• Your experience in other nursing environments
• Your years of experience as a nurse

On the topic of licenses, you need to share your area of specialization. Specialists include registered nurses (RNs), certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. Including your area(s) of expertise helps potential employers determine whether you’re the right candidate for the job.

Besides, including this information is easy to do and shouldn’t take up much space! Simply place certifications and licenses in a short section toward the bottom of your resume: 

Should you add projects, interests, or hobbies to your nursing resume?

Most of the time, you don’t need to include projects or  interests/hobbies on your resume . However, you may be able to add them depending on your level of experience and the type of role you’re seeking.

If you’re an experienced nurse, you’ve likely gained tangible experience that’s more important than undergraduate projects you’ve completed. Instead, you should highlight your key areas of experience and show your new employer how you’ll impact their business.

In the same vein, you may not need to indicate your hobbies or interests unless it’s encouraged. However, you can gain an advantage over the competition if you have strong qualifications and hobbies that match the company culture. 

To help you determine whether or not to include hobbies, visit the company’s website and read the “About Us” section to gauge whether they have a unique cultural fit. 

If you’re an entry-level candidate or a recent graduate, listing hobbies and projects can help you fill space and showcase your personality. However, it’s always good to review the job description to ensure these additions are relevant. Either way, keep the project and hobbies lists short and at the bottom of your resume.

Examples of hobbies/interests:

• Volunteering for community health services
• Learning new languages

Examples of projects:

• Organized and led breast cancer awareness campaign for two consecutive semesters
• Researched mental and psychiatric issues for semester-long experiment

Adjust your nursing resume for every job application

Remember to customize your resume when applying for a new job. Even if you’re only applying for specific roles, like LPN jobs, that doesn’t mean every job description for that title requires the same qualifications. There’s usually something unique to each position. Thus, for every application, make sure you tailor the following sections:

• (These can stay mostly the same, but you should adjust responsibilities and keywords slightly.)

To recap, each job description comes with different skill requisites. Furthermore, remember to note keywords you can use within the body of your resume and cover letter.

Your nursing resume must be error-free

As a nurse, you need to show the hiring manager that you’re observant and have an eye for detail. Remember, you’ll be working with patients and should demonstrate accuracy and precision. To ensure a flawless resume, run your document through a  resume checker  and have your colleagues proofread it. Don’t let typos cost you a job!

Confidently land your next Nursing gig

Many job seekers languish in the job market, especially considering the number of nursing graduates produced by universities each year and the fierce competition. So, you must be creative and savvy to survive the market. Happily, you’ve already taken the first steps by reading this guide, so congratulations!

We know you’ve worked hard to get this far, and we wish you all the best as you write a power-packed nursing resume and get ready for interviews in 2024! 

Resume Worded   |  Proven Resume Examples

• Resume Examples
• Medical Resumes

44 Nursing Resume Examples - Here's What Works In 2024

The essential role that nurses play has never been so obvious. with the profession increasingly in demand, now is the perfect time to apply for nursing roles. this guide contains everything you need to write an effective nursing resume, including essential skills to include and resume templates you can use..

Nursing is a demanding but incredibly rewarding field, requiring dedication, compassion, and a lot of hard work. Nurses can choose from dozens of specialties and a variety of settings, including frontline hospital work, education, and private healthcare. Whatever your role, as a nurse, you’ll find that soft skills — including communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution — are essential, as are hard skills in patient care, technology, and basic medical procedures. There are multiple pathways leading to nursing, all culminating in the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Aspiring nurses can pursue a Diploma, Associate Degree, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing, while accelerated programs are open to those with an existing undergraduate degree or experience in the field. In 2023, the face of nursing is expected to change significantly. Shortages elsewhere in the medical field are likely to lead to an increased demand and higher responsibilities for Nurse Practitioners and more nurses choosing to specialize. Nurses are also likely to see a greater emphasis on technology in healthcare, including telehealth visits, medical chatbots, and online education programs. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 12% job growth for nurses over the next several years, well above the national average.

Nursing Resume Templates

Jump to a template:

• General Nurse
• Experienced Nurse
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Registered Nurse
• Psychiatric Nurse
• Nurse Case Manager
• Nursing Student
• Travel Nurse
• Nurse Practitioner
• New Grad Nurse
• Director of Nursing
• Nursing Supervisor
• Clinical Rotation Nurse
• Charge Nurse
• Remote Nurse
• Preceptor Nurse
• Relief Charge Nurse
• LPN Nurse (Licensed Practical Nurse)
• LVN Nurse (Licensed Vocational Nurse)
• ICU Charge Nurse
• Prior Authorization Nurse
• Clinic Nurse
• Medical Surgical Nurse
• Patient Care Technician

Jump to a resource:

• Keywords for Nursing Resumes

Nursing Resume Tips

• Action Verbs to Use
• Related Medical Resumes

Get advice on each section of your resume:

Template 1 of 44: General Nurse Resume Example

Nurses are integral to the healthcare system. Under the guidance of a doctor or surgeon, nurses support and perform crucial patient care duties. Nurses are often most hands-on with day-to-day patient treatment. They perform a wide variety of tasks, including administering medication, monitoring patients health status, performing blood tests, administering IV fluids, running testing, and more. To become a nurse, you can choose a few different educational paths. You may earn an associates in nursing and go on to earn your LPN (licensed practical nurse) license. You also could get a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and go on to receive your RN (registered nurse) license. LPN’s are slightly more limited in their job scope than RN’s. In any case, great nurses will have a strong medical background, a caring and calm demeanor, a deep understanding of safety procedures, and strong multi-tasking skills.

We're just getting the template ready for you, just a second left.

Tips to help you write your General Nurse resume in 2024

   gain hands-on patient experience.

While in nursing school, it’s wise to gain hands-on patient experience. This typically comes in the form of getting a position as a certified nursing assistant, healthcare aid, or medical assistant. You will learn how to perform basic activities of daily life with patients in these roles, and it gives you an opportunity to learn from the nurses you will work under.

   Consider learning a second language

Hospitals see everyone under the sun, and it’s no secret that many people speak a different language than English. Hospitals often look for bilingual staff and find them incredibly valuable when trying to communicate treatment and get consent from those who speak a foreign language. Find out what foreign language is most popular in your area, learn it, and highlight it on your resume.

Skills you can include on your General Nurse resume

Template 2 of 44: general nurse resume example.

The most important duty of a nurse is patient care, but that’s far from their only responsibility. As a nurse, you’ll be administering medication, monitoring and evaluating patient progress, and working closely with doctors to provide care in hospitals, clinics, residential homes, and a variety of less typical environments. To land a nursing position, you’ll need to emphasize both hard and soft skills in your resume.

   Good use of skills section to highlight nursing skills

If you feel like a comprehensive list of nursing skills could easily take up half your resume, you aren’t wrong. Even so, a good skills section shouldn’t include more than about 5-10 skills, which means you’ll need to read the job description carefully and pull out the most important skills recruiters are looking for.

   Lists additional qualifications relevant to nursing

At minimum, you’ll need a nursing degree or diploma to begin a career in nursing. If you have additional qualifications, like field-specific qualifications or general first aid, CPR, or basic life support (BLS) certification, it’s worthwhile to list those, too. You can include these in an additional section at the bottom of your resume or in your education section.

Template 3 of 44: Experienced Nurse Resume Example

As an experienced nurse, you've seen it all. You're the backbone of the healthcare system, working long hours to care for patients and being a team leader. In recent years, the healthcare industry has seen a growth in roles that require experienced nurses due to an aging population and the increasing complexity of care. When tailoring your resume for this role, it's important to highlight your experience, specialized skills, and the results you've achieved. While the pandemic has put nursing roles in the spotlight, it's also crucial to show how you adapted during these challenging times. Hiring managers are looking for nurses who can handle crises, adapt to changes quickly, and take a lead role in a team. Showcase your resilience and leadership skills in your resume and make sure it feels personal. No two nursing roles are ever the same, just as no two resumes should ever be identical.

Tips to help you write your Experienced Nurse resume in 2024

   highlight your specialized skills.

As an experienced nurse, you've no doubt gained some specialized skills. Perhaps you're an expert in critical care, or you've got a knack for pediatric nursing. Highlight these specialties on your resume. Not only do they showcase your experience, but they also show you're a nurse with a wider skill set.

   Show off your leadership skills

In a job where difficult decisions are made daily, leadership is crucial. You may have mentored new nurses, spearheaded a new initiative, or simply taken charge in a crisis. Show hiring managers you're not just a team player, but a potential team leader. It's these qualities that differentiate experienced nurses from the rest.

Skills you can include on your Experienced Nurse resume

Template 4 of 44: experienced nurse resume example.

As an experienced nurse, you’ll want to emphasize your experience in the field and advanced skill set. You may find yourself moving into positions of leadership or other increased responsibilities, which means highlighting transferable skills and evidence of solid career progression. Your accomplishments are key — instead of listing as many bullet points as you can, consider your most impressive achievements, particularly ones that demonstrate leadership and commitment.

   Bullet points feature strong action verbs to highlight nursing accomplishments

Choosing the right action verb is key to presenting your accomplishments in a positive, proactive light. Verbs like “assisted” and “collaborated” show your ability to work well in a large healthcare team, while ones like “organized,” “coordinated,” and “spearheaded” emphasize your willingness to take on leadership roles and higher-level responsibilities.

   Emphasize career growth in the nursing field

As you move on to more experienced roles, you’ll want to emphasize career progression in your resume. You can demonstrate growth through your job titles, bullet points, or both. Even if you haven’t been formally promoted or your job titles don’t show an obvious progression, you can make this clear by highlighting increased responsibilities in your accomplishments.

Template 5 of 44: Certified Nursing Assistant Resume Example

As a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), you're likely familiar with the critical role you play in patient care. While your daily tasks might involve things like personal care, taking vitals, and assisting with mobility, your resume needs to do more than just list these duties. Recently, employers have been valuing CNAs who can demonstrate empathy and effective communication, in addition to technical skills. When crafting your resume, remember to weave in how you've made genuine connections with patients and supported their wellbeing. Moreover, in light of the pandemic and the changing healthcare landscape, it's impressive if you can show adaptability and willingness to learn new protocols and technologies. This isn't just a list of your tasks - it's a narrative about how you've used your skills and traits to make an impact in your past roles.

Tips to help you write your Certified Nursing Assistant resume in 2024

   include relevant certifications.

As a CNA, you should include any specialized certifications, like CPR or dementia care, on your resume. This isn't just about meeting the job description requirements - it shows potential employers that you're committed to professional development and maintaining high standards in patient care.

   Demonstrate emotional intelligence

Aside from technical skills, you should reflect your emotional intelligence on your resume. Try to describe how you've managed sensitive situations, provided emotional support to patients, or how you've communicated effectively with patients' loved ones.

Skills you can include on your Certified Nursing Assistant resume

Template 6 of 44: certified nursing assistant resume example.

As a certified nursing assistant, you’ll work closely with patients under the supervision of registered nurses. Your nursing assistant resume should emphasize the hard skills you’ll need to do the job, including performing routine medical procedures like taking blood samples, monitoring vital signs, cleaning and sterilizing equipment, and assisting patients with eating, dressing, and bathing. You’ll also need a solid understanding of relevant policies and legislation, including HIPAA.

   Use a relevant resume title

One of the easiest ways to bypass resume screeners and ensure your resume lands on the desk of a hiring manager is to include the exact title of the job you’re applying for on your resume. Including a resume title not only does this, it also clearly shows that you’ve customized your resume for this particular job — always a necessity.

   Include volunteer work where you used your nursing skills

If you don’t have a lot of traditional work experience, consider including volunteer work on your resume. You can create a separate volunteer work section, or simply list it alongside paid work experience. If you do this, you should list it in the same way, with an employer heading, dates of employment, and action-oriented bullet points.

Template 7 of 44: Registered Nurse Resume Example

Registered nursing is a step up the nursing ladder, allowing you to provide care directly to patients. Licensure as a registered nurse (RN) is also a pathway to graduate nursing programs, practice as a nurse practitioner, and specialty certification. As an RN, you’ll provide education and advice to patients and coordinate with physicians and other members of your healthcare team, meaning communication skills are also essential.

Tips to help you write your Registered Nurse resume in 2024

   emphasize hard skills related to nursing.

As an RN, you’ll need a firm grasp on essential skills. Focus on technical skills you’ll need, like phlebotomy, rehabilitative care, triage, and electronic health record (EHR). If you want to include soft skills or more than a handful of hard skills, use your accomplishments to highlight accomplishments that demonstrate them in action.

   Use bullet points provide context on your nursing achievements

Focusing on accomplishments in your bullet points is good, but even better is if you can provide the context for those achievements. A bullet point reading “triaged 50+ patients daily” is far more descriptive than simply “triaged patients.” Try to give clear numbers when talking about the size of teams you’ve led or number of patients you’ve cared for.

Skills you can include on your Registered Nurse resume

Template 8 of 44: icu nurse resume example.

As an ICU nurse, you're stepping into a high-stakes world where precision, quick decision-making, and resilience are part of everyday life. Your resume should reflect this reality and showcase your competencies, experiences, and specializations. It's important to note that hiring trends within ICU roles are leaning towards value-based healthcare delivery. Hiring managers are on the lookout for nurses who are able to provide holistic care, focusing on patient outcomes and satisfaction. When crafting your resume, remember to highlight your accomplishments in these areas, rather than just listing your duties.

Tips to help you write your ICU Nurse resume in 2024

   highlight specialized icu skills.

As an ICU nurse, you've developed a unique skill set. On your resume, be sure to highlight your expertise in areas like critical care, advanced life support, and specific ICU equipment. Demonstrate how you've applied these skills in previous roles to deliver quality patient care.

   Emphasize on team collaboration and leadership

ICU environments are high-stress, high-intensity spaces that require strong teamwork and leadership. Be sure to showcase any experiences where you've effectively coordinated with a team, or led initiatives to improve patient outcomes or processes within the ICU.

Skills you can include on your ICU Nurse resume

Template 9 of 44: icu nurse resume example.

Working in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital means working in an emergency setting providing care to critically ill patients. As an ICU nurse, you may also work in an emergency room or burn center. The crucial and fast-paced nature of ICU nursing means you’ll need extensive nursing experience and additional certifications. Your resume should also emphasize transferable skills recruiters are looking for, including quick thinking and decision-making.

   Focus on ICU experience

When applying for a specific role like ICU nurse, it’s best to focus your resume on experience that’s relevant to that position. If you have past experience as an ICU nurse, it’s a good idea to include more bullet points for that job and cut down on the space you give to less closely related experience, like general nursing positions.

   Clearly list certifications related in nursing

The more specialized the role, the more likely it is that you’re going to need specific qualifications. If you already have the qualifications hiring managers are looking for — like critical care or life support certification — list them in your education section or in an additional section at the bottom of your resume.

Template 10 of 44: NICU Nurse Resume Example

As a NICU nurse, you'll be working in a fast-paced and highly specialized environment, caring for some of the most vulnerable patients. When crafting your resume, it's important to emphasize your skills and experience that are especially relevant to neonatal intensive care. There's a recent trend in the industry that focuses on evidence-based practices and mental-health support for families, so showcasing your knowledge in these areas will give you an edge. Additionally, with advancements in technology and medical devices, many NICU departments prefer nurses who are skilled in using the latest equipment. Mention your experience with different monitors, ventilators, and other NICU-specific devices on your resume, as this can demonstrate your ability to adapt to a rapidly evolving field.

Tips to help you write your NICU Nurse resume in 2024

   highlight relevant certifications.

In addition to your RN license, emphasize any advanced certifications that are relevant to neonatal care, such as the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) or the Certification for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC). These certifications demonstrate your commitment to providing high-quality care for NICU patients.

   Showcase your teamwork and collaboration skills

NICU nurses work closely with a multidisciplinary team of professionals. Highlight instances on your resume where you collaborated effectively with physicians, respiratory therapists, social workers, and other nurses to develop and implement comprehensive care plans for your patients.

Skills you can include on your NICU Nurse resume

Template 11 of 44: nicu nurse resume example.

Neonatal intensive care (NICU) nurses provide critical care for premature and severely ill infants. As an NICU nurse, you’ll also run NICU equipment, support women during labor, provide neonatal services to healthy newborns, and document patient histories. You’ll need a high level of compassion, the ability to work in a stressful, fast-paced environment, and specific skills in neonatal care, telemetry monitoring, and neonatal medical equipment.

   Tailored to the NICU nursing job

Tailoring your resume to the specific job you’re applying for is essential. One easy way to do this is by including a resume title that matches the job title. Another is to tailor your skills list — for example, by listing NICU-specific skills like neonatal health monitoring and assessment.

   List skills and certifications separately

If you’re listing additional qualifications and skills together in an “other” section of your resume, make sure you don’t just lump everything in together. Using separate subsections for skills and certifications allows you to list more information while ensuring that a recruiter can still easily skim your resume to find the information they’re looking for.

Template 12 of 44: Psychiatric Nurse Resume Example

As a psychiatric nurse, your role entails assessing, supporting, and treating patients with mental health disorders in a variety of settings. In recent years, there's been an increased focus on the importance of mental health care, which has led to a higher demand for psychiatric nurses. When crafting your resume, it's crucial to highlight your clinical experience, therapeutic communication skills, and empathy for patients, as these are qualities that set you apart in this specialized field. In addition to showcasing your clinical skills, it's also important to mention any specific areas of expertise or certifications you hold within the psychiatric nursing field. This not only demonstrates your dedication to the profession but helps you stand out to potential employers who may be seeking nurses with specialized experience to meet the evolving needs of mental health care.

Tips to help you write your Psychiatric Nurse resume in 2024

   emphasize therapeutic communication skills.

As a psychiatric nurse, your ability to communicate effectively with patients is paramount. Highlight your proficiency in therapeutic communication techniques, such as active listening, empathy, and validation to show potential employers that you can provide exceptional care to patients in need.

   Showcase specific mental health certifications

If you have any mental health certifications, like a Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (CPMHN) credential or training in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), include these in your resume. This not only showcases your advanced knowledge in the field but indicates your commitment to continually improving your skills in psychiatric nursing.

Skills you can include on your Psychiatric Nurse resume

Template 13 of 44: psychiatric nurse resume example.

A psychiatric nurse is a specialized healthcare professional who focuses on the identification and treatment of psychiatric disorders. These nurses are responsible for determining a patient’s mental status, providing appropriate treatments and solutions, monitoring patient safety, and more. Psychiatric nurses must have a strong educational background in both psychiatry and general nursing. To land this role, you should have an undergraduate degree in psychology or nursing and then go on to earn your LPN or RN credential. Many people who land this role will have a dual-degree with a major in nursing and minor in psychology, or vice versa. After you’ve become a licensed nurse, you should gain hands-on psychiatric experience. Hiring managers will look for nurses who are sensitive to the needs of psychiatric patients, display great listening skills, and problem solving abilities.

   Highlight your ability to de-escalate and negotiate with patients

When dealing with psychiatric patients, you will need to have the ability to de-escalate high emotion situations, provide useful mental health interventions, and negotiate with agitated patients. It’s important to highlight any experience you have using these skills.

   Highlight your knowledge in behavioral analysis

Psychiatric nurses will identify problematic behaviors in patients and have the knowledge to prescribe treatment plans based on behavioral symptoms. As such, any knowledge in behavioral analysis or behavioral therapy will be valuable for this role.

Template 14 of 44: Psychiatric Nurse Resume Example

Psychiatric nurses are responsible for supporting patients with mental health and substance abuse issues. As a psychiatric nurse, you’ll be spending more time with a smaller number of patients, developing strong relationships and building trust in order to support patients over the long term. Soft skills in this role are a must, so use your accomplishments to highlight your empathy, resilience, and people skills.

   Short resume summary tailored to psychiatric nursing field

Including a summary at the top of your resume is a great idea if you want to provide extra context for your work history or quickly highlight one or two particularly impressive accomplishments. It’s also a handy place to put anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere on your resume — for example, if you’re changing careers or transitioning to a new specialization.

   Highlight transferable skills

Never list soft skills in your skills section. Instead, use your bullet points to highlight transferable skills. Rather than listing something like “attention to detail,” which is far too subjective, include a bullet point like “administered medications while ensuring correct dosage, frequency, and accuracy,” which shows how you demonstrated that skill in action.

Template 15 of 44: Nurse Case Manager Resume Example

Nurse Case Managers are vital in the healthcare industry as they coordinate patient care and improve healthcare outcomes. They manage and monitor patient cases, ensuring the best possible care is provided to address patients' unique needs. To write a resume for a Nurse Case Manager role, it's essential to stay up-to-date on industry trends and showcase the skills that make you an exceptional candidate. Emphasize your ability to work with interdisciplinary teams, manage patient cases, and navigate complex healthcare systems. In recent years, the focus on preventive care and patient advocacy has grown significantly. Therefore, a Nurse Case Manager's resume should demonstrate the ability to assess patients' needs holistically and develop personalized, comprehensive care plans. It's essential to show your understanding of the importance of patient-centered care and the impact of industry trends on your role as a Nurse Case Manager.

Tips to help you write your Nurse Case Manager resume in 2024

   highlight care coordination skills.

In your resume, emphasize your experience in coordinating care, working with interdisciplinary teams, and managing communication between patients, families, and healthcare providers. Nurse Case Managers need to effectively collaborate with various stakeholders to ensure seamless, efficient care delivery.

   Showcase your expertise in patient advocacy

Nurse Case Managers play a crucial role in advocating for the needs and preferences of their patients. Highlight instances where you've successfully advocated for patients, secured resources, or facilitated access to necessary services. This demonstrates your commitment to patient-centered care and your ability to navigate complex healthcare systems.

Skills you can include on your Nurse Case Manager resume

Template 16 of 44: nurse case manager resume example.

Nurse case managers are registered nurses (RNs) who provide dedicated recovery plans to individual patients, often in a hospital or acute care setting. In addition to licensure as an RN, you’ll need an understanding of patients’ health needs, the ability to monitor patients and work with other care professionals to ensure continued recovery, and the knowledge and background to source cost-effective care solutions.

   Includes numbers and metrics to emphasize case manager achievements

Including numbers and metrics on your resume isn’t just for show. Quantifying your achievements makes them more objective and reliable, and numbers speak to the exact nature of your achievement and its impact on the company or organization. Plus, they’re also just more impressive — consider “managed clinic referrals” versus “managed an average of 400 clinic referrals per month,” for example.

   Focuses on hard skills as a case manager

As a nurse case manager, you’ll need more than just people skills to succeed. Your resume should list any hard skills the job requires, including HCPCS, MEDITECH, and billing software. You should aim to pick 5-10 of the top skills you need and list them at the end of your resume, in a skills or additional information section.

Template 17 of 44: Nurse Case Manager Resume Example

Unlike most nursing positions, the role of a nurse case manager is more administrative in nature. As a nurse case manager, you’ll be in a supervisory role, with responsibilities including making decisions regarding budgets and scheduling, managing a team of nurses, and developing patient care plans. Your resume should highlight soft skills like leadership, decision making, and communication alongside hard skills in patient care and technology.

   Use hard numbers and metrics relevant to nursing

Using concrete numbers in your bullet points can be the best way to demonstrate your achievements. Instead of “lowered spending costs,” be specific and write “lowered spending costs by 25%.” If you led a team of 30, managed records for 500 patients, or oversaw a 26-bed unit, including those details will help your accomplishments stand out.

   Highlight key skills in nursing

In a role like nurse case manager that requires specific hard skills, you can list these in a separate skills section at the bottom of your resume. This includes specific software like HCPCS or MEDITECH systems, which are often keywords that hiring managers or applicant tracking systems (ATS) will be screening for.

Template 18 of 44: Nursing Student Resume Example

As a nursing student, you’ll be relying less on traditional work experience to fill out your resume and more on the skills you’ve gained through coursework and student nursing placements. Even without much experience, you can distinguish yourself by listing your student nursing experience the same way you would paid experience, focusing on your accomplishments and making sure to include relevant skills and keywords.

Tips to help you write your Nursing Student resume in 2024

   emphasize student nursing experience.

If you’re still a student and don’t have any relevant paid work experience, that doesn’t mean your resume should be blank. You can list your student nursing experience in your professional experience section, listing the location you worked at as the employer and “student nurse” as your job title.

   Lists specific competencies relevant to nursing

Even without paid work experience, you’ll be graduating with plenty of the skills you’ll need in your first role. Include a skills section at the bottom of your resume where you list a few of the skills that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for — typically between 5-10 skills.

Skills you can include on your Nursing Student resume

Template 19 of 44: travel nurse resume example.

As a travel nurse, your resume should reflect your unique skill set and adaptability to different clinical environments. With the healthcare industry constantly evolving, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and practices in the field. When writing your resume, showcase your experience in various medical settings and emphasize any specialized skills or certifications you hold. Travel nursing is all about being flexible and reliable, so highlight your ability to adapt quickly and maintain high-quality patient care in an ever-changing environment. In recent years, travel nursing has become more competitive, and employers are looking for candidates who can easily transition between different roles and facilities. Your resume should not only highlight your clinical skills and experience, but also demonstrate your strong communication and interpersonal skills to ensure seamless collaboration with your colleagues.

Tips to help you write your Travel Nurse resume in 2024

   demonstrate adaptability in clinical settings.

As a travel nurse, you'll be placed in various medical environments, so it's crucial to showcase your adaptability in your resume. Mention instances where you've successfully adjusted to new procedures, protocols, or environments, making sure to highlight the positive outcomes for your patients and team.

   Emphasize specialized skills and certifications

In the competitive world of travel nursing, having specialized skills and certifications can set you apart from other candidates. List any relevant training or certifications, such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), to show potential employers that you're well-prepared for the challenges of travel nursing.

Skills you can include on your Travel Nurse resume

Template 20 of 44: travel nurse resume example.

Travel nursing is a unique experience, allowing you to travel across the United States or even around the world. Many travel nurses still work in traditional hospital and clinic settings, but on temporary contracts. As a travel nurse, you may be entitled to additional benefits, including a higher salary and free accommodation or tax-free housing stipend. You’ll need a high level of flexibility to succeed in this role.

   Use metrics to emphasize soft skills, like communication, which is core to nursing

Want to show off your leadership and teamwork skills? That’s great! Just don’t fall into the trap of listing soft skills in your skills section. Demonstrate them through your accomplishments instead, using metrics like “educated 15 precept nurses in best practices” or “collaborated with 10+ medical specialists” to emphasize how you’ve used these skills in a professional setting.

   Contact information includes LinkedIn profile (make sure your LinkedIn is up to date too!)

Your contact information is a small but important part of your resume. If you don’t already list your LinkedIn profile as a contact option at the top of your resume, you should. This is particularly true as a travel nurse, since you may be more difficult to contact than local applicants — especially if you’re in a different time zone.

Template 21 of 44: Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) role is a step forward from a registered nurse, allowing you to really hone in on a specialty of your choosing. As more healthcare facilities are seeking out NPs for their advanced training, it's a hot position on the market. You’re often the first point of contact for patients; this calls for a well-rounded combination of clinical expertise, empathy, and excellent communication skills. When crafting your resume, you need to reflect this diversity of skills and your potential as a healthcare leader. Healthcare trends lean towards a team-based approach, so your resume should showcase not only your clinical competencies but also your ability to work within interdisciplinary teams.

Tips to help you write your Nurse Practitioner resume in 2024

   highlight relevant certifications and specializations.

You've worked hard to obtain your specialized certifications in addition to your RN license. It's crucial to list them proudly on your resume. This could be a Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate or a Pediatric Primary Care NP certificate, for example. This really sets you apart in the NP field.

   Showcase your patient care outcomes

As an NP, results matter. Don't just say you've managed patient care - show the outcomes. Did you achieve a high patient satisfaction rating? Or maybe you led a project that reduced hospital readmissions? Any data you can provide to demonstrate your direct impact on patient care will make you stand out.

Skills you can include on your Nurse Practitioner resume

Template 22 of 44: nurse practitioner resume example.

Nurse practitioners serve as primary care practitioners, often with responsibilities approaching those of physicians. Nurse practitioners need at least a master’s degree but command a higher salary and a greater return on investment than a full medical doctorate. As a nurse practitioner, you’ll have the ability to perform physical examinations, prescribe medication, assist in surgical procedures, and even practice independently in some states.

   List your most relevant and recent experience first

Your work history should always be listed in chronological order, with your most recent experience at the top. The more recent and relevant the position, the more space it can command on your resume — you can get away with listing as many as 5-6 bullet points under your current job, while much older or less relevant roles should only get 1-2.

   Includes appropriate keywords relating to nurse practitioners

The higher responsibilities of a nurse practitioner mean you’ll need to emphasize a high level of skill and competency. Make sure you’re highlighting keywords that show your range of experience, including medical diagnosis, physical examination, education, consultation, and patient care.

Template 23 of 44: New Grad Nurse Resume Example

As a new grad nurse, you're entering an ever-evolving healthcare field with unique challenges. Your resume should not only showcase your nursing skills but also emphasize your adaptability and eagerness to learn. Employers are looking for candidates who can adapt to changes in the industry and effectively communicate with patients and colleagues alike. Healthcare organizations are increasingly focusing on patient satisfaction and outcomes, so highlighting your clinical experience and ability to work in various settings will position you as a strong candidate for such roles. When writing your resume, it’s vital to be specific about your nursing education, clinical rotations, and any relevant certifications.

Tips to help you write your New Grad Nurse resume in 2024

   highlight clinical rotations and experiences.

Detail the clinical rotations you completed during your nursing program, describing the type of units you worked on and the skills you gained. Showcase any experiences in diverse or high-acuity settings to demonstrate your adaptability and competence.

   Emphasize soft skills and teamwork

Since new grad nurses often work in interdisciplinary teams, emphasize your soft skills, such as communication, empathy, and collaboration. Use specific examples from clinical rotations or team projects to showcase your ability to work effectively with others.

Skills you can include on your New Grad Nurse resume

Template 24 of 44: new grad nurse resume example.

As a new graduate nurse, you're entering a highly competitive job market where employers are seeking the best candidates to fill their open positions. In recent years, the nursing industry has seen an increasing demand for skilled nurses, but also a higher number of job applicants. To stand out, it's crucial that your resume effectively showcases your education, clinical experience, and key strengths. Crafting a tailored resume will not only help you land interviews, but also demonstrate your professionalism and commitment to a career in nursing. Resumes are particularly important in the nursing field, as hiring managers need to assess your clinical competencies, ability to work under pressure, and adaptability. Both tactical and strategic recommendations can help you create a resume that highlights your skills and makes you an attractive candidate for potential employers.

As a new grad nurse, you might lack extensive work experience, so it's important to emphasize your clinical rotations and any hands-on experiences you've had during your education. Include the facility's name, department, and a brief description of the patient population and any specialized skills you practiced.

   Focus on soft skills and certifications

While technical skills are essential, nursing is also about communication, empathy, and teamwork. Highlight your soft skills, such as active listening, problem-solving, and time management, throughout your resume. Additionally, mention any relevant certifications (e.g., BLS, ACLS) that showcase your commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Template 25 of 44: New Grad Nurse Resume Example

As a new graduate nurse, you’ll face a steep learning curve, so be prepared to learn and adapt on the go. Without much professional work history on your resume, you should highlight any nursing experience you’ve gained during your studies, including student nursing placements, clinical practicums, and any experience as a technician or extern.

   Includes student nursing and practicum experience

As a new grad, hiring managers aren’t expecting you to have extensive work experience. Any experience you’ve gained as a nursing student or early in your career can go on your resume in place of paid work experience. Simply list your practicums and student nursing experience the same way you would any job, using action verbs to highlight your accomplishments.

   Lists specific skills relevant to nursing

Even graduate nurses need a firm grounding in essential skills. When it comes to your skills section, be explicit about the skills you’re proficient in, but don’t feel the need to list every skill you’ve ever learned — choose the top ten or so skills that fit the specific job you’re applying for and list those.

Template 26 of 44: Director of Nursing Resume Example

Also called a nursing director, this professional is tasked with managing and overseeing the nursing staff in a healthcare establishment. Some of your tasks will include distributing nurses and resources effectively, creating targets and strategies for the department, and ensuring that all nurses under you follow all healthcare protocols and regulations. To qualify for this job you will need a degree in nursing and an RN license. Beyond that, you will need to show managerial and leadership experience in the nursing field. You must have the ability to work under pressure and in a very fast-paced environment and you must have critical problem-solving skills. Take a look at this successful resume sample.

Tips to help you write your Director of Nursing resume in 2024

   show a career progression in nursing..

The director of nursing position is a very senior position. Recruiters will appreciate seeing a steady upward career progression reflected on your resume. It will give them confidence that you understand the jobs and functions of all your subordinates and will also show them that you are an excellent and driven employee. This applicant has risen in the ranks from a registered nurse to a director of nursing.

   Use metrics to show maximized efficiency and minimized cost.

As much as healthcare facilities are built to offer healthcare to the community, they still need to work to maximize efficiency and reduce costs without reducing the standard of care. It is usually a balancing game that all healthcare directors must play. It is beneficial to show recruiters how successful you have been at increasing efficiency or reducing costs without affecting the standard of care. Use metrics to further impress recruiters. This applicant has done this very effectively.

Skills you can include on your Director of Nursing resume

Template 27 of 44: nursing supervisor resume example.

As the name suggests, a nursing supervisor supervises the nursing staff at a healthcare facility. Tasks you can expect include assigning staff, interviewing incoming nurses, monitoring the nurses, and overseeing patient care. Your main function is to ensure your nursing staff is providing the best possible care and that they are satisfied and happy in their jobs. Your resume must show a degree or diploma in nursing and you must have a valid nursing license. Beyond that recruiters would appreciate any history as a nursing supervisor and evidence of great organizational and interpersonal skills. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.

Tips to help you write your Nursing Supervisor resume in 2024

   highlight the nursing teams you have worked with and their relevant achievements..

This is a leadership role and as such recruiters would like to see the size of nursing staff you have managed in the past and the kind of things the team has been able to achieve under your leadership. For example, this applicant supervised 25 nurses in their most recent position, and under the applicant’s leadership, the team managed to the reduce infection rate by 76%.

   Begin your resume with a key achievement.

Including a key achievement in the introduction is a great way to get recruiters impressed from the beginning of your resume. They are bound to look more favorably on the rest of your resume because of it. Try and include a nursing supervisor achievement that is rare or hard to achieve.

Skills you can include on your Nursing Supervisor resume

Template 28 of 44: er nurse resume example.

As an ER nurse, you're on the front lines of healthcare, providing immediate care and treatment to patients in crisis. Nowadays, hospitals and clinics are on the lookout for nurses who not only possess the necessary skills and qualifications, but also display resilience, adaptability, and the ability to work under immense pressure. When crafting your resume for ER nurse roles, remember it's your chance to show how you've excelled in high-stress situations, and how you've used your skills to improve patient outcomes. Moreover, with the recent impact of COVID-19 on healthcare settings, there's a significant increase in demand for ER nurses with experience in infectious diseases, as well as experience supporting critically ill patients. Your resume needs to reflect these industry demands and trends, displaying your comprehensive understanding of emergency care, including your familiarity with ventilators, and infectious disease protocol.

Tips to help you write your ER Nurse resume in 2024

   emphasize on-job emergency experience.

You should make a point to list the types of emergencies you've handled. Have you treated patients in trauma situations? Have you dealt with cardiac arrests, strokes, or acute respiratory issues? Showing your breadth of on-job emergency experience can make your resume stand out.

   Showcase infectious disease understanding

Given the recent pandemic, hospitals are particularly interested in ER nurses who understand infectious diseases. Include specific training or experiences you've had dealing with infectious diseases - this could be anything from measles, to COVID-19.

Skills you can include on your ER Nurse resume

Template 29 of 44: er nurse resume example.

Being an ER Nurse is no walk in the park. This job requires a unique blend of quick thinking, medical expertise, and genuine compassion. When you're crafting your resume, it's essential to wrap this trifecta in a neat, compelling package. Recently, there's been a trend of emphasizing special skills like triage, emergency procedures, and trauma care. More and more, ER Nursing roles require a balance of technical abilities and emotional intelligence. Therefore, your resume needs to show not just your qualifications, but also your knack for handling stressful situations and interacting with patients. Additionally, these days the hiring process has evolved considerably. Many hospitals and healthcare institutions use Application Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter through the flood of resumes. To dodge this digital gatekeeper, you need to include relevant keywords and demonstrate your experience through quantifiable achievements. A well-made ER nurse resume is not just a list of duties, but a showcase of your skills and contributions in a high-pressure environment.

   Detail your emergency room skill set

It's crucial to list down the specific skills that make you a great ER nurse. For instance, if you're proficient in emergency procedures, acute patient care, or triage, do mention them. If you have crisis management skills, don't forget to include that too.

   Feature scenarios where you shone

Describe situations where your quick thinking and nursing skills made a significant difference. It could be a life-saving intervention or a time when you managed a serious crisis. Just remember—it's not bragging if it's fact.

Template 30 of 44: Clinical Rotation Nurse Resume Example

Being a Clinical Rotation Nurse is a unique role in the healthcare field. It’s a position where you'll gain hands-on experience across numerous departments, such as the ER, ICU, and Pediatrics, giving you a versatile skill set. As the healthcare sector evolves, many hospitals are looking for nurses with varied experience, making Clinical Rotation Nurses increasingly valuable. When crafting your resume, keep in mind that hiring managers are looking for evidence of your adaptability, quick learning, and breadth of nursing experience across different departments.

Tips to help you write your Clinical Rotation Nurse resume in 2024

   include specific clinical rotations experience.

On your resume, explicitly list the clinical rotations you've completed and the related skills gained. Remember, this position's essence is to gain diverse experiences. Mention the departments you've worked in and the unique practices you learned there.

   Illustrate Problem-solving Skills

As a Clinical Rotation Nurse, you must rapidly adapt to new environments and challenges. Use examples to depict how you've employed problem-solving skills during your rotations. Maybe you dealt with a unique patient case, or implemented a new process that improved patient care.

Skills you can include on your Clinical Rotation Nurse resume

Template 31 of 44: charge nurse resume example.

The Charge Nurse role is a pivotal one in healthcare. As a Charge Nurse, you're essentially the team leader, the one who sets the pace and coordinates the entire nursing staff. It's a job heavily reliant on excellent communication and management skills. Nowadays, nurses are not just caregivers but also patient educators and advocates, role flexibility that employers love. So one key thing when writing your resume is showcasing how you perform nursing tasks while leading the team. Additionally, with the digitization trend in healthcare, showcasing comfort and competency with medical software or telehealth can really make you stand out. The industry has shifted slightly too, employers are putting a lot of emphasis on soft skills. They want leaders who can handle high-stress situations, manage conflicts and bring teams together. So, your resume should reflect not just the tasks you can perform but also your leadership style and how that contributes to an efficient and collaborative work environment.

Tips to help you write your Charge Nurse resume in 2024

   include key leadership accomplishments.

As a Charge Nurse, your leadership accomplishments can set you apart from other candidates. Ensure to include specific instances where your leadership led to improved patient outcomes or staff efficiency. Use numbers or percentages to quantify these improvements.

   Showcase Digital Competency

With the rise of telehealth and digital record keeping, it's important to demonstrate your capability in navigating such platforms. If you've used these technologies, or even led the implementation, highlight this experience on your resume.

Skills you can include on your Charge Nurse resume

Template 32 of 44: charge nurse resume example.

Being a Charge Nurse is an interesting blend of clinical expertise and leadership. You not only need to be up-to-date with the latest medical practices, but also have the ability to manage a team and coordinate patient care. Recent trends in the industry show an increased demand for Charge Nurses with advanced degrees and certifications, like a MSN or a CNL. When writing a resume for a Charge Nurse, understand that hiring managers are looking for both your clinical competence and your leadership abilities. They want to see your capacity to manage a team and improve patient care, alongside your nursing skills.

   Showcase Leadership Experience

As the Charge Nurse role involves managing a team of nurses, it's vital to display your experience in leadership roles. Include details of previous positions where you were in charge, even if it was outside of healthcare. Describe your responsibilities and any improvements you implemented.

   Highlight Certifications and Education

In this role, academic qualifications, like a master's degree in nursing or relevant certifications, provide an edge. Therefore, you should clearly list your degrees, courses, or any nursing specializations you've attained. But remember, don’t just resort to listing them, delve into how they will be beneficial for your role as a Charge Nurse.

Template 33 of 44: Remote Nurse Resume Example

If you're seeking a remote nursing position, your resume needs to reflect your unique set of skills. Remote nursing roles often require a higher level of independence, self-motivation, and tech savvy abilities, as you won't have physical assistance from colleagues or direct supervision. The recent shift towards telehealth and online patient care, especially during COVID-19, has created a surge in these types of roles. When you're putting together your resume, remember that hiring managers for remote roles are looking for specifics - they want to see how your skills translate to the digital realm. With the rise of digital health platforms, telemedicine, and remote patient monitoring, quite a few healthcare providers are seeking remote nurses who are comfortable with technology. While traditional nursing skills are important, you also need to demonstrate your familiarity with these new technologies and how you've used them in patient care. Your resume should not just outline your skills, but also showcase how those skills were applied in a remote context - a nurses' station is vastly different from a home office.

Tips to help you write your Remote Nurse resume in 2024

   emphasize your technical competencies.

With remote nursing, your ability to use various software and applications for patient care is more important than ever. Include in your resume specific programs and tools you're comfortable using, such as telehealth platforms or electronic health record systems.

   Showcase your communication and self-management skills

As a remote nurse, you won't have in-person contact with patients or team members. Demonstrate how you've managed patient care from a distance and the methods of communication you've effectively utilized, such as video calls, emails, and instant messaging.

Skills you can include on your Remote Nurse resume

Template 34 of 44: preceptor nurse resume example.

Being a Preceptor Nurse means you're a blend of mentor, educator, and leader. You guide newly hired nurses or student nurses through the complexities of the real-world nursing environment. The role itself is evolving, as many healthcare institutions are increasingly recognizing the importance of structured mentoring programs to improve staff retention and patient outcomes. So, in your resume, you need to strike a balance between showcasing your clinical prowess and your ability to effectively instruct and inspire others. Make sure to highlight your nursing experience, specialized skills, and ability to shape fellow nurses' careers.

Tips to help you write your Preceptor Nurse resume in 2024

   demonstrate your leadership and mentoring abilities.

It's imperative that you convey your skills in mentoring, leadership, and supervision, as these are vital for a Preceptor Nurse role. Make sure to include specific instances where you have guided, trained, or supervised new or student nurses in your previous job roles.

   Showcase your advanced clinical skills

As a Preceptor Nurse, you are expected to have advanced clinical skills that you can teach others. On your resume, list any specialized nursing experience or skills you have, using concrete examples from your work history. This could be your ability to handle complex medical equipment, specific procedures you're skilled in, or even patient handling techniques.

Skills you can include on your Preceptor Nurse resume

Template 35 of 44: relief charge nurse resume example.

A Relief Charge Nurse is a unique nursing role where you have to show your versatility and adaptability. Being a transitional leader, you're not just filling in the gaps, but actively steering the unit during your shift. Lately, I've seen a trend for companies seeking nurses skilled in crisis management and staff delegation, reflecting our challenging healthcare environment. When you're crafting your resume for this role, remember, you need to illustrate how you've tackled tough situations and made critical decisions under pressure, all while providing excellent patient care. For this role, it's crucial to demonstrate your ability to step in and lead. Your resume should articulate how you've handled both clinical and administrative tasks, while seamlessly transitioning between regular and relief charge nurse duties.

Tips to help you write your Relief Charge Nurse resume in 2024

   show your leadership skills.

Be specific about your experience as a nurse leader. Did you lead a team during a crisis? Have you mentored junior nurses? Discuss these instances, focusing on the number of people you've managed and the outcomes you've achieved.

   Showcase your adaptability

Relief Charge Nurse roles require flexibility. Display moments where you've stepped into different roles or handled fluctuating patient volumes. Remember, it's about showing how well you cope with change and unexpected situations.

Skills you can include on your Relief Charge Nurse resume

Template 36 of 44: lpn nurse (licensed practical nurse) resume example.

Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is all about showing you've got the chops to provide high-level care under the guidance of registered nurses and physicians. When crafting your resume, remember that it's not just about showing your clinical skills, but also demonstrating your ability to support patients emotionally. This field is rapidly changing with technologies like telemedicine and electronic health records becoming more prominent, which means you need to show you can keep up. Given that many LPNs work in elder care, where we're seeing a surge in demand, emphasize any relevant experience or skills in this area.

Tips to help you write your LPN Nurse (Licensed Practical Nurse) resume in 2024

   include relevant certifications and training.

As an LPN, you've likely completed a bunch of certifications, such as IV therapy or gerontology. Make sure these are clearly outlined in your resume, particularly if they're ones that the job description specifically mentions.

   Detail your patient care experience

Hiring managers want to see that you can handle patient care responsibilities, so include details of the type of care you've provided. For instance, if you worked in a long-term care facility, describe how you managed patient hygiene, medication administration, and vital signs monitoring.

Skills you can include on your LPN Nurse (Licensed Practical Nurse) resume

Template 37 of 44: lpn nurse (licensed practical nurse) resume example.

As you pursue a role in the world of nursing as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), you must be prepared to showcase your unique blend of clinical skills and empathy. In recent times, healthcare settings are increasingly relying on LPNs not just for basic nursing care but for their ability to connect with patients. They appreciate LPNs who can balance human touch with technical proficiency. So, when drafting your resume, remember to present a compelling mix of your technical knowledge, patient care skills, and ability to work under pressure. The industry is moving towards more specialized care, which means your resume needs to emphasize any specific nursing skills or areas of expertise you've developed. Similarly, companies value LPNs who are continuous learners and are adapting to the evolving healthcare landscape. It's critical to demonstrate your commitment to ongoing education and upskilling on your resume.

   Show your hands-on experience

Keep in mind, recruiters are likely to favor LPN applicants who can prove real-world experience. Be sure to detail your clinical rotations, duties performed, and the types of healthcare settings you've worked in.

   Emphasize your specialized skills

If you have expertise in a specialized area like geriatrics, palliative care, or rehabilitation, make it prominent on your resume. Don't bury unique skills, these can set you apart from other LPN applicants.

Template 38 of 44: LVN Nurse (Licensed Vocational Nurse) Resume Example

As an LVN (Licensed Vocicational Nurse), you have a key role in healthcare that is rewarding and challenging. The demand for LVNs is quite high due to an aging population and an increasing need for healthcare services. However, the competition for positions in prestigious facilities is as fierce as ever. Your resume, therefore, needs to clearly communicate your technical skills, hands-on nursing experience, and compassion for patients. And although patient care is paramount, do not underestimate the importance of displaying soft skills such as communication and teamwork. Keeping up-to-date with current trends, such as the shift towards home health care, can also give your resume an edge.

Tips to help you write your LVN Nurse (Licensed Vocational Nurse) resume in 2024

   include relevant certifications and trainings.

As an LVN, you've probably undergone additional training or earned complementary certifications, like IV certification or wound care. Include these to demonstrate your commitment to continuing education and to stand out from the competition.

   Emphasize your patient care experience

You should explicitly list the types of care you have provided to patients. Whether it's administering medication, assisting with personal hygiene, or working with specific patient populations (like geriatrics or pediatrics), your experiences can make you particularly attractive to certain employers.

Skills you can include on your LVN Nurse (Licensed Vocational Nurse) resume

Template 39 of 44: lvn nurse (licensed vocational nurse) resume example.

As a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), you play a vital role in the healthcare industry, often serving as the backbone of patient care. Your resume should reflect your robust skills set — your ability to assist with diagnostic tests, take vital signs, and provide emotional support to patients. Recently, the industry's focus has increasingly shifted to holistic care, and as an LVN, you're more likely to work in interdisciplinary teams. When crafting your resume, it's essential to convey the breadth of your nursing skills and your ability to work well with a diverse set of professionals. In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, trends tend to focus on emerging technologies and automation of administrative duties. This doesn't reduce the value of an LVN, but rather increases the demand for interpersonal and technical skills. Your resume should show your adaptability to new technologies, and your knack for juggling both patient interaction and administrative tasks. Remember, your resume doesn’t just outline your past jobs—it tells your professional story, offering a glimpse into who you are as an LVN.

   Showcase your expertise in patient care

To stand out as an LVN, you should convey your extensive knowledge in basic patient care. This includes taking vitals, administering medications, and wound care. Make sure to detail your hands-on experiences in these tasks on your resume.

   Highlight your technical and interpersonal skills

Since the LVN role involves working with a variety of tech tools and diverse teams, your resume should reflect your ability to navigate both. Mention any software you're proficient in, and provide examples of your teamwork skills within your past roles.

Template 40 of 44: ICU Charge Nurse Resume Example

As an ICU Charge Nurse, you're the backbone of the Intensive Care Unit, handling not only patient care but team leadership as well. In recent times, the demand for experienced and skilled ICU charge nurses has soared; critical care has become a focal point due to the pandemic. When writing your resume, remember ICU charge nursing is not just about medical proficiency, but also leadership and crisis management. With hospitals increasingly prioritizing these qualities, it's crucial to convey these attributes effectively on your resume. Balancing between the dual nature of the role, both as a nurse and a team leader, can be challenging. However, your resume should demonstrate your nursing expertise while not neglecting your leadership acumen. Ensure you portray yourself as a competent medical professional and a proficient manager, adaptable to high-pressure situations, and capable of making crucial decisions swiftly.

Tips to help you write your ICU Charge Nurse resume in 2024

   emphasize your leadership achievements.

You should detail your leadership roles and accomplishments in your previous positions, specifically in crisis situations. Explain how you coordinated the team, handled emergencies, and managed resources efficiently. It's critical to show you can successfully lead a team under stress.

   Demonstrate your specialized ICU nursing knowledge

As an ICU Charge Nurse, you need advanced knowledge in areas such as mechanical ventilation, advanced life support, and patient assessment. Provide specific examples of how you have used this specialized knowledge in critical situations to improve patient outcomes.

Skills you can include on your ICU Charge Nurse resume

Template 41 of 44: prior authorization nurse resume example.

When creating a resume for a Prior Authorization Nurse, it doesn't follow the traditional nursing resume structure. It's essential to know that though medical knowledge is a plus, employers look out for administrative prowess and excellent communication skills. In the recent past, companies hiring for the prior authorization nurse role focus on those with solid experience in insurance protocols, and electronic health record (EHR) systems. Realistically, when writing your resume, you'll need to emphasize these aspects. Moreover, with the healthcare industry becoming more digitized and the significance of cost management, there's an increasing demand for nurses who can navigate insurance issues efficiently. You must consider this when crafting your resume — underscore your capability in handling insurance matters and proficiency in digital health systems.

Tips to help you write your Prior Authorization Nurse resume in 2024

   emphasize insurance knowledge.

Understanding insurance company operations, criteria for prior authorizations and claims processes is crucial. Ensure you elaborate on your grasp of Medicare and Medicaid procedures, private insurance policies and your ability to interpret and apply complex insurance documents.

   Detail Proficiency in EHR Systems

With the move towards digitization in healthcare, you should underscore your proficiency in EHR systems. Discuss your experience in using these platforms for patient data management, billing, and prior authorization requests. It will demonstrate your ability to work efficiently in today's digital health environment.

Skills you can include on your Prior Authorization Nurse resume

Template 42 of 44: clinic nurse resume example.

As a clinic nurse, your role is extremely dynamic and multifaceted. Your resume should reflect this. You're not just administering care to patients but educating them, assisting physicians, and keeping track of medical records. An increasing trend in the healthcare industry is the need for nurses to be technologically adept to handle electronic health record systems. Writing your resume for this role needs strategic emphasis on these unique skill areas. When penning down your resume, bear in mind that you're writing for hiring managers possibly shifting through hundreds of applications. They're looking for the standout features they can pick up in seconds. Make their job easy by providing punchy, concise details of your experiences and skills.

Tips to help you write your Clinic Nurse resume in 2024

   showcase your technical competency.

As more healthcare facilities embrace technology, your competence in using electronic health record systems is of high value. Mention specific systems you have experience with and any related accomplishments.

   Highlight patient education skills

As a clinic nurse, you're often the bridge between doctors and patients, translating complex medical jargon into understandable terms. Illustrate instances in your career where your ability to educate patients made a marked difference, be it in patient recovery, satisfaction scores or clinic efficiency.

Skills you can include on your Clinic Nurse resume

Template 43 of 44: medical surgical nurse resume example.

Medical Surgical Nurses, or Med Surg Nurses, are a vital part of the healthcare team. They work in a highly dynamic environment, providing care to patients post-surgery, and are often the ones providing round-the-clock monitoring. The medical field is evolving rapidly, with technological developments influencing care delivery methods. Therefore, in writing your resume, you need to showcase your ability to adapt and learn quickly. It's also important to note that the healthcare sector is increasingly seeking a holistic approach to patient care. This means demonstrating not only your technical skills but also your capability to provide patient-centered care.

Tips to help you write your Medical Surgical Nurse resume in 2024

   evidence of continuous learning.

In this rapidly changing field, it's critical to show that you're up to date. Include any additional training or certifications you've obtained, especially those relating to new technologies or procedures in surgical care.

   Demonstrate a blend of skills

Beyond your clinical skills, recruiters are looking for nurses who can provide compassionate patient care. Be sure to include experiences that emphasize your communication skills, empathy, and ability to work in a team.

Skills you can include on your Medical Surgical Nurse resume

Template 44 of 44: patient care technician resume example.

Patient Care Technician roles are evolving rapidly with the ever-changing dynamics of the healthcare field. Nowadays, PCTs do much more than just direct patient care; they are often involved in medical record maintenance and can even assist with minor procedures. This increased responsibility has made it crucial for PCTs to demonstrate a wider range of skills on their resumes. Not only medical knowledge and hands-on skills, but soft skills like communication and teamwork are rising to the forefront. Remember, while the trend is to digitize, the role remains hands-on, and your resume should reflect this balance. In crafting your resume, it's important to know that hiring managers are seeking versatile candidates who can swiftly adapt to new protocols and technologies, while still delivering high-quality patient care. The key here is to clearly project both your technical proficiency and human touch. So when you're working on your resume, work towards striking that perfect balance.

Tips to help you write your Patient Care Technician resume in 2024

   showcase your certifications and training.

As a Patient Care Technician, your certifications and specialized training are essential and should take center stage on your resume. Clearly, list your PCT certification, CPR training, any additional relevant certifications, and your proficiency in using electronic health record software.

   Highlight patient care experiences and achievements

To paint a full picture of your practical skills, mention specific experiences where you provided high-quality care to patients. For example, you might talk about a time when you effectively managed the care of multiple critically ill patients. If you've ever been recognized for your patient care skills, don't hesitate to share that too.

Skills you can include on your Patient Care Technician resume

As a hiring manager who has recruited nurses at top hospitals like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Johns Hopkins, I've seen countless nursing resumes. The best ones always stand out by showcasing the candidate's unique skills, experience, and impact in a clear and concise way. Here are some tips to help you create a strong nursing resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers and help you land your dream job.

   Highlight your nursing specializations and certifications

Nursing is a broad field with many specializations. Make sure to highlight your specific areas of expertise and any relevant certifications you have earned. This will help you stand out from other candidates and show that you have the skills and knowledge needed for the job.

Here are some examples of how to showcase your specializations and certifications:

• Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCCN) with 5+ years of experience in intensive care units
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) with expertise in administering chemotherapy and managing cancer patients
• Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN) skilled in assessing and treating complex wounds

   Quantify your nursing achievements and impact

When describing your nursing experience, don't just list your job duties. Instead, focus on the impact you made and the results you achieved. Use specific numbers and metrics to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.

Here are some examples:

• Reduced patient falls by 50% through implementing a new fall prevention protocol
• Improved patient satisfaction scores from 75% to 95% by providing compassionate and attentive care
• Trained and mentored 20+ new graduate nurses to help them transition to practice

In contrast, here are some examples of what not to do:

• Provided patient care
• Administered medications
• Collaborated with healthcare team

   Tailor your resume to the specific nursing job

One mistake many job seekers make is using the same generic resume for every job application. Instead, take the time to tailor your resume to the specific nursing position you are applying for.

Here's how:

• Read the job description carefully and identify the key skills and qualifications the employer is looking for
• Highlight any relevant experience or accomplishments that match those requirements
• Use the same language and terminology as the job description to show that you are a good fit

For example, if the job description emphasizes experience with electronic health records (EHR), make sure to include any EHR systems you have used and how you leveraged them to improve patient care.

   Showcase your nursing soft skills

While technical skills are important for nurses, soft skills are equally crucial. Employers want nurses who are compassionate, empathetic, and able to work well in a team. Make sure to highlight these soft skills in your resume.

Some examples of nursing soft skills include:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and in fast-paced environments
• Attention to detail and ability to multitask
• Empathy and compassion for patients and their families

You can showcase these skills through your job descriptions, achievements, and even volunteer experiences. For example:

• Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement a patient education program
• Provided emotional support and guidance to patients and families during end-of-life care

   Include any relevant volunteer experience or leadership roles

Nursing resumes shouldn't just include paid work experience. Any relevant volunteer experience or leadership roles you have held can also help you stand out to employers.

For example:

• Volunteered at a local free clinic, providing basic healthcare services to underserved populations
• Served as a board member for the American Nurses Association, advocating for nurses and advancing the profession
• Led a quality improvement project to reduce hospital-acquired infections, resulting in a 30% decrease in infection rates

These experiences show that you are dedicated to the nursing profession and have taken on additional responsibilities outside of your day-to-day job duties. They can help demonstrate your leadership skills, initiative, and commitment to providing high-quality patient care.

Writing Your Nursing Resume: Section By Section

  header, 1. include your full name and credentials.

Start your header with your full name, followed by your nursing credentials. This quickly establishes your identity and qualifications. For example:

• Jane Smith, RN, BSN
• Michael Johnson, APRN, MSN, FNP-C

Avoid nicknames or short forms of your name. Use your legal name as it appears on your nursing license. If you have a preferred name you go by, you can note that in parentheses.

Elizabeth (Liz) Thompson, RN

2. Add your phone number and email

Next, add your phone number and email on a single line below your name. This makes it easy for hiring managers or recruiters to contact you. For example:

• [email protected] | 123-456-7890
• [email protected] • 987-654-3210

Double check that your email address is professional. Avoid outdated email providers or informal handles like:

• [email protected]

Instead, stick with a standard format using your name and a modern provider like Gmail.

3. Decide if you should include your location

In the past, including your full mailing address was standard. However, with more digital and remote job searching today, including your city and state is usually sufficient. For example:

• Seattle, WA
• Tampa, Florida

If you're applying for jobs in a different city than where you currently live, consider listing your targeted location instead. This signals to employers that you are serious about relocating for the role.

In some cases, you may decide to omit your location entirely, especially if you are searching for fully remote nursing roles.

  Summary

As a nurse, your resume summary is an opportunity to highlight your most relevant qualifications, skills, and experiences that make you an ideal candidate for the role. While a summary is optional, it can be particularly useful if you are a career changer or have a diverse background that may not be immediately apparent from your work history alone.

When crafting your summary, focus on your nursing expertise, specializations, and key accomplishments. Avoid using an objective statement, as it shifts the focus away from what you can offer the employer. Instead, use your summary to provide a snapshot of your nursing career and the value you bring to the position.

To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Nursing resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Nursing Resume Summary Examples , or Nursing Resume Objective Examples .

1. Tailor your summary to the specific nursing role

When writing your nursing resume summary, it's essential to customize it to the specific role you are applying for. This demonstrates to the hiring manager that you have carefully considered how your skills and experiences align with their needs. Consider the following examples:

• Experienced registered nurse seeking a challenging position in a healthcare facility.
• Dedicated and compassionate nurse with 5+ years of experience in various healthcare settings.

While these summaries provide an overview of the candidate's nursing background, they lack specificity and fail to target a particular nursing role. Instead, try something like this:

• Critical care nurse with 5+ years of experience in fast-paced ICU environments, skilled in managing high-acuity patients and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
• Pediatric nurse with 3+ years of experience in providing compassionate care to children and their families, adept at patient education and fostering a positive healthcare experience.

2. Highlight your nursing specializations and expertise

As a nurse, you may have specialized skills or certifications that set you apart from other candidates. Your resume summary is an excellent place to showcase these qualifications and demonstrate your expertise in a particular area of nursing. For example:

Oncology nurse with 7+ years of experience in providing comprehensive care to cancer patients. Certified Oncology Nurse (OCN) with expertise in chemotherapy administration, symptom management, and patient education. Skilled in collaborating with oncologists and multidisciplinary teams to develop personalized treatment plans and improve patient outcomes.

By highlighting your oncology nursing certification and specific skills related to cancer care, you demonstrate your specialized knowledge and commitment to professional development in this field.

3. Quantify your accomplishments and impact

To make your nursing resume summary more impactful, include quantifiable achievements that demonstrate your value as a healthcare professional. This could include metrics related to patient outcomes, process improvements, or leadership initiatives. Consider the following examples:

• Experienced nurse with strong clinical skills and a commitment to patient care.
• Skilled in managing a busy unit and mentoring new nurses.

While these summaries touch on important nursing skills, they lack specific, quantifiable evidence of the candidate's impact. Instead, try incorporating metrics like this:

• Experienced emergency room nurse who treated an average of 50 patients per shift, maintaining a 95% patient satisfaction rating.
• Nurse leader who mentored and trained 15 new graduate nurses, resulting in a 20% reduction in staff turnover rates.

To identify your key accomplishments and quantify your impact, reflect on your nursing career and consider instances where you:

• Improved patient outcomes or satisfaction
• Implemented process or quality improvements
• Assumed leadership roles or mentored others
• Received recognition or awards for your work

By highlighting these achievements in your summary, you'll give hiring managers a clear picture of the value you can bring to their organization.

For more insights on crafting a compelling resume, try using Score My Resume , which provides instant, expert feedback on your resume based on 30+ key criteria that hiring managers look for.

  Experience

Your work experience is the most important section of your nursing resume. It's where you show recruiters and hiring managers how you've applied your skills to make an impact for previous employers. It's also the best place to position yourself as a qualified applicant.

In this section, we'll break down everything you need to know about writing an effective work experience section for your nursing resume, including what to include and what to leave out, how to list your work experience, and tips for making your experience stand out.

1. Focus on your relevant nursing experience

When listing your work experience, it's important to focus on the nursing positions that are most relevant to the job you're applying for. This means including your clinical experience, as well as any relevant volunteer work, internships, or externships.

Be specific when describing your nursing experience. Instead of simply listing your job duties, use action verbs to describe how you contributed to patient care, improved processes, or made an impact on your unit.

• Developed and implemented a new patient education program that reduced medication errors by 15%
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary team to create a fall prevention protocol that decreased patient falls by 20%
• Provided compassionate end-of-life care to patients and their families, ensuring their comfort and dignity

2. Quantify your accomplishments with metrics

Whenever possible, use metrics to quantify your accomplishments and show the impact of your work. This helps recruiters and hiring managers understand the scope of your experience and how you can contribute to their organization.

For example, instead of saying:

• Responsible for administering medications to patients
• Administered medications to up to 20 patients per shift, ensuring accurate dosing and timely delivery

Other examples of metrics you can use include:

• Number of patients served
• Infection control rates
• Patient satisfaction scores
• Number of staff trained or supervised

3. Highlight your clinical skills and expertise

Your nursing resume should showcase your clinical skills and expertise, as well as your ability to work effectively in a healthcare setting. Use your work experience section to highlight specific skills and competencies that are relevant to the job you're applying for.

This can include:

• Patient assessment and triage
• Medication administration
• Patient and family education
• Electronic health record (EHR) documentation

Skilled in conducting comprehensive patient assessments, developing individualized care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Proficient in EHR documentation using Epic and Cerner systems.

4. Include relevant certifications and training

In addition to your clinical experience, be sure to include any relevant certifications, training, or continuing education you've completed. This shows your commitment to staying current in your field and can help set you apart from other candidates.

Some examples of certifications and training to include:

• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)
• Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN)

You can also include any relevant coursework or academic projects that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in a particular area of nursing.

  Education

The education section of your nursing resume is a crucial component that showcases your academic background and qualifications. It demonstrates to employers that you have the necessary knowledge and training to excel in the nursing field. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when crafting your education section:

1. Highlight your nursing degree

As a nursing professional, your nursing degree is the most important aspect of your education section. Make sure to prominently feature your degree, including the full name of the degree, the institution you attended, and the year of graduation.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Graduated: May 2018

2. Include relevant coursework and clinical experience

If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, you can strengthen your education section by including relevant coursework and clinical experience. This helps employers understand the specific skills and knowledge you gained during your nursing education.

Avoid listing every course you took. Instead, focus on courses that are directly relevant to the nursing position you are applying for, such as:

• Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Pharmacology for Nurses
• Community Health Nursing

3. Showcase your nursing licenses and certifications

In addition to your nursing degree, it is crucial to highlight your nursing licenses and certifications in the education section. This demonstrates to employers that you have met the necessary requirements to practice as a registered nurse and have specialized knowledge in certain areas.

Include the following information for each license or certification:

• Name of the license or certification
• Issuing organization
• Date of obtainment
• Expiration date (if applicable)

Registered Nurse (RN), California Board of Registered Nursing License Number: 123456 Expires: February 2024

4. Keep it concise for experienced nurses

If you are a mid-level or senior-level nurse with extensive work experience, you can keep your education section brief. Employers will be more interested in your professional accomplishments and skills rather than your academic background.

Here's an example of what to avoid:

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) New York University, New York, NY Graduated: May 2005 Relevant Coursework: Advanced Pharmacology, Healthcare Informatics, Nursing Leadership and Management GPA: 3.8

Instead, keep it concise and focus on the essentials:

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) New York University

Action Verbs For Nursing Resumes

You probably know that it’s important to focus your bullet points on your accomplishments. But how? Frame your achievements in a positive light by using strong action verbs at the start of each sentence. Structuring your bullet points this way emphasizes what you actually did and avoids listing bullet points that read more like a job description. In addition to technical skills and medical know-how, nurses need a lot of transferable skills — think qualities like leadership, communication, empathy, and resilience. The best way to show that you have these qualities is through your choice of action verbs. If you’re applying for an entry-level nursing assistant role, you might want to emphasize your ability to follow instructions and work as part of a team, so choose verbs like Assisted or Prepared. If you’re looking for a more senior role, highlight your leadership potential with verbs like Implemented or Oversaw.

• Coordinated
• Administered
• Implemented

For more related action verbs, visit Nursing Action Verbs .

For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs .

Action Verbs for Nursing Resumes

Skills for nursing resumes.

Targeting your skills section is the easiest way to tailor your resume to the specific job you’re applying for. You can use a separate section at the bottom of your resume for this or include these skills as part of your bullet points. If you are using a dedicated skills section, make sure you’re only listing hard skills — soft skills, like communication and attention to detail, should be demonstrated through your accomplishments instead. Often, recruiters will be looking for specific skills and may even be using ATS to automatically screen resumes for certain keywords. You can get a feel for what keywords you should be including by reading over the job description, or by checking out our list of recommended skills and keywords or using our free Targeted Resume tool.

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Inpatient Care
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Healthcare Information Technology (HIT)
• Nursing Management
• Quality Improvement
• Nursing Education
• Clinical Research
• Patient Education
• Public Health
• Patient Advocacy
• Medical-Surgical
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
• Nursing Process
• Critical Care Nursing
• Customer Service
• Strategic Planning
• Emergency Nursing

Skills Word Cloud For Nursing Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Nursing job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

How to use these skills?

Other medical resumes, dental assistant.

Respiratory Therapist

Nursing Resume Guide

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• Tips for Nursing Resumes
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• Explore Alternative and Similar Careers

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The Best Resume Guide for Nurses

How to Write a Nursing Resume

Addressing required vs. preferred qualifications, types of nursing resumes.

• What Should Your Resume Include

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Whether you are a recent nursing school graduate or an experienced healthcare professional, writing a nursing resume that accurately and persuasively depicts your education, skills, and characteristics is the first step to getting an interview.

Since this important document is the initial impression you will make on a hiring manager, you must craft a resume that creatively addresses the employer’s requirements and highlights your professional achievements, helping you stand out from other qualified applicants.

The nursing field heavily relies on extensive practical training, certification and registered nurse licensure , and specialization, so it is important that your resume highlights your qualifications. Even personal qualities should emphasize practical applications (e.g., how your compassionate nature enables you to connect with patients or how your bilingualism helps you accommodate diverse populations as a nurse ).

Being specific can make a resume exceptional. Through this guide, you can learn how to tailor your nursing resume to an employer’s mission and job description.

Do Your Research

Learning how to write a nursing resume requires dedicated research that allows you to target information to your potential employer. On top of carefully going through the job description, look at the employer’s website and social media platforms to figure out their culture and values.

Some healthcare facilities emphasize education and certification, while others want nurses with more clinical experience. Find out what they want in an ideal employee and tailor your application accordingly. It is equally important to consider your needs and if the job fits your standards for professional advancement and personal happiness.

Write Down Your Key Points

Format your resume.

For more details and examples, see our tips for writing a nursing resume .

Addressing a potential employer’s specifications is the main objective in writing a nursing resume. But before writing, it’s important to identify required versus preferred job qualifications.

Because this profession necessitates advanced academic and professional training in addition to licensure and nursing clinical experience , job postings for nurses include extensive requirements that are either required or preferred criteria. Required reflects qualifications a candidate must possess to warrant consideration, while preferred is typically a wishlist of additional skills, experiences, and character traits that benefit the position but are not mandatory.

An effective resume details how an applicant fulfills required qualifications and as many of the preferred qualifications as possible without crowding the page and rendering the information inaccessible. Nurses can take advantage of a cover letter to elaborate and fill in additional qualifications with anecdotal evidence and data, if possible.

While some healthcare facilities outright reject applicants who do not possess all their required qualifications, most see the job listing as a guideline and not a checklist. Even if a nurse does not meet all the standards, they should still apply if they can impress during the interview.

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Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Ultimately, a resume represents the individual person, their academic standing, professional achievements, personal qualities, and career potential. How do you write a nursing resume that gets all these points across? Choose the proper formatting.

There are three main resume formats, each with their unique structure and distinct purpose: the reverse chronological, the functional, and the combination. Nurses need to use the resume style that best suits their particular skill set and the position they are vying for.

Reverse Chronological

The most commonly used resume type, this form benefits nurses who possess extensive and relevant professional experience. Here, past employment is the most important element, with positions listed in reverse chronological order. However, this reliable resume structure comes with drawbacks, as it can highlight gaps in employment, frequent job changes, and the candidate’s age.

Also referred to as the skill-based resume, this format highlights awards, accomplishments, and training, making it preferable for recent college graduates and other professionals who lack relevant work history. One of the major drawbacks of the functional resume is that it can expose a candidate’s limited experience in the nursing field.

Combination

The most complex resume type, the combination format eschews the either-or structure of the previous forms, enabling professionals to showcase relevant professional experience and skills and training. Experienced nurses, especially those with clinical specializations, benefit most from this resume form. However, versatility also renders it more difficult to construct, as the large amount of information can confuse readers if not conveyed clearly.

What Should I Include on a Nursing Resume?

Education and training.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center provides a standardized way of listing all your credentials. The preferred sectional order is education, licensure, state designations, certification, awards and honors, and additional certification. Start with your highest degree, then work backwards.

You do not need to include high school information or graduation dates. If you are currently working on a degree, state that completion is pending or in progress. Whether you provide GPA information is up to you. Generally, it is only worthwhile if you graduated in the last three years and earned a 3.5 or better.

Display professional nursing experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent position. If you have gaps in employment, prepare to address them. Consider listing facility- and unit-specific information, including total beds, trauma levels, and patient demographics. Specificity when writing a nursing resume elevates it from good to great.

For example, while both positions require a great deal of stamina, a nursing home nurse does not fulfill the same responsibilities as an urgent care nurse. By framing professional experience through a personal lens, your resume stands out among the rest.

Out of all the resume sections, this one benefits from keyword use the most. You can usually find out what skills an employer wants by analyzing the job description. Tailor this section to meet those needs. Work in categories, such as basic care, technical, administrative, and computer skills.

Be strategic and specific. Instead of “defibrillation insertions,” list “automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertions.” Finally, do not neglect soft skills for nurses , like reliability and adaptability or special skills like a foreign or sign language. These details can set you apart from other applicants.

Licensure and Certifications

As a registered nurse, you’ve earned a state-specific nursing license . And because the profession consists of diverse and advanced nursing specializations , you also may have pursued certification exams and postdegree training in areas like gerontology or cardiac-vascular nursing. List them in their entirety and avoid acronyms.

For licenses, use this order: license type, licensing state/body, license name and number, nurse license compact , and expiration date. For certifications, start with the name, followed by conferring organization, expiration, and certification number, if applicable.

Awards, Accomplishments, and Affiliations

Celebrate all relevant achievements, but do it honestly and in a way that reflects your ongoing commitment to nursing and capacity for high performance in the new position. These achievements may include academic recognition; official awards; and competitive scholarships, fellowships, grants, and internships. Also display membership in professional organizations, such as the American Nurses Association or Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing.

As an experienced professional, you may find that you possess an abundance of awards and accomplishments. In these instances, narrow them to the most prestigious, current, and applicable to the job you are applying for.

Volunteer Work

Unpaid positions let prospective employers know you understand the importance of community education, outreach, and engagement. Only include volunteer work that relates to nursing or the health services field. As always, when writing a nursing resume, furnish specific details that showcase your skills in action (e.g., you managed a 10-person team to canvas a neighborhood about HIV/AIDS prevention).

What Should I Put on My Nursing Resume If I Don’t Have Any Experience?

For recent college graduates, professionals switching careers, and those with limited clinical experience, learning how to write a resume for a nursing job may seem overwhelming. You can make up for inexperience by using a functional hybrid resume format that places academic credentials, qualifications, and skills above the employment section. Additionally, you have completed extensive training as a student and perhaps continuing education, so highlight state licensure, optional certification, and organizational membership to further bolster your resume.

Start with a personal introduction that states more than just the obvious (that you want the job), but also speaks to your professional values as a nurse and the training and education you possess. The lack of contextualization can represent a major pitfall of the functional resume. Avoid this by making your skills applicable to actual work scenarios that relate to a nurse’s duties.

Hospital managers seek employees who display skills, such as critical thinking, safe practice, customer service, and interpersonal communication. As a nursing student, you completed hours of clinical training. Use these experiences to show employers your skills in action, framing them in terms of achievements.

Finally, take full advantage of volunteer positions, giving them their own section, to show that you not only display the practical qualifications for the job, but also care passionately about the well-being of patients and healthcare equitability for all communities.

What Is a Resume-Reading Robot/ATS?

To deal with a flood of candidates, many employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS). Like a hiring manager quickly scanning for standouts among the group, the ATS ranks and categorizes nursing resumes by how many designated keywords they contain. This automated process reduces an employer’s manual workload and theoretically vets resumes with a large amount of filler content, an indication of unqualified applicants.

However, the ATS may also unnecessarily reject qualified nurses as part of automated software processes. To avoid this unfair outcome, learning how to write a nurse resume requires working within and overcoming the ATS framework.

Tips for Outsmarting an ATS

• Simple Headers: To accommodate the ATS, use header terms common enough to show up in keyword searches, such as “skills,” “professional experience,” and “education.” Do not neglect to include city, state, and, if living outside the U.S., country, because employers generally vet candidates by location.
• Clean Format: Engaging visuals are useless if they make your resume difficult to read. Use a simple format that contains no graphics or unusual fonts because the standard ATS cannot process such information, resulting in an automatic rejection. In general, Verdana, Tahoma, and Arial fonts at the 10.5 point size or above are acceptable.
• Keywords/Phrases: You can usually glean relevant keywords from the job description. If not, conduct some research into phrases commonly found in the nursing field, such as “patient care,” “clinical research,” and “community outreach.” Avoid abbreviations in all cases.
• Industry-Specific Jargon: ATS keywords reveal a candidate’s relevant skills and experiences. The more specific a keyword is to the particular position you are applying for, the better. When in doubt, use the hiring employer’s phrases first, industry standards second, and your current or previous employer’s terminology third.
• Choose the nursing resume type that best highlights your experience, personality, and qualifications.
• Be specific; specificity helps your resume stand out from the rest.
• Format your resume using headers and keywords that make it easy to read — whether by a person or an applicant tracking system.

Whether you’re looking to get your pre-licensure degree or taking the next step in your career, the education you need could be more affordable than you think. Find the right nursing program for you.

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Registered Nurse Job Description [with Examples]

• September 20, 2022
• In Resumes & Cover Letters

A Registered Nurse (RN) is tasked with collaborating with other medical specialists to assist in treating patients with different types of illnesses, disabilities, or injuries. Their responsibilities include discussing patient requirements with doctors and other Registered Nurses, providing IVs and medication to improve the health of their patients, and utilizing medical equipment to track patients’ vital signs. They collaborate closely with supervising physicians to determine patients’ needs, evaluate their progress, provide treatment, and carry out other associated responsibilities.

What does a Registered Nurse do?

Registered Nurses often give medical assistance to doctors and their patients while working for hospitals, healthcare clinics, rehabilitation centers, or care homes. To perform care chores, health exams, and provide medicine to their patients, they collaborate closely with other Registered Nurses. They must inject IVs, monitor patients’ vital signs, administer injections, and make patients feel at ease as part of their duties. They could also be in charge of helping a patient’s loved ones learn how to do particular activities once the patient returns home, such as changing bandages or giving medications.

Registered Nurse  job duties and responsibilities:

Depending on the workplace, an RN’s responsibilities may change; however, they often consist of the following:  

•  Track and observe patient behavior  
• Conduct physical exams and diagnostic procedures  
• Gather the patient’s medical history  
• Consult with patients and their families to explain treatment options  
• Handle additional forms of therapy such as changing bandages on wounds and administering medicines
• Read and analyze patient data, making suitable treatment decisions  
• Speak with managers and medical professionals to determine the best course of therapy for patients  
• Manage and oversee the work of nurses, nursing assistants, and nurse aides  
• Give care both before and after surgery  
• Collect blood pressure, temperature, and pulse readings from the patient  
• Manage junior employees  
• Offer families and patients emotional support  
• Mentor nursing students

Registered Nurse qualifications and skills:

To be a successful RN, an individual has to possess a wide range of skills. These are some examples of the required skills:  

• RNs must be organized since they frequently care for several patients simultaneously.  
• An attentive, empathetic, nonjudgmental RN can ease the patient by being kind and caring.  
• Being able to communicate with patients, colleagues, and doctors is a crucial ability for RNs. Good interaction requires effective communication.  
• Patience will aid an RN in making wise judgments and coping with stress and misunderstandings.  
• Being dedicated will enable an RN to keep developing their skills and commit to patient care.
• An RN stands for lengthy periods, which requires stamina. The profession also calls for physical strength when lifting patients and providing assistance.  
• An RN must be able to assess, analyze, and judge the many scenarios they encounter and take the appropriate action.  
• To make appropriate decisions, an RN must have a capacity for observation, resilience, and initiative.
• When communicating with patients and their families, an RN must have the capacity to handle emotionally sensitive and demanding circumstances and topics.

Registered Nurse experience and education requirements

Candidates must hold a nursing associate degree or above; however, many RNs go on to get a bachelor’s or master’s. Obtaining a nursing degree in one of the four specialties—adult nursing, pediatric nursing, learning disability nursing, or mental health nursing—is the primary path to becoming a qualified nurse. A few NHS organizations are currently providing nursing degree apprenticeships. They are comparable to nursing degrees, combining academic study with clinical experience, but they are employer-led rather than university-led. Since the apprenticeship is at the degree level, Level 3 credentials (A level or equivalent) are often necessary. Candidates who have successfully completed a nursing associate apprenticeship will be able to complete a nursing degree sooner than other applicants since the apprenticeship will be counted toward it.

After earning a degree, the candidate must get state licensing by passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Depending on their state, nurses might need to meet additional licensing requirements. For RNs to renew their licensure, education credits are often required. RNs should have the appropriate training for the role since they need varied training for different work contexts.

Use this Registered Nurse job description to write your resume and cover letter

To provide the best possible patient care, we are looking for an RN to join our medical team and analyze, develop, execute, and evaluate nursing care plans.  

Primary Duties, Tasks, and Responsibilities  

• Monitor and evaluate patients  
• Implement thorough nursing care plans for patients  
• Provide treatments and prescription drugs  
• keep track of and report symptoms and changes to the patient’s condition  
• Consult the medical staff about the patient’s condition  
• Keep up-to-date, correct patient records  
• Assist with patient preparation, exams, and treatments  
• Aid in the interpretation of diagnostic test findings  
• Provide patients and their families with psychological, emotional, and educational assistance  
• Maintain a healthy, safe working environment by following all applicable laws and regulations  
• Follow infection-control guidelines  
• Follow all protocols and laws pertaining to the administration and storage of medications  

Education, certifications, and experience required  

• An associate’s, bachelor’s, or diploma from a recognized nursing school  
• Current registration with the appropriate state nursing board
• The appropriate certifications, such as BLS, CPR, and ACLS
• Relevant knowledge

Essential skills  

• Effective communication
• Organization and planning
• Focus on the details
• Adaptability
• Aptitude for addressing issues
• Making decisions and using judgment
• Resistance to stress

Experience required:

• Two years of experience as a nurse  
• A year’s worth of pediatric experience

Different shifts are available. The order of the available shifts will be determined during the interview. It’s necessary to work every other weekend.

XYZ Hospital is growing its team of medical staff in the pediatric ward and seeking a registered nurse to join the hospital and work primarily night and weekend shifts. Must be registered with the state board, with experience in pediatric care and open last-minute schedule changes.

Requirements and duties:  

• Works with medical professionals and other members of a multidisciplinary team.  
• Offers medical patients, their friends, and their families emotional and physical support.
• Determines the needs for patient care through developing a close relationship with patients and their families.
• Maintains therapeutic standards; compares health results to patient care objectives and institutional or regulatory criteria.
• Uses interdisciplinary team techniques to address the needs and issues of patients.
• Keeps the workplace safe and orderly by adhering to policies, guidelines, and rules.
• Prevents infections by following infection control policies and procedures, medication administration and storage guidelines, and laws governing restricted substances.
• Ensures that equipment is operating by performing necessary preventative maintenance, requesting repairs, and assessing new tools and procedures.
• Supports the team’s efforts by completing pertinent tasks as required.

Registered nurse skills and qualifications:

• Clinical expertise  
• Good manners
• Infection prevention
• An understanding of physiology
• Dispensing medicine
• Medical cooperation
• Multitasking, verbal communication, and listening
• Upkeep and promotion of health

Requirements for education, experience, and licensing:

• Licensed Nurse (RN)  
• Current, appropriate state licensing
• BLS and ACLS certifications issued by the American Heart Association
• Clean background check and drug test

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Registered Nurse Job Description

Registered nurse job description example.

Typical nursing duties vary according to the area of specialization. This job description clearly lists the general tasks and responsibilities involved in the general overall nursing care of patients.

Select the relevant duties and job requirements to develop a job description for your specific nursing job.

SAMPLE REGISTERED NURSE JOB DESCRIPTION

General Purpose

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate nursing care plans to facilitate optimal patient care.

Main Job Tasks, Duties and Responsibilities

• observe and assess patients
• effect comprehensive nursing care plans for patients
• administer treatments and medications
• monitor and report symptoms and changes in patient status
• collaborate with medical team on patient status
• maintain complete and accurate patient records
• prepare patients and assist with patient examinations and therapies
• assist with diagnostic tests and interpret results
• modify treatment plans where indicated
• advise patients on health maintenance and preventative medicine
• provide educational, emotional and psychological support to patients and family members
• maintain a safe and clean working environment in compliance with healthcare procedures and regulations
• adhere to infection-control protocols
• follow medication administration and storage procedures and regulations
• monitor and co-ordinate maintenance of equipment operation and inventory
• check and maintain nursing supplies inventory
• educate and instruct patients on home care needs

Registered Nurse Education, Qualifications and Experience

• associate degree, bachelor degree or diploma from an approved nursing program
• current licensure by the relevant state nursing board
• certifications as required such as BLS, CPR and ACLS
• relevant experience

Key Nursing Skills and Competencies

• communication skills
• planning and organizing
• attention to detail
• adaptability
• problem-solving skills
• judgment and decision-making
• stress tolerance

Use this RN job description as a basis for formulating your own specific nursing job description.

Use this nurse job description to write your resume and cover letter

Need help with writing your resume? Go to the sample registered nurse resume

Include a professional nursing cover letter with your job application.

NURSE JOB APPLICATIONS

Registered  Nurse Resume

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Nursing Resume Template

Nursing job interviews

Be well prepared for your nursing job interview with these excellent interview question and answer guides.

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Adapt this job description to clarify the registered nurse requirements for the specific job.

Consider the working conditions when writing your nurse job description

Registered nurses work in different healthcare settings including hospitals, clinics, private physician clinics and care centers. The working conditions should be well defined in the job description including:

• the working hours including shifts and weekend and holiday work
• the physical demands of the job 
• the emotional demands of the job

Registered Nurse Job Description Template

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