how to write a resume summary for registered nurse

Top 10 Nursing Resume Summary Examples

A well-crafted resume summary can be the key to capturing the attention of hiring managers in the healthcare industry.

For nurses, concise and compelling summaries highlight their unique skills, experience, and dedication to patient care.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, a strong resume summary can set you apart in a competitive job market.

In this article, we present ten outstanding resume summary examples tailored specifically for nursing professionals.

From specialized fields such as pediatrics and oncology to roles in emergency rooms and home health care, these examples showcase the diverse expertise and compassionate care that nurses bring to their roles.

Use these summaries as inspiration to craft your own, ensuring that your resume shines and accurately reflects your qualifications and commitment to nursing excellence.

1. Certified Nursing Assistant with 5 Years of Experience

2. dedicated registered nurse specializing in pediatrics, 3. experienced emergency room nurse, 4. cardiac care nurse with proven track record, 5. compassionate home health nurse, 6. icu nurse with advanced critical care skills, 7. skilled gerontology nurse, 8. public health nurse advocate, 9. oncology nurse with empathetic patient care, 10. highly motivated new graduate nurse.

Crafting a compelling resume summary is an essential step in advancing your nursing career. Use the examples provided as a starting point to highlight your own unique qualifications, experience, and dedication to patient care. A well-crafted summary can make a significant difference in getting noticed by hiring managers and securing your desired position in the healthcare field.

What Our Visitors Are Saying About This Page

The following testimonials highlight the positive feedback we have received from professionals who have visited this page and used our resume summary examples to improve their job applications in the healthcare industry.

Maria S. – Registered Nurse

“The resume summary examples provided here are incredibly helpful. They gave me a clear direction on how to structure my own summary. I’ve already received positive feedback from potential employers!”

James T. – Emergency Room Nurse

“I was struggling with how to summarize my extensive ER experience until I found this page. The example summaries provided focused on all the key points I wanted to highlight. Definitely a game-changer!”

Holly P. – Recent Nursing Graduate

“As a new graduate, I didn’t know where to start. The new graduate nurse example was a perfect template for me to showcase my skills and enthusiasm. It’s made my resume stand out from the rest.”

Laura M. – Oncology Nurse

“Crafting a resume summary that showcases my specialized experience in oncology was challenging until I used the examples here. It emphasized the crucial aspects of my role effectively.”

Mark A. – Home Health Nurse

“The home health nurse example on this page transformed my resume. It highlighted my ability to provide compassionate, tailored care, which resonated deeply with employers. Highly recommend!”

These testimonials underscore the value and impact of having a well-crafted resume summary for nursing professionals. Whether you’re an experienced nurse or just stepping into the field, utilizing these examples can significantly enhance the appeal of your resume to potential employers.

• Top 25 Nursing Resume Objective Examples
• ICU RN Resume Summary Examples
• 10 Entry-Level Registered Nurse Resume Summary Examples
• Top 18 Nursing Student Resume Objective Examples

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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.

Angelina has her finger on the pulse of everything nursing. Whether it's a trending news topic, valuable resource or, heartfelt story, Angelina is an expert at producing content that nurses love to read. She specializes in warmly engaging with the nursing community and exponentially growing our social presence.

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Resume Worded   |  Career Strategy

Nursing resume summary examples.

Approved by hiring managers, here are proven resume summary examples you can use on your Nursing resume. Learn what real hiring managers want to see on your resume, and when to use which.

• Critical Care Nursing
• Entry Level Nursing
• Nursing Education
• Nursing Management
• Oncology Nursing
• Pediatric Nursing
• Public Health Nursing
• Senior Nursing
• Surgical Nursing
• Nursing resume templates
• Similar summary examples

Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight certifications.

The mention of being a "Certified Nursing Professional" immediately highlights key qualifications, a crucial factor for recruiters who often skim resumes. This not only grabs attention but also helps your resume pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter based on keywords.

Quantify Experience

Stating "7+ years of experience delivering patient-focused care" provides a clear picture of your professional journey. This not only shows you're experienced but also underscores your patient-centric approach, a soft skill highly valued in nursing.

Showcase Achievements

"Reduced patient recovery time by 20%" shows your tangible impact in previous roles. Such quantifiable achievements can sway recruiters in your favor as they provide a snapshot of what you could potentially accomplish in their organization.

Emphasize Leadership and Coordination

"Coordinated multidisciplinary teams across three hospitals" demonstrates both leadership and organizational skills, crucial for nursing roles that involve coordinating with various departments.

Demonstrate Ability to Handle Pressure

By stating experience in "working in high-pressure environments", you convey ability to maintain performance under stress, a key trait in the fast-paced healthcare field.

Critical Care Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight your area of expertise.

Mentioning your expertise in trauma and emergency care lets recruiters know that you're not just a regular nurse but one who can handle high-pressure situations effectively.

Speak to your achievements

Reducing a patient mortality rate is a significant achievement that speaks volumes about your skills and dedication. It's the kind of accomplishment that sets you apart.

Show your team management skills

Showing that you've managed a team, especially in an intense setting like an ICU, demonstrates your leadership and ability to handle responsibility. It's important to show you're not just capable of doing the work, but leading it too.

Show recognition

Brag a little. If you've been recognized for your patient care, it means you've made a significant positive impact. It shows you are capable of not just doing your job, but excelling at it.

Don't let a subpar resume hold you back from your dream job. Our tool helps you optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems and human recruiters alike. Get a comprehensive analysis and start landing more interviews today.

Entry Level Nursing Resume Summary Example

Showcase specialized expertise.

Describing "expertise in pediatric care" helps position you as a specialist in a particular area, useful for roles requiring specific skills.

Highlight Clinical Hours

Providing a count of your "800+ clinical hours" is a concrete way of demonstrating on-the-job learning, especially important for entry-level roles.

Present Soft Skills

By mentioning "efficiency and compassionate care", you showcase your soft skills - qualities often sought after in patient-centric nursing roles.

Demonstrate Initiative

The "streamlined patient intake process" suggests you're proactive and capable of identifying and solving problems, qualities highly desired by employers.

Nursing Education Resume Summary Example

Specify role.

Term "Nursing Educator" specifies your role and sets the stage for your resume. This helps recruiters quickly identify if your profile matches their search.

Display Experience Breadth

"Decade of experience in academic and clinical settings" shows a wide range of experience, which can make your profile more appealing to recruiters looking for versatile educators.

Exhibit Curriculum Development Skills

"Developed curriculum for nursing programs" demonstrates your ability to create educational content, a key requirement for teaching roles.

Demonstrate Influence

"Influenced over 500 nursing careers" shows your impact on future healthcare professionals, and adds a humanizing touch to your achievements.

Nursing Management Resume Summary Example

Showcase leadership.

"Proven track record in managing large healthcare teams" shows your ability to handle responsibility and lead effectively, both crucial in managerial roles.

Quantify Efficiency

By stating that you "increased efficiency by 35%", you provide a measure of your administrative capabilities and impact on operations.

Highlight Patient Centricity

"Pioneered a patient-first approach" illustrates your dedication to patient satisfaction, a key indicator of quality healthcare delivery.

Demonstrate Regulatory Knowledge

"Navigating the complexities of healthcare regulations" and "ensuring compliance" shows your understanding of the legal framework in healthcare, a crucial aspect in nursing management.

Oncology Nursing Resume Summary Example

Showcase your specialization.

A niche skill, like palliative care in oncology nursing, can make you a valuable asset. It's not just about being a nurse; it's about being a nurse with a specific skill set that could be critical in some situations. This can give you an edge in the selection process.

Quantify your impact

ATS scan for numbers as they signify measurable impact. Stating that you've managed care for over 50 patients demonstrates your ability to handle workload and stress. Make your contributions tangible to grab attention.

Demonstrate innovative thinking

Your unique approach to patient care not only shows your innovative thinking but also your commitment to improving patient outcomes. It shows that you're not just doing your job, but you're actively seeking ways to do it better.

Mention your leadership skills

Training junior nurses emphasizes your leadership skills and your ability to pass on your knowledge to others. Your experience in this area assures employers that you can guide others in complex situations.

Pediatric Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight specialization.

"5+ years of experience in neonatal care" immediately shows your specialty. Recruiters looking for pediatric nurses would find this compelling and relevant.

Show Impact on Patient Outcomes

"Improved neonatal health outcomes by 30%" provides a measurable impact of your work. Such quantitative accomplishments can help you stand out.

Proof of Handling Complexity

"Managed complex cases" indicates capability of handling challenging situations, a sought-after trait in specialties like pediatric nursing.

Highlight Patient Education Skills

"Demonstrated expertise in patient education" emphasizes your ability to effectively communicate with patients and families, a crucial aspect of nursing.

Public Health Nursing Resume Summary Example

Passion goes a long way.

Mentioning your passion for community healthcare not only shows your drive but also your commitment to the well-being of the community. It gives a sense of your purpose and motivation, which is inspiring.

Show your initiative

Launching a successful immunization program shows your initiative, leadership, and ability to manage large-scale projects. It's an achievement that demonstrates real impact.

Prove your effectiveness

Reducing community health issues by a quarter through education initiatives highlights your effectiveness and dedication to preventive healthcare. This shows that you're not just reactive, but proactive in your approach to healthcare.

Show your versatility

Managing healthcare delivery for diverse populations across urban and rural settings shows your adaptability and understanding of different healthcare environments. It makes you a more versatile and attractive candidate.

Senior Nursing Resume Summary Example

Impress with extensive experience.

Mentioning "over 15 years of experience in critical care" immediately signals a deep level of expertise and knowledge, crucial for senior roles.

Highlight Leadership Skills

As a senior nurse, "leading a team of 20 nurses" showcases your ability to manage, lead, and inspire a team, an essential skill for senior positions.

Quantify Success

"Reduced patient mortality rate by 10%" provides a concrete achievement to recruiters, illustrating your impact on patient outcomes.

Demonstrate People Development

"Implemented a mentorship program" indicates your commitment to staff development. This could be a deciding factor for recruiters looking for leaders who can develop their teams.

Surgical Nursing Resume Summary Example

Proven expertise matters.

Stating your proven expertise in perioperative care not only shows your skill but also gives assurance to the employer about your ability to deliver in the operating room. It adds weight to your resume.

Don't shy away from numbers

Assisting in 500+ surgeries is a strong statistic that demonstrates your experience and reliability. Numbers make your accomplishments concrete and more impressive.

Show your contributions to improvement

Improving surgical outcomes is a crucial contribution in a field where precision matters the most. It shows that you're not just doing your job, but you're making a real difference.

Showcase your leadership skills

Managing surgical teams is not an easy task. Mentioning this shows you can handle pressure, coordinate tasks effectively, and lead a team in high-stakes situations.

Nursing Resume Templates

Dental assistant.

Respiratory Therapist

Medical Resume Summary Examples

• > Case Manager Summary Examples
• > Dental Assistant Summary Examples

Medical Resume Objective Examples

• > Case Manager Objective Examples
• > Dental Assistant Objective Examples

Medical Resume Guides

• > Case Manager Resume Guides
• > Dental Assistant Resume Guides

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

Career Advice > Job Search > Resumes and Cover Letters > How to Write a Nursing Resume Summary

How to Write a Nursing Resume Summary

Search resource center.

A compelling nursing resume summary can quickly set you apart from other applicants. It’s one of the first aspects of your resume your future employer will see, so it’s important for you to be strategic about how you draft it. Below are some tips on how to write a professional summary for a nursing resume and examples that demonstrate this advice in action.

What Is a Resume Summary?

A resume summary is a short paragraph that introduces you to the hiring manager or recruiter. It’s a brief description of what you have to offer your future employer and can be found at the top of your resume, beneath your name and contact information.

These summaries are similar to resume objectives , in that they are both short statements. However, resume objectives focus on how the job would fulfill your career goals, while resume summaries generally share a broader explanation of your work history and accomplishments.

Think of your resume summary as a short version of your cover letter . Both serve as an introduction to the hiring team and are an opportunity to describe yourself as a whole person, not just a list of facts.

What to Include in a Resume Summary: 5 Tips

1. focus on soft skills.

Your professional summary for a nursing resume highlights your positive qualities as a person. Including your soft skills can pique your employer’s interest and encourage them to read your cover letter after scanning your resume. Soft skills contribute to a person’s ability to interact with others harmoniously and effectively. They help a hiring manager determine whether you’d be a good addition to their team.

Examples of soft skills include:

• Adaptability
• Clear communication

2. Share How You’ll Be an Asset

A nursing resume summary is like your elevator pitch. In other words, it’s a short description of yourself through which you could potentially form a professional connection. Try to include details that set you apart. Consider the traits that make a quality nurse — like integrity, advocacy , and critical thinking — and include those that fit you best.

What skills set you apart? Which piece of numerical information are you most proud of? How many years of experience do you have? Have you ever won a Daisy award ? Elevator pitches are concise, so use this chance to sell yourself in just a few sentences.

3. Use Keywords From the Job Description

In job postings, you’ll find key words and phrases that indicate the skills that the hiring team is seeking. Try to use these words in your summary. This is a clear way to show you’ve got what they’re looking for.

In fact, if a role has a large number of applicants, some companies use electronic systems to scan resumes for keywords and skills. This allows hiring managers to narrow down their applicant list before reviewing resumes. This makes keywords an essential part of a strong resume.

4. Include Significant Achievements

One of the purposes of your resume is to show the quantifiable aspects of your experience, such as your patient loads and the amount of times you’ve successfully completed a relevant procedure. It’s a good idea to include numbers in your summary if applicable, like your years of experience or the amount of times you’ve been recognized with awards. Choose a piece of numerical information that you’re especially proud of. If something makes you stand out, why save it for later?

5. Keep It Short

Most resume summaries are up to four sentences long. If that’s not enough for everything you want to include, consider using bullet points to break up the information so that it’s easier to scan. Either way, remember this is a preview to your resume and cover letter. You’ll have opportunities to add more details in other sections of your resume.

Common Mistakes in a Nursing Resume Summary

Knowing what not to do when writing a nursing summary is equally important as knowing what to include. Below are some tips to keep in mind.

Too Lengthy

The length of this part of your resume is key. It should be a short paragraph, with three or four lines of text at the most. Your employer will skim this information within seconds, so prioritize concise and impactful words over length.

Generic Descriptions

All resume summaries will have some similarities, but it’s still important to amplify your uniqueness. Candidates who plan to simply copy and paste an example they find online may as well not include a nursing summary at all.

Too Many Keywords

Including keywords from the job description is helpful, but overuse can diminish the intended effect. If you cram keywords, you risk sounding unnatural or making the reader feel as if they’re not getting a genuine idea of who you are.

How Do You Summarize Nursing Experience?

Selling yourself in a few sentences sounds daunting, but it can be done! These examples can show you how to use the tips described above.

Example 1: Conscientious, compassionate RN with 16 years of inpatient psychiatric experience and SANE certification. Eight years spent working with underserved communities, which aids my ability to handle various crises with empathy and clarity.

Example 2: Adaptable public health nurse with over 20 years of experience treating patients in 11 countries across the world. Active member of Nurses Without Borders, spending each summer caring for at-risk communities primarily in South Asia. Conversational understanding of Spanish, Urdu, and Hindi.

Example 3: Nurse practitioner with 8 years of experience in occupational health. Has worked in a variety of settings, such as in banks, hospitals, and universities. Won the Daisy Award for nursing excellence for five years in a row, seeking to continue that streak at Fountain Hospital.

Your Nursing Resume Summary Can Take You Places

Now that you know how to write a nursing summary for a resume, you can take the next step towards the job you’ve been wanting. When you’re confident in what you’ve got, check out the latest jobs posted on IntelyCare today.

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How to Write an Effective Nursing Resume Summary

Writing an effective nursing resume summary is easier said than done. Studies show that recruiters spend mere seconds reviewing a resume and these days that’s after the resume has made its way through the applicant tracking system. An effective nursing resume summary is concise and easy to read. It correlates the candidate’s experience with the job description in question. And it piques the reader’s interest to the point that they will continue reviewing the resume in greater detail.

How long do recruiters spend reviewing a nursing resume?

A 2012 study conducted by the Ladders found that recruiters spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume . That’s right, 6 seconds. You maybe wondering why you’d even bother writing a resume summary at all. Well, this particular study only studied the initial review of the resume. Initially, recruiters typically go straight to a review of the last two jobs held by the candidate. They want to know immediately if they are working with a candidate that has experience in the particular job capacity in question. So they look at the job title and the dates of employment. Recruiters also focused on the employers and education of the candidates.

BluePipes: Professional Networking and Career Management Tools for Healthcare Professionals

Of course, this study was conducted on recruiters reviewing the resumes of general professionals as opposed to professionals in the healthcare field. We’d expect slight variations from recruiters in the healthcare field. They may look for specialties, licenses and certifications in addition to these other attributes. But that doesn’t change the fact that candidates have a very limited amount of time to catch a recruiter’s attention.

If recruiters see some or all of what they’re looking for in an initial review, then they may give the resume a closer look. Even then, the resume may only receive 20 seconds total . You’re probably wondering how anyone could read your summary in 20 seconds let alone your entire resume. Well, they’re actually reviewing it as opposed to reading it. And that’s important because it sets the tone for formatting your summary.

How should your nursing resume summary be formatted?

Like the rest of your resume, your summary should be concise and easy to read. The reader should be able to review it quickly and pick up on the keywords and concepts that they’re looking for. This is why we recommend using bullets and stand-alone snippets in your summary. By doing this, you’re playing to the realities of the review process.

Most summaries are written in paragraph form. This is fine for conveying large volumes of information in a more compact space, but it assumes that the reviewer is actually going to take the time to read it. Unfortunately, they will not do this in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, a summary written as a big, long paragraph may prevent the reviewer from picking up on the key points or distract them from even reviewing it at all.

By contrast, a summary written with bullets and stand-alone snippets allows the reviewer to quickly scan this section and easily pick up on the keywords and points you’re making. You might include a quick snippet from an online evaluation or professional endorsement and provide a link to the site where the rest of the information can be reviewed. You may also provide a brief overarching summary of your skills in bold print and then provide bullets for the rest of the information you’re seeking to convey.

What should be included in your nursing resume summary?

There are many possibilities for your summary and there is no exact science as to what to include. Different people will have different cards to play based on their level of experience and the specifics of their job search. The only certainty is that you should always due your best to match your skills and the information you convey on your resume with the qualifications and job description in question.

You might include the following in your summary:

• Years of relevant experience.
• A summary of your qualifications for the job in question.
• A sense of your work or management style.
• Personal characteristics that make you a good fit for the job and/or company.
• Professional achievements.
• Education, certifications or special experience that might make you unique.
• Measurable improvements that you’ve made for previous employers.
• Accolades or awards that you’ve received from previous employers.

When considering what to write in your summary, do your best to avoid stand-alone cliches like “team player” or “results oriented”. Instead, try to convey these concepts with concrete examples. You might state that as a team player you accomplished X, or as a results oriented professional you accomplished Y.

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that the rest of your resume supports your summary. Remember, your goal is to convey as much information that’s pertinent to the job in question. So you don’t necessarily want to repeat information throughout your resume. As a healthcare professional, you have no shortage of highly technical skills and diverse job duties to convey so making sure your resume isn’t repetitive shouldn’t be a problem.

Sample Nursing Resume Summary

Below is one example of a summary:

Registered Nurse with over 7 years of critical care experience. Specialized practice in cardiovascular surgery, post-operative recovery, and intensive care.

• Extensive experience and thorough understanding of pathophysiology and pharmacology of critically ill patients.
• Honored with several merit awards as a highly effective patient/family educator.
• Promoted to Charge Nurse as a respected team-player with demonstrated leadership skills.
• Current member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) since 2008. AACN Ambassador since 2011.

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• How to Write an Exceptional New-Grad Nursing Resume This guide was written by experienced nursing recruiters and is...

Love your reference “rap sheet” I was A travel nurse for 14 years and that’s exactly what it looks like. I always list it as one entry and it works fine. Good Luck!!

Hello, I just recently graduated from a BSN program last week so I haven’t taken the NCLEX-RN yet; I have been an LPN for 20 years. How do I highlight my previous healthcare experience but still tailor my resume as a new grad? Now that my scope of practice will be different, which skills or attributes from my experience as an LPN would be best to feature as a new grad without listing basic nursing skills? Also, how should I word the fact that I don’t have a license yet? Is it appropriate to say “license pending?” Also, should I list my name followed by BSN or LPN?

Congratulations, Brandee! There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but here are my recommendations. Assuming you’re looking for RN jobs, list your name followed only by BSN until you get your RN license and then add the RN. In the Licenses and Certifications section of your resume, list the RN license as Pending and provide a status, ie. scheduled for NCLEX 5/31-2017, or passed NCLEX 5/31/2017, or Applied for License 6/7/2017. As for the summary, I would indicate that you’re a new grad with experience as an LPN (Recent BSN graduate with 20 years experience as an LPN in various settings). From there, try your best to highlight how your experience relates to the qualifications and requirements for the specific job your applying for. And remember, always be looking for ways to explain why you’re the solution to their problems….rather than explaining what they can do for you. I hope this helps!

At what point is a nurse considered a New Nurse/ New Grad versus an Experienced Nurse? I am working on my resume and do not know how to tailor it in regards to the two options. I graduated Dec 14′ and worked my first nursing position in May 15′. I have had one other job since then and currently seeking another. So in total, I would say I have about 1 1/2 years of nursing experience.

I would say that 1 year or more of experience makes you experienced. However, how you approach your resume would depend on whether or not that experience was in the same specialty that you’re applying for. For example, if you have 1 year of experience in Long Term Care, but your applying for jobs in a hospital’s ICU, then you might want to include details about clinical rotations in the ICU during your schooling, in addition to your experience in LTC. I hope this helps!

I am also having difficulties creating a resume. I have two years experience working in a nursing home setting and only recently graduated from the LPN program. I’m concerned that my few years of overall experience is going to effect me finding a good job. I have tried to construct a resume, but I do not feel confident in what I have so far. Any suggestions/references would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you, Sandy B.

I am struggling in writing my resume. I am not sure how to present myself. My most recent jobs included the Program Nurse head for a Life Skills Program for medical fragile children and the nurse in charge of all the medical needs for a camp, including managing all aspects of the clinic. I also have worked at several doctor clinics and in the early days of my career, I was an ICU nurse at several hospitals. I would like another position in some type of nurse management. Suggestions on how to summarize myself?

Thanks for the inquiry, Jean. There’s no easy way to summarize your experience when attempting to transition into a new area of the field. My recommendation would be to review each job posting for hints about qualifications and requirements that you may be able to equate to your past experience. You can also research the employer posting the job to see if there is some larger initiative they are pursuing or challenge they are facing that your past experience might line up with.

You can also review the job descriptions for similar jobs of many different employers to find hints about the qualifications that are being sought for the type of position you’re interested in. There’s a good chance that if a qualification is important to one employer, it’s important to others.

The main goal is to convey how you are going to help solve the problems an employer is facing; how you are the best solution for their hiring need. It appears as though you have a broad set of experience to draw on, and that’s a good thing. The tasks are 1) equating your experience with the qualifications of the new job and/or 2) conveying how your experience will help you solve an employer’s problem and 3) succinctly distilling this into 2 to 4 bullet points in your resume summary.

I hope this helps!

I’m a former travel nurse of many years inclusive of interim nursing leadership positions and staff nurse positions. Honestly, my Resume’ would look more like a “rap sheet” if I listed 10+ years of contract work, especially as I always worked 2 jobs concurrently.

Now that I have my BSN and will complete my MSN: Nurse Executive specialty track degree within 6 months, I am looking to move from Director roles into the C-Suite.

Any suggestions how to summarize or should I list each contract job?

Congratulations or your recent and upcoming achievements! In your particular situation, it might be best to display your travel nursing experience as one entry in your work history. For example:

Travel Nurse 2006-2016 Worked for various agencies completing short term assignments across the country, gaining proficiency with a diverse set of charting systems, processes, procedures, organizational structures and management approaches.

Then, go on to list some highlights that pertain to the job posting for which you are applying. Donna Cardillo recommends this approach . Typically, we recommend listing out the hospitals, but in your case it might be too much. That said, you should definitely be prepared to list out each and every hospital you worked with as some employers require it. I hope this helps!!

Thank you for this article! Helps a lot =)

Thanks for letting us know; we’re glad to hear it’s useful!

Great advice, thank you so much for getting back to me! 🙂

Any advice for a New Grad RN looking for a 1st job? Preceptorship in pediatrics but I am going to apply to medsurg positions as well. What should I highlight in my executive summary? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the question. Here is an article dedicated to new-grad nursing resumes. There’s a bit about summaries there. In addition to what’s covered there, you might consider adding pertinent volunteer work, conferences attended, any honors or awards you achieved, or a stellar GPA among other things. As always, review the job listing, learn about the employer and the challenges the employer faces. Then, try to highlight anything in your experience that might align. I hope this helps!

Thanks for sharing very informative

What about a med/surg nurse who wants to apply for a psych nurse position? Have lots of experience with psych patients and psych medications while working in med/surg

Thanks for the inquiry, Kayla. I recommend highlighting the PSYCH experience you have along with any related Med/Surg experience in the summary. Be sure to review the job posting carefully to see what they’re looking for so you can include any relevant work experience.

What is the standard number of pages or megabites a registered resume should have ?

There isn’t a standard length or file size for nursing resume. Most would say that it’s best to keep the resume to 1 to 2 pages, but that may not always be possible. Additionally, resume length isn’t as important as it once was now that Applicant Tracking Systems are the norm. Here is an article with some more considerations on the topic.

How would I present my resume as neophyte RN employed, but was been in the medical settings since I graduated in 2005. I worked in family doctor’s office as over all in charge. Had3 months practice as RN float temporary while working on my papers to stay for good (acute, long term and dementia) and CNA of 4 yrs. Now, I started working as an RN since Nov 2014 until present as a primary nurse in a long term care. I really want to be a dialysis nurse. I had my 800 hours clinical hours wayback in 2006.

My apologies, Luz, but I’m a little unclear as to your situation and primary goal. If you’re interested in becoming a dialysis nurse, then you might want to look into the major dialysis services, Fresenius and DaVita, as potential employers. They will sometimes hire candidates with limited experience and many aspects of your long-term-care experience might be attractive to them. I hope this helps!

I have a question- thank you. I would like to become a dialysis nurse however, I have no experience in that area I have worked in cardiac telemetry and psyche. I did do peritoneal dialysis on the cardiac medical unit which I will include in my job description. Please advise how to open the door into a new arena of nursing. Thank you so very kindly, El. Towne

Thanks for the question! Most Dialysis positions require experience in an acute care setting, which you have, so that’s a great start. You also have some relative experience in the field. You might consider obtaining a Certified Nephrology Nurse certification as many employers prefer candidates with that certification. Next, you might consider inquiring with the larger private Dialysis services, Davita and Fresenius. The ratings for these employers on Glass Door and Indeed are just so-so, but they might be a great way to get 1 to 2 years of experience in the specialty before searching for a more desirable hospital based position. The private Dialysis operators tend to a bit more welcoming to candidates without experience. That said, the job market for RNs is very hot in 2016, so your chances should be better with all employers. I hope this helps!

What about for a second career new nurse? I have over seven years of experience in the communications field with three years of supervisory experience. I recently graduated with my BSN and passed the NCLEX. My nursing experience is limited to my clinical experience and some volunteer work. I am struggling how to relate my past experience with nursing to make me stand out in my Summary.

Yes, it’s difficult to relate experiences in other industries to nursing because employers are typically seeking candidates with experience in the technical aspects of nursing. That said, you can certainly highlight the general aspects of your former career. Your promotion, leadership, team-work and other aspects are all good qualifications to address in your summary. Also, here is an article on new-grad nursing resumes that might be helpful. I hope this information helps!

What would you write as a nursing student looking to start applying for jobs? I have no experience other than what my clinicals have offered me. I wont be taking my boards for about 5 months still. Set to graduate in December (3 more months.

How would you suggest is the best way to present that as a RN, I simultaneously held the titles of ADON, Wound Nurse, and Charge Nurse at my most recent employer? Initially I was hired as a Charge Nurse, then I was promoted to ADON but I still had to work as a Charge Nurse 3 of my 5 scheduled days so I functioned in the role of ADON only on Monday and Tuesday. Later it was determined there was a definite need for consistent and routine wound monitoring, so I evolved into the Wound Nurse for the facility. Working with physicians I developed new protocols for wound assessment, treatment, and management and every Monday I functioned in the role of Wound Nurse. Is it best to break each job into its own summary and bullet list? I’m in over my head trying to figure out the best way to present myself in a resume now, including the profile.

Hey Tereasa,

Thanks for the inquiry. This is a great problem to have for your nursing resume! I agree it’s difficult to manage though. Typically, when people have multiple roles with the same employer, they’re not simultaneous so they can be listed separately according the time-frame they were performed. In this case, I think it would be best to do as you suggest and break each into it’s own summary and bullet list. The reason is that these are all very different roles. Something like below:

Employer Name Employer information (location, details, etc.) Job Title: Charge RN, ADON, Wound Care Nurse Hired as a Charge RN, I was promoted to ADON and also accepted a role as the Wound Care Nurse for the facility.

Charge RN: Start Date-End Date

• Accomplishment 1
• Accomplishment 2

ADON: Start Date-End Date

Wound Care Nurse: Start Date-End Date

I think something like that works well in this case. It might take up quite a bit of space, but you’ve accomplished a lot! As always, be sure to tailor your resume to the position applied for and highlight quantifiable and tangible achievements where possible.

As for your resume summary, I think it’s best say something like, “X years experience as Charge Nurse, X years experience as an ADON, and X years as a Wound Care Nurse.” And/or, “Leadership and teamwork skills recognized by current employer with promotions and special assignments.” Remember, the summary itself is just that, a quick summary designed to pique interest and get the reader to spend more time reviewing the rest of the resume and the actual accomplishments. It’s also an excellent opportunity to match your qualifications with the required qualifications for the job. So, if the job is looking for X years experience as an ADON, then you might say, “Over X years experience as an ADON.” I hope this information helps and please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.

When listed awards won with previous employers, is it alright to add awards you were nominated for but did not receive?

Great Question! Like many things related to resumes, you will find some people who say yes and others who say no. I would say that it depends on how well you can quantify the nomination. For example: One of five Staff Nurses out of 160 to be nominated for the X Award.

Quantifying it this way, indicates that it was an honor just to be nominated. If you’re able to do this, or something like it, then adding the nomination to your resume could be useful. I hope this helps!!

Thank you. Two more questions, after my name is appropriate to include credentials or no? I have seen differing opinions. My university awards a BS not a BSN, so my credentials will be BS, RN. Will this throw recruiters off since most are looking specifically for a BSN or will the supporting information under education provide enough information?

That’s a tough one. I’m not sure that I have seen a BS instead of a BSN. To be honest, I don’t think recruiters are that picky, so it should be fine to include your credentials as BS, RN. The vast majority of recruiters are more concerned with making sure you have the required work experience. That said, if you’re a new grad, it shouldn’t matter either.

Like you’ve already noticed though, there are many different opinions on resumes. I typically encourage people to include the credentials after their name and I think your situation is no different.

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6 New Grad Nursing Resume Examples + How To Write

Are you a new grad nurse or about to complete your nursing degree? If so, congratulations on your impressive accomplishment! At this point, you may be wondering what is your next action in the strategy to secure a job. If so, read on for vital information to help you successfully navigate the unchartered territory of finding employment as a nurse. Preparing a top-notch resume is an essential step in securing a position after graduation. When thinking about how to compose a resume, you might ask, what are some exceptional examples of new grad nursing resumes? This article, 6 best new grad nursing resume examples, will guide you through the process of creating a professional new grad nursing resume that is sure to impress. Additionally, well-structured resume examples will visually aid you in designing your resume that is sure to catch the eye of your future employer.

What Exactly is a New Grad Nursing Resume?

How is a new grad nursing resume different from an experienced nursing resume, 4 reasons why an exceptional resume makes a difference to new grad nurses, 1. you may be competing with experienced nurses-, 2. there may be many candidates-, 3. highlights new skills-, 4. helps to get your foot in the door-, what are some exceptional examples of new grad nursing resumes, example #1: resume of diane joyner, diane joyner, licenses and credentialing, clinical experience, student nurse.

• Performed new mom, baby and labor and delivery patient care duties on a 12-bed obstetrics unit. • Team leader for student nurse rotation on 2 occasions. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-3 patients each week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics.

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 28-bed pediatric unit. Commended by clinical instructor, preceptor, and unit nurses for ease of adaptation, enthusiasm, and expert nursing care of children on unit. • Team leader for colleagues on 4 occasions. • Developed nursing care plans on 3-10 patients per week. • Developed and instituted engaging quiet activity lessons and entertainment boxes for children while in the hospital. • For children in quarantine, developed exercises to promote circulation and heart health while recovering in isolation, if applicable. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

• Provided nursing care in a busy inner-city ER, ICU, and CCU. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours. • Evaluated at 100% by the instructor for competence in critical care skills.

• Completed 30 outpatient hours as a public health nurse, either traveling for home visits or at a community clinic. • Evaluated and developed plans of care for patients from 7 months to 70 years old. • Completed 30 additional outpatient hours in a public elementary and middle school.

• Performed basic nursing care in a 400-bed community hospital with 2-4 adult patients daily. • Administered nursing services to seniors and disabled patients in community rehab and nursing facilities. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

Work History

Certified nurses aid.

• Performed basic hygiene and health aide services in a 300-bed nursing facility during vacations and summer.

Secretary to Bloomsburg University Department of Nursing

• Performed basic office duties such as filing, answering phones, and typing reports.

Babysitter for 2 diabetic sisters

• Hired to babysit and carefully monitor 2 diabetic children where carb counting, blood sugar monitoring, and insulin injections were necessary.

• Hostess, waitress, cook, and dishwasher duties as needed in a bustling restaurant.

Volunteer Work

• Mother of a newborn • Candy striper • Campus Catholic Organization • Church nursery worker • St Francis Soup Kitchen • Campus blood drive

What Makes This An Exceptional New Grad Registered Nurse Resume:

Example #2: resume of jan beck, licenses and credentialing.

1/2021-4/2021 Boseman, Montana

• Performed new mom, baby, and labor and delivery patient care duties on an 8-bed birthing center. • Developed nursing care plans on 1-2 patients each week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics.

9/2020-11/2020 Boseman, Montana

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 20-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

1/2020-5/2020 Boseman, Montana

• Provided nursing care ER, ICU, and CCU. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours. • Evaluated at 99% by the instructor for competence in critical care skills. • Selected consistently by the staff and clinical instructor to work on Covid and burn units along with special cases.

11/2019-12/2019 Boseman, Montana

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a 150-bed psychiatric hospital. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2 patients per day.

9/2019-10/2019 Boseman, Montana

• Completed 30 outpatient hours in a high school health clinic.

1/2019- 5/2019 Boseman, Montana

• Performed basic adult nursing care in a 200-bed community hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

WORK HISTORY

University lab assistant.

5/2019-Present Boseman, Montana

• Selected by nursing faculty to assist in Anatomy and Physiology labs along with Microbiology lab.

Student Tutor

1/2020-Present Boseman, Montana

• Tutored students in course work for science, health, computer technology.

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Graduated second in nursing class with a 3.96 GPA • Received 4.0 in all clinical rotations • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Award for future nurse in excellence and scholarship

Example #3: Resume of Joan Zimmerman

Joan zimmerman.

1/2021-4/2021

• Completed 60 clinical hours rotating between urgent care and family health clinic. • The preceptor stated she felt very confident in all skills and knowledge to independently care for patients under her supervision.

9/2020-11/2020

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 60-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per day. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

1/2020-5/2020

• Provided nursing care ER, ICU, and CCU. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours. • Evaluated at 100% by the instructor for competence in critical care skills. • Team head 3 out of 10-week rotation. • Nurses on the unit commented daily on my advanced knowledge of cardiovascular conditions and ability to handle patient care efficiently.

11/2019-12/2019

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a 241-bed psychiatric hospital. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2 patients per day.

9/2019-10/2019

• Completed 60 outpatient hours rotating between units for women’s health, labor and delivery, NICU, PICU, and newborn nursery.

1/2019-5/2019

• Performed basic nursing care on adults in a busy 600-bed hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

Walmart Cashier

5/2017-Present

Honors and Awards

• Graduated first in nursing class with a 3.99 GPA • Received 4.0 in all clinical rotations • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Future Nurse Leader Award • School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Volunteer and Leadership Experience

• President of Student Nursing Association • Captain of the high school basketball team

Example #4: Resume of Lizzie Arndt

Lizzie arndt.

1/2021-5/2021 Jersey City, New Jersey

• Completed 60 clinical hours performing home health services on patients of a variety of ages and conditions, including prenatal and postnatal care. • Developed new mom instructional videos on breastfeeding and bathing.

9/2020-11/2020 Eastman, New Jersey

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 62-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per day. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics. • Rotated onto pediatric burn unit.

1/2020-5/2020 Eastman, New Jersey

• Provided nursing care ER, ICU, CCU, and adult burn unit. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours.

11/2019-12/2019 Eastman, New Jersey

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a state prison on both men’s and women’s units. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 1-3 patients per day.

9/2019-10/2019 Eastman, New Jersey

• Completed 60 outpatient hours rotating between units for women’s health, labor and delivery and NICU, PICU, and newborn nursery. • Achieved 100% on clinical skills and knowledge testing. • Developed competency checklist for pre- and post-natal teaching of pregnant women and new moms. • Established support reference material for new mom packet.

1/2019- 5/2019 Eastman, New Jersey

• Performed basic adult nursing care in a busy 575-bed hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours in the hospital and adjoining rehabilitation center.

Swim Instructor and Lifeguard

5/2017-Present Jersey City, New Jersey

• Graduated first in nursing class with a 3.95 GPA • Received 4.0 in all clinical rotations • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Outstanding Nursing Student Award • Scholarship for swimming • Scholarship for academic excellence

Extra-Curricular Activities

• Division I swimming all 4 years in college

Example #5: Resume of Lynn Horton

Lynn horton.

• Performed new mom, baby and labor and delivery patient care duties on a 50-bed women’s health unit. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics.

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 20-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per week. • Rotated onto pediatric oncology unit to care for 1-2 oncology patients per day. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

• Provided nursing care in ER, ICU, and CCU units. • Completed 96 hours total of critical care clinical hours.

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a 40-bed detox and substance abuse facility. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2-3 patients per day. • Assisted nursing and psychiatric staff with detox and substance abuse treatment and therapy.

• Completed 30 outpatient hours in a home health agency to include care for adults and children with cancer.

• Performed basic nursing care in a 600-bed community hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

Certified Nurse Assistant

• Provided comfort and basic care to adult patients with cancer.

• Graduated Magna Cum Laude • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Award for future nurse in excellence and scholarship

Volunteer and Extra-curricular Activities

• Served as a companion and nurse’s aide to a friend dying of cancer • Division III university softball player

Example #6: Resume of Paul Linney

Paul linney.

1/2021-4/2021 Tampa, Florida

• Performed new mom, baby and labor and delivery patient care duties on a 30-bed birthing center. • Performed basic nursing and prenatal care to walk-in women’s health center. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics and women’s health.

9/2020-11/2020 Tampa, Florida

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 38-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-3 patients per week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

1/2020-5/2020 Tampa, Florida

• Provided nursing care in ER, ICU, and CCU units. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours.

10/2019-12/2019 Tampa, Florida

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours on a 62-bed psychiatric unit, which included detox and substance abuse treatment. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2-4 patients per day. • Assisted nursing and psychiatric staff with detox and substance abuse treatment and therapy. • Achieved 100% for clinical rotation. • Selected as team leader 5 out of 8 weeks on unit. • The Nurses and the preceptor remarked weekly about comfort level and ease with working with psychiatric patients.

9/2019-10/2019 St. Pete, Florida

• Completed 30 outpatient hours in a community center for at-risk youth. • Held group sessions for abused and traumatized teens. • Met individually with 2 patients per week for individual counseling and psychiatric sessions and care.

1/2019-5/2019 Tampa, Florida

• Performed basic nursing care in a 300-bed community hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

VOLUNTEER AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• Boys Club of Clearwater • Paxton Ministries Soup Kitchen • Special Olympics

How to Write an Exceptional New Grad RN Resume?

1. proper format.

• Your name and contact information at the top of the page • Easy to read (not fancy) fonts such as New Times Roman, Arial, and Calibri • Font size 11 or12 • Stay consistent in fonts and style types • Be concise • No abbreviations or slang

2. Summary or objective

• Professional goals • Name of unit and institution where you are applying • Nursing skills and qualities pertinent to the position • Degrees and professional certifications

3. Licenses and credentialing

• The full name of your license or certification • Institution or body that issued license

4. Education

• Official school name • Location of the school • Dates you attended or graduated • Degree that you completed

5. Clinical rotations

• The type of the clinical rotation • Dates of the rotation and total hours completed • Name of institution (and city/state) of clinical • Name of unit you worked on

6. Work history

• Position held, then the name of the company/organization where you worked and the city and state with starting and ending date of hire • In a few words, describe the job

7. Volunteerism

• Church bake sales, nursery work, chicken BBQ worker, soup kitchen, and vacation bible school assistant • Hospital candy striper • Homecoming committee • Musical lighting and props • Prepped dinners for a homeless shelter • Assistant to professor • Staffed nursing department booth for college fairs • Blood pressure checks for health fairs • Assisted with blood drives on campus

8. Honors and awards

9. skills/language summary, 10. appropriate length, 11. match your resume to the job, 12. proofread, 7 common mistakes to avoid when writing your new grad nursing resume, 1. not including non-work experience-, 2. being too modest-, 3. too wordy-, 4. not personalized-, 5. leaving out accomplishments-, 6. not customizing-, 7. not proofing-, 3 consequences of a poorly written new grad rn resume, 1. you may never get an interview-, 2. your resume sets the stage-, 3. you may receive lower compensation-, my final thoughts, frequently asked questions answered by our expert, 1. what is the difference between new grad nurse resume and new grad nurse cv, 2. as a new grad nurse, when should i write my resume, 3. do i need a different resume for each new grad nursing job i apply to, 4. how long is my new grad nursing resume good for, 5. how many words should a resume be for a new graduate nurse, 6. how much time does it take to write an exceptional resume for a new grad nurse, 7. what is the best resume format for new grad nurses, 8. should i put my gpa on my new grad nurse resume, 9. should skills be on my new grad nurse resume, 10. what is a good objective for a new grad nursing resume, 11. how to list registered nurse license on my new grad nursing resume.

• Full name of nursing license • The body that issued the license • Expiration date

12. Should I Put Clinical Experience On My New Grad Nursing Resume?

13. should i include preceptorship on my new grad nursing resume, 14. can i ask someone else to write my new graduate nurse resume, 15. is it a good idea to use ready templates to write my new graduate nurse resume, 16. are there any online apps or tools that make writing a good resume for a new graduate nurse easy.

Nurse Resume Example & How-to Guide for 2024

As a nurse, you know a lot about taking care of people and helping them be healthy.

But when it comes to resume writing, maybe you could use a little help of your own.

Are there specific resume strategies that nurses should follow?

Just how detailed do you need to be when describing your medical skill set? And how do you highlight all those certifications you might have?

We’re going to walk you through the entire process of creating a nurse resume step-by-step!

• A nurse resume example that is proven to work
• How to write a nurse resume that will get you invited to interviews
• How to make your nurse resume stand out [with top tips & tricks]

Here’s some inspiration to get you started:

A nurse resume example , created with our very own resume builder:

Now, read on to learn how to create a resume that looks as good (or better) than the above example!

How to Format a Nurse Resume

The first step to creating your nurse resume is to decide on a format.

Just like any other career, hiring managers want specific information to jump out at them when reviewing resumes. So nurses need to make sure their resumes are formatted properly.

In 2024, the most common resume format remains the “reverse-chronological” format. So this is your best bet. 

Of course, there are other resume formats you can try…

• Functional Resume - This format is a lot more about your skills as opposed to professional experience. It’s good if you don’t have a lot of experience, are transferring to a new industry, or have gaps in your employment history.
• Combination Resume - As the name suggests, a combination resume is a mix between “Functional” and “Reverse-Chronological.” Meaning, it focuses both on skills AND work experience. You can use a combination resume if you have a lot of work experience or changing industries.

Once you’ve decided on the format, you need to get your resume layout right.

Here’s what we recommend…

• Margins - One-inch margins on all sides
• Font - Pick a font that stands out, but not too much. Do: Ubuntu, Roboto, etc. Don’t: Comic Sans
• Font Size - Use a font size of 11-12pt for normal text and 14-16pt for headers
• Line Spacing - Use 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing
• Resume Length - Don’t go over the 1-page limit. Having trouble fitting everything into one page? Check out these one-page resume templates.
• As a nurse you have probably earned some certifications for different areas of medicine. Create a dedicated section for your certificates so these stand out in your resume.

Use a Nurse Resume Template

Are you used to creating your resume in Word? Painful isn’t it? 

It’s easy to spend more time tinkering with formatting than it actually takes you to fill in the contents.

Then, you decide to make a single, small layout change, and BAM! Your entire resume layout falls apart.

There’s a better way than using Word: use a nurse resume template .

What to Include in a Nurse Resume

The main sections in a nurse resume are:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary
• Work Experience
• Certificates
• Awards & Recognitions

If you want your resume to stand out more, you can also try these optional sections:

Conferences & Courses

• Professional Affiliations

Interests & Hobbies

Now, we’re going to go through each of those sections, and explain how to write them.

Not sure which sections to use? Check out our guide to What to Put on a Resume .

How to Get Your Contact Information Right

Maybe you’ve created the perfect resume with amazing content on your skills and experience. But if you mess up the contact section, you won’t be getting a lot of interview invitations (mainly because they won’t be able to call your misspelled phone number).

For your contacts, include:

• Title - For nurses, your best bet is likely “Registered Nurse”.
• Phone Number - Double-check, triple-check this. One typo can really mess up your chances of an employer contacting you.
• Email Address - Make sure to use a professional email address ([email protected]), and avoid that email you created back in 5th grade ([email protected]).
• (Optional) Location - Applying for a job abroad? Mention your current location.

How to Write a Nurse Resume Summary or Objective

Fun fact - recruiters spend less than 6 seconds reviewing each resume. This isn’t that surprising, though. You can’t expect them to read the hundreds of resumes they receive from end to end.

So, if the recruiter doesn’t see that you’re relevant for the job in a single glance, your resume won’t even be read.

Now, the question is, what can you do to hook the recruiter the moment they look at your resume.

The answer is simple: use a resume summary or objective .

As a quick intro, both the resume summary and objective are sections that go on top of your resume, just under the contact information section.

The main difference between the 2 sections is that…

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence summary of your professional experiences and achievements.

• Trauma Certified Registered Nurse with more than five years experience working in emergency care. Compassionate, ethical health-care provider with a proven ability to stay calm during crises. Hold a Master’s of Science in Surgical Nursing. 

A resume objective , on the other hand, is a 2-4 sentence snapshot of your professional goals and aspirations.

• Patient-focused nursing student with 2 years of healthcare experience. Pursuing internships as part of career goal to become Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse.

So, which one do you pick? A summary, or an objective?

As you can see from the above examples, the key difference between the two is that a Resume Objective is better-suited to those who are new to a field (student, graduate, or switching careers). Always go for a Resume Summary if you have already established your career path.

How to Make Your Nurse Work Experience Stand Out

Work experience is the most important section in your resume.

Sure, your medical skills are super important, but so is your professional experience. Here’s how to structure your work experience section…

• Position name
• Company Name
• Responsibilities & Achievements

Brooklyn Hospital

01/2015 - 06/2019

• Obtained and recorded patients’ vital signs, intake and output and blood glucose
• Worked in the cardiatric and oncology wards of the hospital
• Used EHR software to record patient information

Now, if you really want to stand out, you should focus on talking about your achievements instead of responsibilities.

Instead of saying:

“Screen patients upon arrival at emergency ward.”

“Administered emergency ward intake evaluations for up to 25 patients each hour by measuring vital signs and prioritizing cases accordingly.”

So, what’s the difference between the two?

The second one is more specific . You know exactly what the person did, and you can say that he/she can work efficiently. 

The first example, on the other hand, is too generic. Screening patients could be as basic as checking whether they have health insurance and entering their personal information into the hospital system. There is also no mention of how many patients this person is used to handling.

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Maybe you’re a current student trying to land an internship or a recent graduate looking for your first full-time nursing job?

Fortunately, nursing students or graduates gain plenty of practical experience as they navigate their way through their studies. Only so much of the medical field can be taught in the classroom. 

By the time you are in your second year of school, chances are high you’ve been in a health-care facility helping evaluate and treat patients. You may not be a registered nurse at this point, you can absolutely include the skills and procedures you’ve learned in school on your resume.

If you’re a recent graduate, you might want to check out our guide on how to make a student resume !

Use Action Words to Make Your Nurse Resume SHINE!

“Responsible for”

“Worked in”

These are the most common words you’ll find on ANY resume.

And since you want YOURS to stand out, we’d recommend avoiding them as much as possible.

Instead, use some of these power words to make your responsibilities and achievements stand out:

• Administered
• Specialized

How to List Education Right

The next section in any Nurse resume is the “Education.”

This one’s pretty straightforward. Simply list out your education entries, and you’re gold!

• Degree Type & Major
• University Name
• Years Studied
• GPA, Honours, Courses, and anything else you might want to add

MSc in Nursing

University of Southern California

• Relevant Courses: Radiological Nursing, Advanced Surgical Procedures, Oncological Diagnostics

Clear? Good!

Before we move on, here are some of the most frequent questions we get about education on a resume (and their answers!):

• What if I haven’t finished college?

Whether you’re still a student, or you dropped out, you should still mention your degree. All you have to do is include the years studied, and you’re good.

• Do I list my high school education?

Only if you don’t have a higher education. No one cares about your high school education if you have a B.A.

• What goes first, education or experience?

If you have any relevant work experience, then experiences go on top. If you don’t, though, then education.

Still have some questions? Check out our guide on how to list education on a resume .

Top 30 Skills for a Nurse Resume

When the HR manager is going through your resume, they’re looking to see if you have the right skills for the job.

Imagine this: you’re the best nurse in the world and your resume is impeccable. BUT, you still get rejected, because you didn’t mention that you know the exact procedures or techniques that the health centre needs. 

Not sure which skills to pick?

Here are some of the most common nurse skills:

Hard Skills for Nurse Resume:

• Assisting in surgery
• Administration of medication
• Chemotherapy administration
• Bedside monitoring
• Bladder irrigation
• Blood administration
• Emergency room care
• Healthcare software
• Infection control
• Lab testing
• Intramuscularly injections or IV therapy
• Maternal care
• Pain management
• Physical assessments
• Psychiatric care
• Rehabilitation
• Seizure precautions
• Surgery preparation
• Wound irrigation
• Withdrawal of blood samples

Soft Skills for Nurse Resume:

• Attention to detail
• Communication (verbal & written)
• Critical thinking
• Physical endurance (since you will work long hours and have to use sometimes heavy equipment or patients)
• Observation (since you need to track subtle and small changes such as a change in the color or odor)
• As a general rule, we’d recommend not to go overboard with “Soft Skills.” They are certainly important in the medical field, but they are also harder to back up. Doctors need people with hard skills standing next to them, so give these priority. 

Looking for a more comprehensive list? Here’s a mega-list of 150+ must-have skills in 2024 .

Certifications for a Nurse Resume

As we mentioned before, many nurses will attain special certifications as they progress in their careers. These should be highlighted in your resume. For example:

• CPR certified through the American Heart Association
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Advanced Holistic Nurse, Board Certified

Other Resume Sections You Can Include

At this point, you’re probably ready to wrap up your resume and call it a day.

After all, we’ve covered all the essential sections, right?

Well, not exactly. See, the #1 goal of your resume is to stand out.

And if your resume looks exactly the same as everyone else’s, that’s where you fail.

If you’re already a good match for the job in terms of skills and experiences, these sections could end up being the deciding factor that gets you hired (and makes you stand out from the rest).

As part of their career development, many nurses will participate or even speak at nursing conferences. These are great to list on a resume because they highlight your dedication to the profession.

Meanwhile, nurses also participate in courses devoted to specialized topics in nursing or medicine. Perhaps these courses don’t involve formal certification in a specific area, but they do demonstrate certain career interests.

For example, maybe after five years of working in nursing, you decide to take a course in End-of-Life Care because it’s an area you may want to pursue future certification. Once you’ve taken the course, there’s no reason not to put it on your resume.

If you’ve got the space, try to include a Conferences & Courses section on your resume.

An extra language or two can always come in handy, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with the position you’re applying for. You never know when a foreign language might help save a life.

If you know any foreign language & have extra space in your resume, feel free to add a language section.

Make sure to split the languages by proficiency:

• Intermediate

Now, you might be thinking, “what does my hiking hobby have to do with my profession as a nurse?”

Well, nothing, but it does have something to do with you as a person. Strong teamwork is essential in the health-care field, so doctors and administrators are looking for someone they’ll get along with.

And what’s something you can bond with potential employers about? Hobbies and interests, exactly!

Not sure which hobbies & interests you want to mention? We have a guide for that!

Match Your Cover Letter with Your Resume

Yep, that’s right.

You might be thinking, “A cover letter?! Surely the nursing skills on my resume speak for themselves!”

Well, here’s the thing: cover letters are still very important .

They show the recruiter that you’re passionate about working for THIS position in THIS company, and you aren’t just sending your resume all over the place.

Having a solid cover letter with your resume can significantly boost your chances of getting the job.

The first step to writing a convincing cover letter is to get the structure right. Here’s how to do that.

And here’s what you’d write in each section:

Contact Details

Your personal contact information, including full name, profession, email, phone number, location.

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information

Full name, position, location, email.

Opening Paragraph

Your introduction should be very strong. If you don’t manage to hook the hiring manager here, chances are, they’re not going to read the rest of it. So, mention:

• The position you’re applying for
• Your experience summary and top achievement

Once you’ve got the hiring manager hooked, you can go through the rest of your background. Some of the points you can mention here are:

• Why you want to work for this specific company.
• Anything you know about the company’s culture.
• What are your top skills and how are they relevant for the job.
• If you’ve worked in similar industries or positions.

Closing Paragraph

This is where you:

• Wrap up any points you missed in the body paragraph
• Thank the hiring manager for their time
• End with a call to action. Something like, “I’d love to further discuss how my experience as an X can help the company with Y”

Formal Salutations

Use a formal closing, such as “best regards” or “Sincerely.”

Need more inspiration? We get it - creating a cover letter is very hard work. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with your step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter .

Applying for a different position in the medical field? Our related resume examples can come in handy:

• Medical Assistant Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Dentist Resume

Key Takeaways

If you followed everything we just taught you to the T, you’re pretty much guaranteed to land the job.

Now, let’s go through everything we’ve learned real quick:

• Get the right formatting for your nurse resume. Use a reverse-chronological format, and follow the best practices we mentioned on getting the layout right.
• Use a resume summary or objective to catch the hiring manager’s attention.
• In your work experience section, try to talk more about your achievements than your responsibilities.
• Emphasize hard skills more than soft skills (both are important but hard skills save lives)
• Match your nurse resume with a convincing cover letter.

Suggested Reading:

• Use Resume Keywords to Land the Job [880+ Keywords]
• 26+ Biggest Interview Mistakes (To Avoid in 2024)
• How to Write a CV That Gets Noticed (With 2024 Examples)

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Registered Nurse Resume Examples & Template [2024]

• August 16, 2024
• In Resumes & Cover Letters

Craft a winning Registered Nurse Resume with our comprehensive guide, packed with essential tips and insights. Discover key sections, including work experience, education, and skills, to highlight your expertise in patient care, medication administration, and electronic health records. Learn how to showcase your qualifications effectively and tailor your resume to stand out in the competitive nursing industry.

Are you struggling to present yourself as the best candidate for a registered nurse position? The foundation lies in a strong resume that showcases your skills and experiences and how they relate to the specific job requirements. If you’re not confident in your resume-writing abilities,  we’re here to assist . 

How to write a nursing resume in 7 steps

Step 1: use a registered nurse resume template , step 2:  format your contact information section, step 3: craft a strong summary statement for a registered nurse, step 4: showcase your professional experience, step 5: emphasize top nursing skills, step 6:  listing relevant degrees, certifications, and licenses, step 7: tailor your (rn) resume for specific job applications, step 8: include registered nurse cover letter, faq: registered nurse resume, q1: how many pages should a nursing resume be, q2: how do i address employment gaps in my nursing resume, key sections of a registered nurse resume.

When creating a registered nurse’s resume, it is important to include the following sections:

• Contact information
• Resume summary/objective statement
• Work experience
• Education and certification
• Professional recognitions

Additional Sections (Optional)

• Continuing education, additional training, publications, etc.
• Volunteer work or community involvement related to healthcare

When creating a nurse resume, it can be helpful to use a template that is specifically  designed  for nursing professionals.

Registered Nurse Resume Template 150020 Download it here →

Remember, using a nurse resume template can provide a solid foundation for creating your resume, but it’s important to customize it to showcase your unique qualifications and experiences.

• Place your contact information at the top of your resume so that it is easily visible to employers.
• Use a larger font size for your name to enhance its visibility and make it stand out.
• Format the rest of your contact details in a way that is clear and easy to read. You can place them in one or two lines below your name.
• Avoid placing your contact information in the header section of a Word document, as not all applicant tracking systems can properly read and parse information stored in this section.

Read more: 20+ Resume Headline Examples: Stand Out from the Crowd

Crafting an attractive summary for a registered nurse resume requires highlighting your  unique qualifications , skills, and accomplishments in a concise and compelling manner. Tips for creating an attention-grabbing  summary :

• Start with a strong opening : Begin your summary with a captivating phrase or sentence that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. Consider using  action verbs  or powerful adjectives to describe your nursing expertise.
• Highlight your key qualifications : Outline your most relevant qualifications, such as your nursing degree, certifications, and any specialized training or areas of expertise. Emphasize the skills and knowledge that set you apart from other applicants.
• Showcase your experience : Briefly summarize your nursing experience, focusing on the settings you’ve worked in (e.g., hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities) and any notable achievements or responsibilities. Use quantifiable metrics and concrete examples to showcase the extent of your influence.
• Emphasize your patient-centered approach : Highlight your commitment to providing exceptional patient care and promoting positive health outcomes. Mention your ability to establish rapport with patients, communicate effectively, and advocate for their needs.
• Include relevant skills : Incorporate a list of  key skills  that are essential to the nursing profession, such as clinical assessment, medication administration, care planning, and teamwork. Customize your skills to align with the specific requirements of the position you are seeking.
• Keep it concise : Aim for a summary that is concise and to the point, ideally consisting of two to three sentences. Avoid using jargon or overly technical language that may be difficult for non-medical professionals to understand.

Example #1: Senior Registered Nurse Resume Summary

Example#2: junior registered nurse resume objective.

Read more: 20+ Resume Summary Examples for 2024 [+How-to Guide]

A well-crafted nurse work experience section is essential for a standout resume. It allows you to showcase your relevant work experience and accomplishments in the field. To make the most impact, keep these tips in mind:

• Focus on achievements : Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, highlight your accomplishments  and the impact you made in your previous roles. For example, mention any improvements in patient outcomes, successful implementation of new protocols, or recognition you received for your work.
• Quantify your impact : Whenever possible, include numbers or percentages to quantify your achievements. For instance, mention the number of patients you cared for, the success rates of treatments you administered, or any awards or recognition you received.
• Tailor to the job description : Review the job description and identify the key skills and qualifications the employer is seeking. Customize your experience section to highlight how your previous roles align with those requirements.
• Include specialized experience : If you have experience in a particular specialty or have worked in different healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics, or home healthcare, be sure to highlight that experience. It can help you stand out from other applicants.

Example#3: Charge Nurse Work Experience

Charge Nurse Heavenly Care Hospital, New York, NY / June 2016-November 2017

• Led a team of 12 nurses, enhancing the patient-to-nurse ratio by 20%.
• Introduced a patient feedback system, resulting in a 15% increase in patient satisfaction.
• Reduced patient readmission rates by 10% through the implementation of comprehensive discharge procedures.
• Streamlined the patient intake process, reducing wait times by an average of 30 minutes.
• Participated in the design and execution of a new infection control protocol, leading to a 40% decrease in hospital-acquired infections.
• Organized quarterly interdisciplinary team meetings, fostering improved communication and a 15% reduction in clinical errors.

When creating a successful nurse resume, it’s important to include a combination of technical (hard skills) and  soft skills  that demonstrate your expertise and suitability for the role.

Here are some top skills to consider:

Read more: 50+ Hard Skills For Your Resume [In 2024]

When listing relevant degrees, certifications, and licenses on a Registered Nurse resume, it’s important to highlight your qualifications and credentials. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• List your highest level of education first, such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
• When listing multiple degrees, arrange them in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent one.
• Include the full degree name, such as “Bachelor of Science in Nursing” or “Master of Science in Nursing,” rather than abbreviations like “BSN” or “MSN”.

Certifications and Licenses

• Include relevant certifications and licenses that are required or preferred for the nursing position you are applying for.
• Examples of certifications for nurses include Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), or Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN).
• List certifications after your degrees, using the appropriate initials or acronyms. For example, “MD, MPH, DABFM” or “DNP, PMHNP-BC”.
• If you hold a nursing license, be sure to include it, such as “Registered Nurse (RN)” or “Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)”.
• Create a separate section on your resume specifically for your degrees, certifications, and licenses.
• Use a clear and organized format, such as bullet points or a table, to list your qualifications.

When tailoring your registered nurse resume for specific job applications, consider the following tips:

• Review the job description : Carefully read the  job description  to understand the specific requirements and qualifications sought by the employer. Pay attention to keywords and phrases that are mentioned multiple times.
• Customize your professional summary : To highlight the skills and qualifications that make you an excellent fit for the specific job, tailor your professional summary or objective statement. Showcase your alignment with the position by incorporating keywords from the job description.
• Highlight relevant skills : Emphasize the skills that are directly relevant to the job you’re applying for. Include both technical skills (e.g., wound care, patient education, medication administration) and soft skills (e.g., compassion, teamwork, problem-solving) that are valued in the nursing profession.
• Focus on relevant experience : When listing your work experience, prioritize and expand upon the roles and responsibilities that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Provide specific examples of how you have demonstrated your skills and achieved positive outcomes in previous positions.
• Include certifications and specializations : Highlight any certifications, specializations, or advanced training that are relevant to the job. This could include certifications in areas such as critical care, pediatrics, or geriatrics.
• Quantify achievements : Quantify your achievements to provide concrete evidence of your impact. For example, mention the number of patients you have cared for, the percentage of improvement in patient outcomes, or any awards or recognition you have received.

When writing a  cover letter  for a registered nurse position, consider the following tips:

• Introduction:  Start with a strong opening paragraph that states your interest in the position and briefly highlights your qualifications and experience. Mention how you learned about the job opening.
• Body Paragraphs:  In the following paragraphs, expand on your relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Focus on how your qualifications align with the requirements of the job. Use specific examples to demonstrate your abilities and showcase your passion for nursing.
• Closing:  In the closing paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the opportunity to contribute to the healthcare team. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for considering my application I am eager to provide any additional information or references that might be required.

Registered Nurse Cover Letter Template 150020 Download it here →

The ideal length of a registered nurse resume can vary depending on factors such as the level of experience and the specific job application requirements. In summary, a registered nurse resume should generally be around 1-2 pages, focusing on the most relevant information and showcasing career progression and achievements. Remember to tailor the length of your resume based on your specific circumstances and the job application requirements.

Addressing employment  gaps  in your registered nurse resume is important to provide clarity and alleviate any concerns employers may have. Here are some tips:

• Be brief and direct:  Address the employment gaps briefly and directly in one or two sentences on your resume.
• Focus on overall professional goals:  Explain how the employment gap allowed you to pursue opportunities that align with your overall professional nursing career goals.
• Highlight relevant experiences:  If you engaged in any relevant activities during the employment gap, such as volunteering or continuing education, mention them to showcase your commitment to professional growth.
• Consider a functional resume:  If you have extensive employment gaps, you may consider using a functional resume format that highlights your skills and achievements rather than focusing on chronological work history.

Remember, honesty and transparency are key when addressing employment gaps. Use these tips to effectively address the gaps in your registered nurse resume and showcase your qualifications and experiences.

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9 Registered Nurse (RN) Resume Examples for 2024

Registered Nurse (RN)

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

Resume Builder

Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

• RN Resume by Education
• RN Resumes by Experience
• RN Resumes by Type

Registered nurses (RN) are a profession in very high demand. In addition to a hiring rush during COVID-19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a 12 percent growth in demand for RNs through 2028.

Nursing is a tough enough profession in its own right. So, don’t be discouraged if you’re struggling to draft your  nurse cover letter  or  write a resume  that puts your best foot forward.

We’re here to help with nine great RN resume samples that guarantee success in the challenging world in 2024. It doesn’t matter if this is your first job out of nursing school or if you’re a seasoned vet; these resumes are a great starting place when writing or updating your own.

Registered Nurse (RN) Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• You’re undergoing a career change,
• You just finished nursing school and this is your first RN job, or
• You’re going to customize it to the  nursing job description .
• If none of those are relevant to you, skip the objective!
• Two other relatively common requirements for RN positions (though certainly not all positions) are Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS). Explicitly mention those in your resume if you have them.

RN BSN Resume

• Next, delve into outstanding performances like streamlining shifts and reducing scheduling conflicts. Also, adding measurable impact further elevates your suitability.

New Grad RN Resume

• If the activities are related to healthcare or show you in a professional, positive light and you need some help filling out your new grad RN resume , then include one or two.
• Color is one way to show some personality on your resume while still portraying professionalism. Try a strong accent color while keeping the color basic everywhere else, as seen in many of our  resume examples .
• P.S. You can catch this mistake easily when you take advantage of our  resume builder  and its AI-powered tips. 

Experienced RN Resume

• As you gain more and more experience as an RN, try your best to show a progression in responsibility and ownership on your experienced RN resume. 
• Here’s the trick: Keep a master copy of every job and a working list of job description bullet points for each. Then, pull from this master list and customize it according to the specific role for which you’re applying now.
• Two other quick things you can do to fit more content are to reduce vertical spacing and reduce page margins, which is a simple click of a button in our  AI resume maker .
• Hit the highlights in your resume, but you can delve further into these details when creating a cover letter .

PACU RN Resume

• Take inspiration from Sandra’s resume and ensure you highlight your Registered Nurse (RN) certification alongside your degree. Next, demonstrate work experiences like “cutting down postoperative complications by 26%” and “slashing readmission rates by 17%” to underscore your commitment to the role.

ER RN Resume

• Instead of drowning recruiters in a sea of text, cherry-pick the most impactful work experience and hit ‘em with that bold, italics , and underline. It’s going to make your ER RN resume easier to skim through and push your most impressive achievements to the center.

Travel RN Resume

• Mentioning and quantifying outcomes possible through your keen eye and observation (hint: cut documentation errors by 28%) is a great way to make this attribute count.

Med Surg RN Resume

• Pay attention to the skills, qualifications, and responsibilities listed in the job description to gain ideas on what you should include in your skills section.
• RNs can work in a ton of different areas in medicine. If you’re applying to a specific job (like Med/Surg Nurse) and you have experience in that area, be sure to match your job title to that of the job description.
• White space is a commonly overlooked factor in resume design, and if it’s a concern for you, try simplifying the process by picking one of our  free resume templates .

ICU RN Resume

• Check your resume  to ensure you’re using action verbs that propel your bullet points forward and keep hiring personnel engaged.
• Another way to demonstrate impact is by quantifying it, that is, tying the outcome of your work to a number. By linking a number to your claims, proof of impact becomes clear.
• Ultimately, nursing is a profession involving people. So if you can show that you’re comfortable with the human aspects of the job (patient care, plans of care, family interactions, etc.), speak as much as possible concerning that experience in your ICU RN resume .

Related resume guides

• Physician Assistant
• Medical Assistant

Registered Nurse Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

• Resume Examples
• Resume Text Examples

How To Write a Registered Nurse Resume

• Entry-Level
• Senior-Level

Registered Nurse Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

Jack Moore (283) 183-4726 [email protected] 8 Short Lane, Jacksonville, Florida, 32256

A Registered Nurse with three years of experience specializing in oncology, clinical operations, patient-centered care, and continuous improvement. A proven track record of delivering empathetic care to pediatric and elderly patients within oncology care units.

• Pediatric Care
• Patient-centered Care
• Continuous Improvement

Bachelor of Science in Traditional Nursing Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL, September 2016 – December 2018

Professional Experience

General Registered Nurse, Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, FL January 2020 – February 2020

• Provide pre and post-operative care to a range of pediatric and elderly patients in the oncology care unit of a 167-bed hospital with a 1:5 patient ratio, which included monitoring vital signs, installing IVs, and performing blood tests
• Deliver wound care following radiation treatments and educate patients on diagnosis, symptoms, and side effects of oncology treatments with empathy and compassion
• Achieve a 93% positive rating from patients for delivering quality care, understanding, and emotional support

Pediatric Nurse, Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, FL January 2019 – January 2020

• Developed care plans for newborns and young children within the pediatric care unit, administered immunizations, installed IVs, and performed blood tests, and communicated with families to provide education on patient condition
• Performed physical examinations of patients, analyzed medical histories, and coordinated with physicians to develop and implement treatment plans

Certifications

• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board Certified Pediatric Nurse, 2019
• Advanced HIV/AIDS Certified Registered Nurse, 2019

Elsbeth Smith (123) 456-7890 [email protected] 789 First Street, Boston, MT 12345

A Certified Medical Surgical Nurse with eight years of experience, specializing in surgical care, patient education, and telemetry. A strong background of collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to deliver patient-centered care within high-volume acute care environments.

Registered Nurse, Mission West Hospital, Boston, MT September 2016 – Present

• Provide patient-centered care to up to 25 patients for the acute care unit of a high volume medical center with over 200 beds and a 1:7 patient ratio
• Coordinate with multi-disciplinary teams to enhance clinical operations and care standards, resulting in a 10% reduction in average length of stay
• Onboard, train, and mentor over 40+ RNs and nursing assistants on compassionate care standards, hospital protocols, and clinical operations

Registered Nurse, Central University Teaching Hospital, Boston, MT June 2014 – August 2016

• Provided support to physicians and surgeons by monitoring patient vital signs, preparing patients for surgery, and administering medication
• Achieved a 94% positive score from patients for compassionate care
• Delivered care to critically ill patients within the oncology and surgical units and communicated empathetically with family members on patient condition

Bachelor of Science in Nursing The University of Central Boston, Boston, MT, September 2010 to June 2014

• Clinical Operations
• Registered Nurse, MT Board of Nursing, License #12345, 2014
• Basic Life Support Certification, 2014
• CPR Certification, 2014

Shaun Smith (364) 375-6682 [email protected] 71 Downs Road, San Francisco, California, 94104

A Registered Nurse with over 12 years of clinical experience providing quality care to critically ill patients in ICU, oncology, and surgical units. A strong history of identifying opportunities to drive patient-centered care and improve clinical operations.

Nurse Manager, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, San Francisco, CA January 2014 – Present

• Manage a team of 30+ RNs, LPNs, and nursing assistants in a hospital with over 230 beds and ensure compliance with disease prevention protocols during Covid-19
• Provide triage services within the emergency department and reduce wait times for patients by 15% by improving staffing levels and enhancing clinical efficiency
• Deliver training to medical teams on patient-centered care protocols, Covid-19 safety regulations, and communication best practices to ensure quality healthcare services

Oncological Nurse, UCSF Bakar Cancer Hospital, San Francisco, CA May 2010 – January 2014

• Delivered pre-op and post-op care to patients within the oncology unit, including wound care, medication administration, and vital sign monitoring
• Collaborated with physicians and registered nurses to develop individualized care plans for patients in accordance with emotional, cultural, and physical needs

Master of Science in Nursing  The University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, September 2006 – May 2010

Bachelor of Science in Nursing  The University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, September 2001 – July 2004

• Team Management
• Clinical Workflows
• Medical Triage
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board Certified Pediatric Nurse, 2010
• Certified Nurse-Midwife, 2010

As a registered nurse, writing a quality resume that focuses on your patient care experience can help you land the best job for you. Registered nurse resumes should include information about your previous work in patient care, data about your patient load, your ability to improve or advance care in your previous roles, and your nursing education and certifications.

1. Create a profile by summarizing your registered nurse qualifications

The first part of your resume should be a concise profile summary. This section is where you can list your current job title and years of experience, and it should include any specialties you have worked in. While this section should still be focused on how you can help the potential employer and not what you can get out of the job, it’s okay to note what type of nursing you’re looking for, especially if you’re making a lateral move.

Senior-Level Profile Example

Entry-level profile example, 2. create a powerful list of your registered nurse experience.

The professional experience section will take up the bulk of your resume, so it needs to be crafted in a way that shows a hiring manager the value you can bring to their facility. Ensure to include metrics, such as how many beds the facility had and your normal patient ratio. Look for key competencies listed in the job description, such as checking vital signs and teaching diabetes management, and use those to inform what you put in your bullets.

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example

Nurse Manager Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, San Francisco, CA | January 2014-Present

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example

General Registered Nurse Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, FL | January 2020-February 2020

3. Add your registered nurse education and certifications

Many registered nurse positions require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, so include an education section on your resume so hiring managers know you meet the job’s requirements. You may also want to include any relevant continuing education credits or certifications you’ve completed. Certifications in a nursing specialty, such as pediatrics or oncology, show hiring managers what you’re interested in and that you’ve gone above and beyond to ensure you’re able to offer patients a high standard of care.

• [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
• [Degree Name]
• [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] – [Graduation Month and Year]
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• The University of Central Boston, Boston, MT – June 2014

4. List your key registered nurse-realted skills and proficiencies

Nursing requires a combination of technical skill, medical knowledge, and the ability to deliver patient-centered care. This balance may not always be easy to fit into your professional experience section, but a key skills and proficiencies list lets you show hiring managers you have the skills they’re looking for. If you need some ideas on what to include in this section, you can look at the job description or check out those commonly seen below:

How to Pick the Best Registered Nurse Resume Template

A good nursing template provides enough space to list your qualifications, is able to be easily tailored to the job posting, and can be skimmed quickly by a hiring manager who’s trying to get through a stack of applications.

Choose a template that is organized with headers and bullets, and stick to a common black font like Arial or Times New Roman. Make sure your skills and education are listed prominently and that the resume is structured in a way that allows for adequate white space.

Frequently Asked Questions: Registered Nurse Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for registered nurse resumes -.

Writing the professional experience section of your nursing resume can be the most difficult part because it requires thinking of unique action verbs for every bullet. If you find that you’re running out of words or struggling to come up with powerful verbs that accurately describe the impact you’ve had on patients, try this list to get some more ideas.

How do you align your resume with a job description? -

Job opportunities for registered nurses are widely available, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this sector will continue to experience average job growth for the next few years. It may be easier for you to secure a job offer, but it’s still important to craft a resume that’s tailored to each job posting you’re applying for. To do this, read through the description carefully, note any specific skills, education, or certification requirements, and include those in your resume where applicable.

What is the best registered nurse resume format? -

The best registered nurse format is the one that best highlights your skills and shows that you’re a good fit for the position. Most nursing resumes are in reverse chronological format, showing hiring managers that you have a strong work history and making it easy to see your responsibilities in each position. If you’re a new grad, you may want to consider a combination resume, which can give you more room to focus on your skills without needing several positions to put them under.

A cover letter should accompany every resume you send out, and it should be customized to the job position. As you write your nursing cover letter , focus on the core values or mission of the facility you're applying to and show how you’re able to support these goals and be a valuable member of the team.

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

Check Out Related Examples

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Labor and Delivery Nurse Resume Examples and Templates

Pediatric Nurse Resume Examples and Templates

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Registered Nurse Resume Examples, Skills, and Keywords

Nursing is a field that takes dedication, patience, and a lot of medical knowledge. Writing an excellent registered nurse resume can help you demonstrate your skills to potential employers. This is what you should know to write a resume that gets your application seen.

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Registered Nurse Resume Sample

Registered nurses are critical to modern medical infrastructure. They’re responsible for the majority of patient care in clinics and hospitals alike. When a medical institution is looking for new nurses, they want to be confident that they’re hiring someone who’s responsible, friendly, and skilled.

Your resume is your best tool to convince employers that you’re worth interviewing. You need to list your technical knowledge and certifications so they know you’re fully qualified for the position. You should also mention soft skills like your interpersonal skills and ability to handle emergencies. Most importantly, you need to do this on one page, because few employers will read a two-page resume.

This registered nurse resume example demonstrates how you can explain your education , certifications, technical knowledge, and soft skills all within a single-page document.

Los Angeles, CA 90013 • (555) 555-1234 • [email protected] • linkedin.com/in/kathryn-hahn

REGISTERED NURSE (R.N.)

Versatile and adaptable professional with 19+ years’ clinical nursing experience across a variety of functions in fast-paced medical settings. Proven history of effectively implementing nursing procedures and training to promote safe, patient-centered care. Serves as a leader and role model in advancing clinical practices to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Excellent communicator who calms patients and collaborates well with personnel at all levels to ensure thorough understanding of necessary treatment plans, procedures, and patient status.

Clinical Expertise | Critical & Emergent Care | Ambulatory & Surgical Care Leadership | Cross-Functional Communication | Patient & Family Relations | Patient Education OSHA & HIPAA Compliance | Confidentiality | Electronic Medical Records (EMR) | Microsoft Office Medical Team Collaboration | Staff Training & Development | Performance Assessment | Medical Research

Prepared patients for surgery, administered pre-op medications and IVs, and coordinated with OR team, patient, and family to develop and revise pre-op care plan.

• Served as a strong team leader in handling daily activities on the unit, acted as a resource to team members, and promoted and enhanced collaborative relationships
• Managed Phase 2 post-op care for day surgery patients, including wound care, IV medication, PICC line maintenance, and other post-op medical issues
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to patient needs, including teaching and discharge planning

Provided nursing care to surgical patients and developed individual plans of care in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team in accordance with established guidelines and standards of nursing care.

• Collaborated with other disciplines to ensure patient safety, create an environment of healing, and facilitate the achievement of exceptional outcomes for patients
• Educated patients and their families on how to manage their illness or injury, including post-treatment home care needs and medication administration

AHA Basic Life Support (BLS)

Resume written by Lezlie Garr

Why this resume works

Registered Nurse Resume Skills and Keywords

Computers are firmly integrated into the modern medical world, and the hiring process is no exception. Busy hiring teams will use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to check applications for specific registered nurse resume keywords . If your resume doesn’t include the terms they look for, then you might be filtered out automatically. That’s why adding the right resume skills to your resume is so important. They can help you make it past the filters and get seen by real people.

Top Registered Nurse Resume Skills

• Preventative healthcare
• ‌Patient evaluation
• ‌Strong clinical judgment
• ‌Verbal and written communication
• ‌Charting and clinical documentation
• ‌Intravenous therapies
• ‌Medical laboratory procedures
• ‌Compassion
• ‌Wound care
• ‌Decision making
• ‌Attention to detail
• ‌Resilience
• ‌Safe patient transfers
• ‌Microsoft Office
• ‌Patient education
• ‌Fall reduction
• ‌Problem-solving
• ‌Time management
• ‌Strong ethical compass
• ‌Patient confidentiality
• ‌Adaptability
• ‌Diagnostics
• ‌Specimen collection
• ‌Blood draws
• ‌Pain management
• ‌Catheterization
• ‌Domain knowledge (ICU, pediatrics, OB/GYN, etc.)‌

Resume Writing Tips for RNs

Your resume should be written with the same care and precision you would use for a report about a patient. Here are five tips for writing a resume that will help get you hired .

1. Make a good first impression

Traditional resume formatting has become the standard for a reason: it lets you explain a lot of information very quickly. One major element of this format is your resume summary , which is the first full paragraph between your header and your job history. This summary works like an abstract, explaining the rest of your resume in two or three sentences.

One great registered nurse resume example summary is, “Experienced registered nurse eager to provide compassionate and ethical patient care at Brown Hospital. 12+ years of nursing experience include coordinating patient care during staff shortages, assisting with complex medical issues, and maintaining a positive attitude in fast-paced environments.”

Employers reading this summary will take away three important facts. First, they’ll understand what the nurse considers to be their most important skills. Second, they know how long that nurse has been in the industry. Finally, they see three significant past successes that are relevant to the position. This combination helps employers decide whether to consider the candidate for an interview.

2. Tailor your resume to the position

Registered nurses can work in a variety of different environments, from large emergency rooms to OB/GYN to small family clinics. It’s not uncommon for nurses to move from one part of the field to another. That means that you may be applying for positions with major differences at the same time.

If that’s the case, take the time to edit your resume for each job . Years of experience in pediatrics will interest family medicine clinics but might not matter in an ER. Highlighting your ability to quickly calm down anxious families, on the other hand, makes that experience relevant to ERs. If you have the necessary skills and experience for a position, editing your resume helps you best demonstrate that to employers.

3. Include your most relevant skills

One way to highlight your registered nurse skills outside of your work history is to just list them out. A skills section is a dedicated heading under which you can list abilities that might not make sense elsewhere.

For example, if you’re familiar with uncommon medical software, you can list that under your skills. Since it’s on your resume, ATS filters can spot it. That can give you an edge with employers that use that software.

An added bonus of the skills section is that it saves hiring teams time. When you make it easier for people to skim your resume, you’re showing consideration for their experience. That might be all it takes to convince them to interview you.

4. Split your education and certifications

The field of nursing is constantly evolving. Registered nurses often take continuing education and certification courses to stay up to date with technology and best practices. If you have certifications, accreditations, or professional memberships, give them their own section.

Certifications like Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) are often necessary to get hired. More advanced certificates like Critical Care Registered Nursing (CCRN) aren’t always required, but they’re valuable for moving into roles with more responsibility. When you put these certificates in their own section, readers can spot them easily and use them to make hiring decisions.

5. Be specific whenever possible

Finally, how you write your resume is just as important as what you include. Passive voice and generic verbs can confuse readers or leave your actual responsibilities unclear.

Avoid phrases like:

• ‌Participated in
• ‌Responsible for
• ‌Worked with

‌Instead, describe exactly what you did with phrases like:

• ‌Administered
• ‌Communicated

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• • Managed 3 RNs and 5 CNAs for an 18-bed unit on an acute care unit
• • Performed infection control in 5 different patient care units
• • Provided education and emotional support for trauma to 50+ patients
• • Created meal plans for 100+ patients
• • Managed the medical records and personal care for 600+ patients
• • Completed and recorded vital signs and led the activities of daily living for 200+ patients weekly
• • Formulated medical assessments, diagnoses and plan-of-care for 100+ patients
• • Assisted patients with limited mobility in all necessary movement
• • Maintained 96% positive patient scores for compassion and empathy
• • Performed CPR, BLS and ACLS to 20+ patients combined
• • Provided direct patient care to 100+ adult and geriatric patients in various telemetry settings
• • Completed 6 weeks of clinical simulation training
• • Helped 100+ patients by giving health education
• • Created a safe and warm environment for a group of 200+ young patients
• • Oversaw a 33-bed acute care unit and administered medications

30 Nurse Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Ensure your nurse resume highlights your clinical experience and areas of specialization. Demonstrate your proficiency with the latest medical technologies and patient care protocols. Showcase your soft skills, like communication and empathy, which are crucial in the nursing field. Don't forget to include your licenses, certifications, and continuing education achievements.

All resume examples in this guide

New Grad Nurse

Nurse Assistant

Aesthetic Nurse

Agency Nurse

Clinical Nurse

Clinical Research Nurse

Company Nurse

Critical Care Nurse

Dental Nurse

Hemodialysis Nurse

Infection Control Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Medical Surgical Nurse

Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse Practitioner

Occupational Health Nurse

Pediatric Nurse

Perioperative Nurse

Practice Nurse

School Nurse

Staff Nurse

Surgical Nurse

Telemetry Nurse

Travel Nurse

Veterinary Nurse

Registered Nurse

Nurse Manager

Nurse Educator

Charge Nurse

Resume guide.

Nurse Resume Example

Resume Format

Resume Experience

Hard & Soft Skills

Certifications & Education

Resume Summary & Objective

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

By Experience

Nursing is a noble and fulfilling profession that most enter for the love of providing high-quality, compassionate patient care, rather than to build an impressive resume.

Highlighting professional skills, qualifications, and achievements can be difficult for humble , patient -care focused nurses . However, it’s a crucial first step to secure a position where you can make a meaningful impact on patient’s lives in the competitive healthcare field.

This  guide, including examples and protips, aims to simplify the process of transforming your nursing resume from merely a document to a powerful narrative showcasing your expertise and telling the story of your passion for healing that resonates with recruiters.

While this resume guide will provide best practices for the nursing field in general, check out these additional resumes for particular nursing specializations.

• ER nurse resume  
• Dental nurse resume
• Charge nurse resume
• ICU nurse resume
• Head nurse resume
• Nurse manager resume  
• Pediatric nurse resume
• Registered nurse cover letter

Nurse  resume example

Here’s what this applicant does well in their resume:

• Clinical experience and leadership: Highlights 8 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, showcasing leadership by managing a team of RNs and CNAs, which is crucial for the role.
• Specific skills and certifications: Emphasizes key nursing skills and certifications like CPR, BLS, and ACLS, which are essential for patient care and safety.
• Diverse patient care and education: Demonstrates versatility in nursing by providing details of working in different patient care units, offering emotional support and health education to a diverse patient population.

How to format a nurse  resume

The nursing job market can be quite competitive. That’s why utilizing every aspect of your resume for optimal impact, including formatting, is crucial.

Formatting is your first opportunity to draw attention and make an impression on employers. To ensure your resume is well-organized, professional, and memorable, consider the following formatting best practices:

• Creative Elements -   Include creative elements  like colors and decorative patterns to make your resume unique and memorable.
• Header Content - A prominent header  featuring your name, desired job title, and contact information  lets employers know who you are at a glance.  
• Ordering -  Listing all section examples in reverse chronological order  ensures your most recent and, therefore, relevant certifications and experiences appear first.

Understanding the role of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is critical, especially in nursing, where job demands may vary considerably from position to position.

ATS analyzes text on resumes, looking for precise keywords or phrases corresponding to skills and qualifications needed for a particular job. Employers use these systems to quickly sort and prioritize resumes to view the most qualified candidates. ATS-optimized formatting enables ATS to recognize and parse the information on your resume accurately, improving the likelihood it reaches the employer.

Here’s what’s considered “best practices” for ATS-optimized formatting on your resume:

• Fonts - Select ATS-friendly fonts matching the overall style of your resume. Some ATS-friendly fonts are Calibri, Arial, and Times New Roman. However, by employing these overused fonts, you may miss a chance to make your resume stand out. For interesting, modern font options with great readability, try Rubik, Lato, Montserrat, Raleway, Exo 2, or Volkhov, all available on the Enhancv Resume Builder.
• Document Type - Doc or PDF files  are typical for resumes and most easily analyzed by ATS.
• Creative Elements in Text - Avoid using nonessential stylistic features within text. Elements such as emojis and non-standard date formats can impede ATS’ ability to recognize information in these sections.
• Headings and Subheadings - Ensure resume sections are logically organized and include simple, precise headings. Standard section titles ensure ATS accurately recognizes and extracts information from these sections.

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To improve the organization and ATS optimization of your resume, include the following top-recommended sections,

The top sections on a nurse's resume:

• Professional Experience: Demonstrates the nurse's clinical skills and healthcare knowledge.
• Education: Highlights relevant nursing education and certifications.
• Licenses and Certifications: Showcases the nurse's qualifications and legal ability to practice.
• Clinical Skills: Details specific medical nursing skills, demonstrating job suitability.
• Awards and Recognitions: Reflects the nurse's excellence and dedication in nursing.

While all nurses have unique backgrounds and qualifications, recruiters specifically seek out candidates that mention particular skills and abilities. Include the following qualifications within your resume sections to ensure your resume gets noticed:

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Medical Skills: Recruiters prioritize these skills because they demonstrate a nurse's capacity to effectively handle the health needs of patients and respond appropriately in emergencies.
• Interpersonal Skills: Soft skills like empathy, communication, and patient advocacy are sought after as they are vital in providing quality patient care.
• Certification and Licensure: These are important to hiring managers as they confirm the individual has met the required nursing standards to practice in the state, ensuring patient safety.
• Specific Training or Specialization: Recruiters value these as they demonstrate a nurse's expertise in specific areas of patient care necessary in particular departments or units.
• Clinical Experience: This is prioritized as it provides evidence of a nurse's ability to effectively apply learned skills and knowledge in a practical setting.

How to write your nurse resume experience

The experience section  of your nurse resume isn’t just an opportunity to share your previous employment. It’s also an opportunity to share practical clinical experiences and internships. In describing these experiences, you will also share the nursing skills and abilities you developed and your achievements in these positions.

The high demand for nurses and the broad range of required tasks in nursing positions means applicants will come from diverse backgrounds with varying qualifications.

Determining which employment experiences are most relevant to the available position can be challenging.

The best way to demonstrate your experiences align with an available position is to create a targeted experience section .

To quickly and easily create a targeted nurse resume for individual applications, follow these steps:  

• Create a resume template including a complete list of your experiences, certifications, education, and skills.
• Make a copy of the template for each new application.
• Review the job description for each new job you apply to, paying close attention to ideal candidate descriptions.
• In the copy of the template, delete all examples that don't align with the job description.
• Edit remaining examples to ensure they include keywords  copied directly from the job description for increased ATS optimization.

A common mistake in the experience section of nurse resumes is detailing duties instead of highlighting skills development and achievements accomplished. Writing detailed descriptions incorporating keywords demonstrates not only what you did but how successfully you did it.

Take a look at the following experience examples to better understand how quality descriptions can boost your resume's experience section.

• • Received recognition for maintaining a high standard of care, with positive patient feedback and acknowledgment from hospital leadership.
• • Acted as a charge nurse.
• • Attended professional development workshops and training sessions.
• • Participated in hospital-wide initiatives, including quality improvement projects.

This example fails to use action verbs  and details to describe how their achievements in this position resulted from their efforts. The resulting example comes across as a list of assigned tasks and passive results. And the applicant has missed opportunities to incorporate keywords and accomplishments.

• • Earned 'Nurse of the Month' recognition in Sept. 2022 for maintaining a high standard of care, with positive patient feedback and input from hospital leadership.
• • Acted as a charge nurse, overseeing the coordination of patient care activities, maintaining a positive team environment, and effectively delegating tasks to ensure optimal patient care delivery.
• • Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement hospital-wide initiatives, including quality improvement projects that led to a 15% reduction in patient readmission rates.
• • Engaged in monthly professional development, attending workshops and training sessions to enhance skills and stay current with industry advancements.

Describing what the applicant did and achieved using active verbs significantly improves this experience example. For example, instead of “receiving recognition,” they “earned” a specific award. Additionally, by including the criteria for the award, they incorporated keywords recruiters look for on nursing resumes, such as “high standard of care” and “leadership.” This experience description indicates the applicant achieved a great deal and was highly successful in this position.

How to quantify the impact on your resume

An effective way to boost the impact of your nurse resume  is to include quantifiable evidence of your skills in experience descriptions. These are tangible, measurable, or verifiable details that highlight your accomplishments  in past jobs.

Sharing a percentage representing significant increases in efficiency or patient satisfaction or a reduction in wait times or adverse outcomes such as medical errors or readmission rates, like the example from the prior section, is an excellent way to quantify the impact.

However, you can quantify your impact in many other ways besides statistics or percentages. Here are a few additional options for using numbers and data  to quantify your skills in your experience descriptions:

• Specify how many years of experience you have in similar healthcare settings to quantify your expertise and illustrate suitability for the available position.
• If available, Including high patient satisfaction scores is a practical way to highlight patient care skills and a commitment to providing exceptional care.
• Note the number of medical procedures you have completed to showcase your vast repertoire of practical skills, such as injections or wound dressings.
• The number of emergencies you have handled establishes your capacity to perform under pressure.
• Citing how many medical software or equipment you’re proficient in emphasizes your technical acumen.
• The number of patients typically seen in an office or patient censuses in an average shift demonstrates productivity and efficiency in managing large caseloads.
• If you’ve held a leadership role such as charge nurse, mention the size of the team you coordinated to highlight leadership skills and the ability to manage large teams.
• Stating how many medical training sessions, workshops, and certifications you’ve completed indicates your commitment to professional development and continuing education.

When selecting quantitative data on your resume, remember to be selective by including only the most relevant for the available job. For example, a recruiter hiring for an emergency care facility would be more impressed with your year of experience in emergency care than your knowledge of medical software in a small, private psychiatry office.

How do I write a nurse resume with no experience

… shortages have plagued the nursing profession since 1998.

Projections indicate the need to hire up to a million new nursing professionals by 2024 to meet the growing demand. This is good news for anyone considering becoming a nurse, as they are almost guaranteed placement.

incrediblehealth.com

Ongoing demand for nurses has created numerous opportunities for nursing students and those entering the field. Some employers even offer certification assistance and graduation contingent employment for nursing students. However, competition for these positions may be competitive.

To write a nurse resume that establishes your potential to succeed in a nursing career without experience , follow these steps:

• Compile a list of keywords from the job description.
• Brainstorm previous related experiences showcasing the same keyword skills and knowledge from your list.

Relevant Non-Nursing Employment To Include on your Resume

Non-nursing employment experience in one of these healthcare settings can provide evidence of a background using medical terminology, medical software, patient communication, empathy, and compassion.

• Clinics and Physician's Offices
• Long-Term Care Facilities
• Home Healthcare
• Community Health Centers
• Public Health Organizations
• Research and Clinical Trials
• Telehealth and Telemedicine
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Ambulatory Surgery Centers
• Health Insurance Companies
• Include practical clinical experiences, internships, and volunteer experiences . These can be listed with employment experiences, if closely related to nursing, or incorporated as separate sections.
• Avoid including irrelevant work experiences  or outdated experiences .
• To add credibility, include tangible evidence of transferable skills, such as certifications and quantifiable data.
• List experiences in reverse chronological order to ensure your most recent and relevant examples appear first.

For those without nursing experience , your cover letter is an excellent opportunity to offer further detail about past jobs and describe how skills and knowledge acquired outside the field are transferable to the open job.

Without experience, this section aims to share transferable skills and background knowledge, especially in the medical field. Therefore, your experience section should still be targeted to highlight your potential to succeed in a particular nurse position.

How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume

Highly valued skills in nursing may vary greatly depending on factors like the specialty, size and specialty of the medical facility, patient demographics, and number of employees. The skills section  of your nurse resume is an opportunity to highlight how your hard and soft skills demonstrate your suitability for a particular job.

For example, an urgent care facility treating high volumes of patients daily will value skills like an expansive repertoire of medical knowledge and procedures and an ability to thrive in fast-paced environments. On the other hand, a small oncology office treating the same patients regularly will appreciate specialized knowledge of oncology terminology and treatments and skills related to compassionate patient care and education.

Hard Skills

The skills necessary to perform a particular job are known as hard skills . These typically require study, training, and practice. In the medical field, they may even require certification.

In nursing, these skills often relate to technical abilities , like using office software and equipment and performing medical procedures, such as taking vitals.

When considering which skills to include on your resume, consult this list of the top hard skills sought by recruiters:

Best hard skills for your nurse resume

• Patient Assessment
• Medical Software (EHR systems)
• Medication Administration
• Vital signs monitoring
• CPR Certified
• Patient Care Planning
• Infection Control
• Emergency Care
• Documentation Skills
• Knowledge of Medical Equipment
• Surgical Assistance
• Clinical Decision Making
• HIPAA Compliance
• Patient Education
• Diabetes Management
• Cardiac Care
• Dialysis Procedures

Soft Skills

Some of the most highly valued skills in nursing are soft skills . The intrinsic, personal skills that demonstrate your ability to provide excellent patient care and satisfaction.

Employers may be willing to train applicants in hard skills. However, the intrinsic nature of soft skills makes them difficult to teach. Therefore, including as many relevant and transferable soft skills as possible on your nurse resume is essential.

These are some of the top soft skills employers look for in nuses:

Best soft skills for your nurse resume

• Empathy  
• Communication  
• Patience  
• Resilience  
• Critical Thinking
• Adaptability  
• Teamwork  
• Time Management  
• Leadership  
• Attention to Detail
• Stress Management  
• Problem-Solving
• Cultural Competency
• Composure under pressure
• Prioritization Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Conflict Resolution

Follow these steps to write your nursing resume's skills sections:

• Format your skills section as a simple list without elaboration or examples.
• Differentiate between hard and soft skills by listing them in separate subsections.
• Target your skills section using keyword skills from the job description.
• Write these keyword skills precisely as they appear in the job description to enhance ATS analysis.
• Never lie about or exaggerate your skills on your resume.
• Ensure consistency between your experience and skills sections by listing the skills mentioned in the experience section in the skills section and vice versa.

Nursing Terminology on Your Resume

Including medical terminologies demonstrates experience in and familiarity with the field, however, excessive jargon or abbreviations can confuse hiring managers who might not have a nursing background. Therefore, you must balance nursing lingo and generally understood terms on your resume.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

Certifications and Continuing Education are essential for nurses. Though nursing roles and industries have differing requirements.

For example, an RN must complete a nursing education program such as an ADN or BSN, pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), and acquire state licensure.

An LPN doesn't need a degree but must complete a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Program, pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), and acquire state licensure.

Detailing all your training and certifications can bog down your resume, making it tough for recruiters to recognize your most valuable qualifications. To prevent this, tailor these sections to each application by sharing only examples aligned to the employer's requirements and reinforcing your targeted skills.

• Follow these steps to write ATS-optimized certification and education sections:
• Create separate sections titled "Education" and "Certifications" to allow ATS to parse information from your resume accurately.
• List all degrees and certifications chronologically, putting your most recent and relevant at the top.

To craft a powerful education section ,  follow these guidelines:

• For each degree, include the name of the institution, its’ location, the dates attended, and the title of your degree.
• Continuing education courses required for maintaining nurse licensing can be listed in the education section, however, if the section is excessively long, you can separate them into a separate “CE Courses” section as well.
• Including your GPA is optional unless the job description specifies a minimum requirement.
• You can include brief statements about relevant exceptional  coursework achievements  in the example description.

Here’s an example of how an excellent education example:

• • Online bridge program from RN to MSN

Best practices for listing examples on your resume's certification section :

• Include the name of the certification, the certifying institution, and the year obtained.
• Limit your certifications to those specifically named or directly related to the required skills mentioned in the job description. For example, if you held an LPN certification before becoming an RN, which is no longer valid, you shouldn't list this. The background will be relevant in your experience section, and the certification is implied.
• Limit certifications to current, unexpired credentials.
• If a certification requires renewal to remain valid, include the date first acquired as well as the most recent renewal date or a "valid through" date. For certifications you have held long-term, this demonstrates soft skills such as organization and responsibility.

The following are some of the most highly sought-after certifications for nurses and should be included on your resume whenever relevant.

How to write your nurse resume summary or objective

A summary or objective section, sometimes called “ Resume Profiles ” or “ Personal Statements ,” is a powerful tool for contextualizing the data and facts on your resume and how it corresponds to your career progression and goals.

The goal of either a summary or an objective is to briefly clarify how your experiences and qualifications make you a suitable candidate for an available job.

Follow these best practices to write either a summary or an objective:

• Customize the statement to match the specific job you're applying for, emphasizing relevant skills and experiences.
• Start sentences with action verbs to make your summary dynamic and impactful.
• Be brief. A summary should only be 3-5 sentences.

The primary difference between a summary and an objective is that a summary statement  focuses on how your employment experience aligns with an available job. In contrast, an objective statement  concentrates on your future career goals to illustrate how they correspond with the position.

A summary is preferable for nurses with extensive experience well aligned to the available job, for example, in the same nursing specialty. It highlights how your past successes indicate your potential to succeed in that particular role.

To write a summary for your nurse resume, follow these best practices:  

• Highlight your most relevant skills or experiences that directly overlap with the job description.
• Briefly mention your years of experience to provide context for your level of expertise.
• Write an impactful summary using keywords  directly from the job description, highlighting your well-aligned keyword experiences and skills.
• Use details such as naming specific software, medical equipment, procedures, and certifications to reinforce the relevance of your experiences.  
• Convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity to continue providing high-quality patient care in the medical field in this position.

A common mistake on nurse resumes is to write a personal statement that is too general for a specialty nursing role. Check out how the following summary is improved by targeting it to critical care nursing.

This well-written summary provides quality information. However, the highlighted skills and experience are too general. If the term "critical care" were removed from the first sentence, this statement could apply to almost any nursing position, failing to target skills valued in critical care. As a result, the applicant misses many opportunities to incorporate key terms and demonstrate that their experiences are valuable in a critical care setting.  

This summary does a much better job of focusing on highly valued skills in a critical care environment, such as speed, accuracy, reacting in high-pressure situations, and providing compassionate care.

An objective section is better suited for nurses with limited experience in similar positions or applying for their first job. It allows you to focus on how you plan to use your background to achieve career goals while contributing to the success of the medical team.

To write your nurse resume objective, follow these best practices:

• Describe the type of position you are seeking.
• Share relevant or transferable skills that will help you succeed in the position using keywords  directly from the job description.
• Clearly state your career goals and enthusiasm to work towards them in the role.
• Highlight valuable contributions you can make while learning and gaining experience.
• Avoid generic phrases. Instead, focus on specific skills and goals that set you apart.

Rephrasing specifics from the “Qualifications” or “Ideal Candidate” sections of a job description is a great way to guarantee you mention the skills and qualifications most valued by the employer.

Additional sections for a nurse resume

In addition to the top-resume sections , including one or more of these additional resume sections  highlights qualifications or accomplishments and helps you stand out among the other applicants.

• Languages: Excellent patient communication is a cornerstone of the healthcare industry. Therefore, being multilingual is a valuable asset in nursing. Including a language section  is an effective way to set yourself apart from other applicants.
• Volunteer Experience: Include healthcare-related volunteer work or community service to demonstrate a commitment to giving back and supporting the community.
• Leadership Experience: To demonstrate extensive experience leading teams and initiatives, share your past leadership roles, such as charge nurse, preceptor, or committee member.
• Achievements and Awards: If you’ve received recognition in your nursing education or work in the past, consider including an awards and achievements section  to support your stated skills. In addition to individual awards, you can include awards your office or team received, such as being voted the top healthcare facility in your community.
• Passion:  If you have a personal experience that drives and motivates you as a nurse, sharing it establishes your passion for and dedication to nursing excellence. For example, a childhood battle with cancer that led you to oncology or losing a loved one in an accident that motivated you to specialize in emergency medicine.  
• Professional Associations: A professional Associations section highlights your dedication to ongoing improvement and staying current in nursing. If you’d like to include a professional association membership to your resume, consider joining one of the leading professional associations for nurses below.

How to write a nurse specialization section:

Nursing is a broad field with many specializations, such as pediatric, surgical, and psychiatric nursing. If you have extensive experience or certification in a particular medical specialty that directly corresponds to the position you're applying for, consider including a specialization section to highlight your qualifications.

Include the following in your nurse specialization section should include the following:

• The title of your nurse specialization
• Specialty-specific employment experience
• Specialty-specific education or certifications
• Valuable Hard skills in the specialization, including technical skills  such as using emergency equipment and technologies, including defibrillators, cardiac monitors, and infusion pumps as an ER nurse
• Knowledge and experience of typical medical procedures and equipment used in the specialty
• Relevant soft skills. For instance, child-friendly communication and patience in pediatric nursing.

Here is an example of how your specialization section should appear on your nurse resume:

While a specialization section demonstrates knowledge, skills, and qualifications, it should only be included as a unique section if applying to a nurse job in a particular specialty. For instance, the above example would be relevant only for employment in a cardiac care position. Otherwise, this information may be incorporated into other resume sections , such as the experience section, to demonstrate your capacity to master specialized skills.

Key takeaways

Organizing the extensive skills and qualifications necessary in nursing is one of the most challenging aspects of writing a nurse resume. Review these key takeaways to ensure your most valuable, unique skills, experiences, and qualifications are accurately reflected on your resume:

• Targeted resumes include only experiences and skills relevant to an available position as found in the job description.
• ATS-optimized formatting helps ensure your nurse resume reaches employers for review.
• Providing quantifiable evidence of achievements in your nursing experience demonstrates your impact in past jobs.
• Include education and certifications required for nursing jobs in reverse chronological order to ensure your most recent and relevant appear first.
• Give context to the information on your resume by including either a summary or an objective section, depending on your experience in similar nursing positions.
• Include a specialization section to highlight your background and expertise in the available nursing position in the same specialty.

Nurse resume examples

Explore additional nurse resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

As a new graduate nurse entering the healthcare field, you are expected to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during your nursing education to provide safe and effective patient care. Your resume should showcase your clinical rotations, hands-on experiences in various healthcare settings, and any specialized training, such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification. Emphasize your ability to work with interdisciplinary teams, adapt to different clinical environments, and contribute to a positive patient experience.

A nurse assistant plays a vital role in the healthcare setting, providing basic care and support to patients under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. They are responsible for tasks such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and monitoring vital signs. On a nurse assistant resume, it's essential to demonstrate hands-on experience in these areas and showcase any specialized training, such as completion of a state-approved nurse assistant training program or obtaining a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential.

Registered nurses (RNs) play a crucial role in the healthcare system, providing comprehensive care to patients in various clinical settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics. Your RN resume should demonstrate your expertise in assessing patient needs, developing and implementing care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize patient outcomes. Emphasize your ability to administer medications, monitor patient progress, and provide education and support to patients and their families.

Nurse managers are experienced nursing professionals who assume leadership roles in healthcare settings, overseeing nursing staff and managing patient care services. Your nurse manager resume should demonstrate your expertise in nursing practice, as well as your ability to lead, motivate, and support a team of nursing professionals. Emphasize your experience in managing clinical operations, developing and implementing policies and procedures, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.

Nurse educators are experienced nursing professionals who play a vital role in preparing the next generation of nurses by teaching, mentoring, and guiding them in academic and clinical settings. Your nurse educator resume should demonstrate your expertise in nursing practice, curriculum development, and instructional design. Emphasize your experience in teaching and evaluating nursing students, developing lesson plans, and coordinating clinical experiences in various healthcare settings.

Staff nurses are registered nurses who provide direct patient care across a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and home health agencies. Your staff nurse resume should demonstrate your expertise in assessing patient needs, implementing individualized care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize patient outcomes. Emphasize your ability to administer medications, monitor patient progress, and provide education and support to patients and their families.

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Frequently asked questions about nurse resumes

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Registered Nurse Resume Examples

Writing a resume as a registered nurse can be a daunting task. With so much competition for nursing jobs, you need to make sure that your resume stands out among the rest. As a nurse, you will have many skills and qualifications that employers will be interested in, and it is important to showcase these appropriately. This guide will provide you with tips on how to write a standout registered nurse resume, as well as some examples of resumes that have stood out. With the right approach, you can give yourself the best chance of success when applying for a nursing job.

If you didn’t find what you were looking for, be sure to check out our complete library of resume examples .

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Registered Nurse

123 Main Street | Anytown, USA 99999 | Phone: (123) 456-7890 | Email: [email protected]

I am a passionate Registered Nurse with 6 years of experience in providing quality care to patients in a variety of settings. My expertise in nursing extends to patient assessment, medication management, wound care, and education. I have the experience and skill- set to work with a diverse array of patients, and I am committed to providing compassionate care. I am an excellent communicator and problem solver, and I am capable of managing multiple tasks simultaneously.

Core Skills :

• Assessment & Diagnosis
• Care Planning & Implementation
• Education & Counseling
• Medication Administration
• Crisis Management
• Infection Control
• Quality Improvement
• Patient Advocacy
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

Professional Experience :

• Staff Nurse, XYZ Hospital – Boston, MA (2015- Present)
• Provide direct patient care to a variety of patients in the hospital setting
• Carry out nursing assessments, create and implement care plans, and evaluate patient progress
• Administer medications and treatments, monitor vital signs and lab results, and provide patient and family education
• Collaborate with physicians, other healthcare providers, and ancillary staff to ensure quality care
• Maintain accurate patient records and documentation
• Clinical Nurse Manager, ABC Medical Center – New York, NY (2013- 2015)
• Managed and provided direction and oversight to a staff of 20 nurses in the hospital
• Developed and implemented policies and procedures to ensure quality patient care
• Supervised nursing staff including providing performance reviews, mentoring and coaching
• Participated in patient rounds and collaborated with physicians on patient care
• Oversaw and ensured accuracy of patient documentation and compliance with standards of care

Education :

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing, XYZ College – New York, NY (2013)
• Associate of Science in Nursing,

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Registered Nurse Resume with No Experience

Recent nursing school graduate with a passion for providing quality patient care. Possesses a strong understanding of the fundamentals of nursing, with the ability to use complex medical equipment, assess patient needs, and administer medications. Highly organized, and able to remain composed and professional in fast- paced environments.

• Clinical knowledge and experience
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Ability to remain organized and composed under pressure
• Expertise in medical equipment use
• Ability to provide patient education

Responsibilities

• Obtain patient vitals and medical history
• Administer medications and treatments
• Monitor patient progress and adjust treatment plans as needed
• Assess and document patient condition
• Educate patients on health and safety
• Collaborate with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals
• Ensure proper safety protocols and sterilization techniques are followed
• Keep patient records and confidential information secure
• Provide emotional support to patients and families

Experience 0 Years

Level Junior

Education Bachelor’s

Registered Nurse Resume with 2 Years of Experience

Dedicated and experienced registered nurse with two years of experience in diverse healthcare settings. Expertise in providing patient- centered care, helping to improve patient outcomes, and creating a positive atmosphere for staff, visitors, and patients. Possesses a highly organized approach to care and a passion for helping others.

• Comprehensive knowledge of nursing principles, procedures, and practices
• Excellent patient communication and assessment skills
• Proficient in the use of medical technology and equipment
• Skilled in developing and implementing treatment plans
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively
• Understanding of medical terminology and documentation
• Ability to work cooperatively with other healthcare professionals

Responsibilities :

• Assessing and monitoring patient conditions
• Developing and implementing patient care plans
• Administering medications and treatments
• Documenting patient records and medical histories
• Providing emotional support to patients and family members
• Educating patients and family members on medical conditions and treatments
• Monitoring vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart rate
• Administering intravascular, subcutaneous, and intramuscular injections
• Performing laboratory tests and analyzing results

Experience 2+ Years

Registered Nurse Resume with 5 Years of Experience

Dedicated and experienced Registered Nurse with 5 years of experience providing medical care in hospital and clinical settings. Skilled in leading teams in providing care and monitoring patient progress. Experienced in patient assessment and in developing and implementing treatment plans, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to ensure quality and timely patient care. Committed to providing the highest level of quality and patient- centric care.

• Patient assessment
• Medical care
• Treatment plans
• Patient monitoring
• Team leadership
• Multidisciplinary collaboration
• Quality assurance
• Assessed patients to identify their needs and develop care plans
• Administered medications, treatments and therapies according to doctor’s instructions
• Monitored patient progress and reported changes to physicians
• Coordinated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure quality and timely patient care
• Collaborated with physicians and other healthcare personnel to implement patient care plans
• Assisted in the development and implementation of patient treatment plans and protocols
• Educated patients and families on home health care needs, treatments and therapies

Experience 5+ Years

Level Senior

Registered Nurse Resume with 7 Years of Experience

A compassionate and accomplished Registered Nurse with seven years of experience in providing quality care to a variety of patient populations. Demonstrated ability to quickly develop trusting relationships with patients and their families. Experienced in promoting cooperation and collaboration among all medical personnel. Highly knowledgeable about the latest medical standards and procedures. Proficient in documentation and communication of patient conditions.

• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Leadership and organizational skills
• Ability to take initiative
• Attention to detail
• Critical thinking
• Compassion and empathy
• Conducting assessments, diagnostics, and treatments for assigned patients
• Developing and implementing individualized plans of care
• Documenting patient assessments and changes in condition
• Educating patients and families on health maintenance and disease prevention
• Collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to ensure quality patient care
• Administering medications and treatments in accordance with physician orders
• Monitoring patient progress and reporting changes to physicians

Experience 7+ Years

Registered Nurse Resume with 10 Years of Experience

Highly skilled, experienced, and compassionate Registered Nurse with 10 years of experience in providing exceptional care to patients. Possesses an in- depth knowledge of clinical practices, medical terminology, and patient care. Adept at managing time, multitasking, and maintaining patient confidentiality. Strong patient advocate who prides in delivering a positive patient experience.

• Proactive and organized
• Exceptional communication skills
• IV insertion and medication administration
• Working knowledge of EMR systems
• Documentation accuracy
• Interpersonal skills
• Assessed patient condition and provided appropriate medical care
• Evaluated patient progress and modified plans as necessary
• Collaborated with other healthcare professionals in developing patient care plans
• Administered medications and monitored patient reactions
• Assisted in emergency situations and ensured patient safety
• Educated patients and their families on treatments and medications
• Provided emotional support to patients and families
• Maintained medical records and patient charts accurately and up- to- date

Experience 10+ Years

Level Senior Manager

Education Master’s

Registered Nurse Resume with 15 Years of Experience

Highly experienced and motivated Registered Nurse with 15 years of experience in providing thorough and compassionate care to patients. Skilled in assessing patient needs and developing treatment plans. Experienced in administering medications, performing medical procedures, and monitoring patient progress. Committed to providing patient- centric care and maintaining a safe and comfortable medical environment.

• Patient Assessment
• Patient Monitoring
• Medical Procedures
• Treatment Planning
• Documentation
• Patient Education
• Team Collaboration
• Interpersonal Communication
• Assessed patient condition upon admission and during treatment
• Administered medications and intravenous injections as prescribed by physician
• Monitored patient progress and responded to changing conditions
• Developed treatment plans and documented patient care
• Educated patients and families on medical conditions and treatments
• Implemented infection control measures to maintain safe and sanitary environment
• Collaborated with healthcare team to ensure quality patient care
• Responded to patient requests in a timely manner

Experience 15+ Years

Level Director

In addition to this, be sure to check out our resume templates , resume formats ,  cover letter examples ,  job description , and  career advice  pages for more helpful tips and advice.

What should be included in a Registered Nurse resume?

A Registered Nurse (RN) resume is a critical part of the job search process and is the primary way employers will evaluate your skills and qualifications. To stand out from the competition and land your perfect job, you need to make sure that your resume is professional, complete, and up-to-date.

Here are some key elements that should be included in a Registered Nurse resume:

• Contact Information: Your full name, current address, phone number, and email address should be listed prominently at the top of your resume.
• Professional Summary: This section should include a brief overview of your qualifications and experience as a Registered Nurse.
• Education: Include the name and location of the nursing program you attended and the degree you earned.
• Clinical Experience: List any clinical experience you have, such as internships, practicums, or volunteer work.
• Certifications and Licenses: Be sure to list any professional certifications or licenses you have earned, such as the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) or the Registered Nurse Practitioner (RNP) credential.
• Skills: Summarize your skills and abilities, highlighting any specialties you have.
• Awards and Honors: Include any awards or honors you have received for your nursing work.
• Professional Memberships: List any professional organizations you are a member of that are related to nursing.
• References: Provide contact information for two or three professional references.

What is a good summary for a Registered Nurse resume?

A good summary for a Registered Nurse (RN) resume should demonstrate a proven track record of providing quality patient care. It should concisely highlight the RN’s educational qualifications, certifications, specialized training, and relevant experience. The summary should also emphasize the RN’s ability to handle multiple tasks, collaborate and communicate with other medical staff, and provide compassionate care to patients. Most importantly, the summary should emphasize the RN’s commitment to continuing professional development and staying up-to-date on the latest medical advancements. Overall, the summary should showcase skills and achievements that make the RN an outstanding candidate for the position.

What is a good objective for a Registered Nurse resume?

What is a Good Objective for a Registered Nurse Resume?

When you are applying for a job as a registered nurse, you will want to make sure that your resume stands out from the competition. Having a well-crafted objective statement is a great way to make your resume shine. An objective statement is a brief sentence or two that states your career goal and highlights your skills and qualifications.

A good objective for a registered nurse resume should:

• Highlight your relevant qualifications and skills
• Showcase your ability to think critically and solve problems
• Express a desire to be part of a team
• Showcase your commitment to patient care
• Demonstrate your dedication to providing quality healthcare
• Emphasize your desire to stay up to date with the latest nursing practices

By including an objective statement on your resume, you will be giving potential employers a better sense of who you are and why you are the right fit for the job. Be sure to include information that will be relevant to the specific role you are applying for.

How do you list Registered Nurse skills on a resume?

When listing your Registered Nurse skills on a resume, you should include both hard and soft skills that show your expertise in the nursing field. The skills you list will demonstrate to potential employers how you can contribute to their team. Below is a list of the kinds of skills to consider including on your resume when applying for a nursing job:

• Patient Care: Showcase your skills in providing direct care to patients and helping them reach their health goals.
• Clinical Protocols: Demonstrate your knowledge of the clinical protocols used in the nursing profession.
• Diagnosis and Treatment: Highlight your ability to diagnose and treat patients effectively.
• Communication: Demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively with patients and other medical staff.
• Computers and Software: Showcase your skills in using computers and software related to the nursing profession.
• Teamwork: Prove you are capable of working well with other medical staff and providing excellent patient care.
• Caring: Showcase your strong bedside manner and ability to provide compassionate care to patients.
• Documentation: Demonstrate your ability to accurately document data and patient progress.

You should also include any industry-specific certifications or licenses you have in the relevant section of your resume. By showing off your Registered Nurse skills on your resume, you can prove to employers that you have the experience and knowledge needed to succeed in the profession.

What skills should I put on my resume for Registered Nurse?

When looking to apply as a Registered Nurse, it is important to showcase your qualifications and experience on your resume. To strengthen your resume, there are certain skills that employers look for when hiring Registered Nurses.

• Clinical Skills: Registered Nurses are required to possess a wide variety of clinical skills, and it is essential that they are able to demonstrate these skills effectively and efficiently. This includes administering medications and treatments, providing patient assessments, and monitoring patients.
• Communication Skills: As a Registered Nurse, you must be able to effectively communicate with patients, family members, and other medical professionals. This includes being able to clearly and concisely explain medical procedures and treatments, as well as provide support and comfort to patients and their families.
• Problem-solving Skills: Registered Nurses must be able to think on their feet, and must possess strong problem-solving skills. In many cases, RNs must be able to recognize and diagnose medical conditions and determine appropriate medical interventions in order to provide the best care for their patients.
• Leadership Skills: Registered Nurses are often responsible for managing teams of medical staff, and therefore they must possess strong leadership and organizational skills. This includes effective delegation of tasks, being able to mentor and guide other medical staff, and taking initiative in developing new approaches to patient care.

By including these skills on your resume, you will be able to show employers that you have the necessary qualifications and experience to excel as a Registered Nurse.

Key takeaways for an Registered Nurse resume

When crafting the perfect resume for a Registered Nurse, it is important to ensure that the key skills, qualifications and experience are effectively highlighted to capture the attention of potential employers. This blog section will aim to provide some key takeaways that will help you create an impressive resume for a Registered Nurse.

• Highlight your Nursing Experience: A Registered Nurse resume should begin with a detailed summary of your nursing experience. Include the types of care you’ve provided, the length of time you spent in the position, and any certification or licensure you have. Make sure to also include any clinical experience you have, such as working in specialized areas like hospice, geriatrics, or neonatal.
• Showcase your Communication Skills: As a Registered Nurse, communication is key. Make sure to highlight your ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals. Include any awards or accolades you have received for your communication skills and any additional training you have done to further develop your professional capabilities.
• Detail your Leadership Qualities: Nursing is an industry that highly values leadership. Highlight any leadership roles you have held throughout your career, such as team leader or head nurse. If you have any experience working with other healthcare professionals, include this as well. Focus on any areas you have led in that have helped improve patient care and outcomes.
• Talk About Your Education: Nursing requires a certain level of education. Make sure to include any degrees or certifications you have earned in your resume. Be sure to list your education section in reverse chronological order, meaning that the most recent degrees or certifications you have should be listed first.

By following these key takeaways, you can create an impressive resume for a Registered Nurse that will help you stand out from the competition. Highlighting your nursing experience, communication skills, leadership qualities, and education can help to showcase your skills and make you a top candidate for the job.

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• How to Create a “New Nurse” Resume

Nursing Career Guide

Well, New Nurse, are you ready to get hired? You’ll need to create a compelling resume that attracts the attention of the hiring personnel at the organizations where you want to work. It’s not hard to write a resume; there are great templates that will make it easy to format your education and skills. And with a few tips, you can complete it in a few hours.

As a new graduate, or a nurse with little or no experience, it can be challenging to demonstrate that you have what it takes to succeed. Don’t worry--every seasoned nurse was once an entry-level nurse like you. They got hired, and so will you. You already have a lot to offer an employer. It’s just a matter of presenting your information in a dynamic way.

Before starting to write your resume, do these four things.

• Be sure your email address is appropriate for job applications. If your current personal email is your name ( [email protected] or [email protected] ), or something nondescript, that’s fine. But if it’s left over from your “pre-nurse” life ( [email protected] or [email protected] ), then you need to establish a new email address for career correspondence before writing your resume.
• Choose a simple template to make your resume look crisp and professional. Avoid “flashy” or “fun” templates, as well as those with colors. Your resume will likely be uploaded to the organization’s Human Resources portal, so it should look good in a black and white format. Both Microsoft Word and Google Pages have suitable templates. Or do an online search for sample resumes and copy a style that appeals to you. Do not be tempted to add a stethoscope graphic!
• Select a font that is easy to read by both Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software and humans. Current standard fonts that are good for your resume include Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Palatino, or Verdana. Content should be font size 10-12 point. Headings can be larger, 11-14 point. Your name can be 20-24 point. Experts recommend typing out your resume, then adjusting font size and spacing to fit on one page.
• While you’re at it, update the voicemail on your phone to be ready for calls from hiring personnel. It should be courteous and less than 25 seconds long. An example: “Hello, you’ve reached (First Name, Last Name). I’m sorry I wasn’t able to take your call. Please leave your name, number, and detailed message, and I will get right back to you. Thank you for calling.”

Read the job description carefully — then adapt your resume to match it.

Human Resource hiring managers can receive hundreds of resumes for a position. They use a special ATS to screen the resume you’ll upload and submit on the website. Take time to read each job description that you’re applying for and include those keywords, skills, and qualifications in your resume. Then include them in your resume. For example, if you’re applying for a pediatric nurse position, edit your profile to “special interest in pediatrics.” Use the exact words in the job description, such as “pediatric nurse” or “pediatric nursing.” The ATS software searches for keywords in your resume that match the job description.

You’ll need to make changes on every resume you submit in order to make it past the ATS screener and increase your chance of speaking with a person who can actually hire you. Do not skip this important step!

Use action verbs to make your experience vibrant.

Start each bullet point in the clinical rotation and work experience sections to demonstrate that you were engaged and responsible. Here are some suggestions:

What to say about Clinical Rotations and Skills

Don’t simply list your clinical rotations. Every nursing student has the same experiences, although they may have had a different title or course name. You’ll want to highlight what YOU did or learned during your rotations. Use action verbs and provide descriptions. Here are a couple of examples:

• Delivered care for three patients two shifts each week, including assessment, documentation, medication and IV administration, and care plan coordination.
• Performed patient admissions and provided discharge counseling for patients and families, including EHR documentation.
• Managed a caseload of four patients over an 8-week rotation. Made home visits to underserved or vulnerable community members, including pregnant women, postpartum mothers and infants, chronically ill patients, and homebound elderly patients.
• Served the homeless population by designing and implementing free materials and education sessions at local health clinics.

Like clinical rotations, many skills are standard outcomes of nursing education. If your resume template has a space or section dedicated to lists, you can add skills there. Or if your resume needs to be longer to fill out a page, go ahead and include a catalogue of your best proficiencies. Definitely include any unique or advanced skills you have gained. Skills are divided into hard (clinical competencies) or soft (qualitative) skills.

Here are some examples of key skills that an entry-level nurse may be able to safely provide or perform:

Hard Skills

Soft skills

Keep it to one page.

Human Resource experts agree that unless you’re a nurse with more than ten years of experience, your resume should fit on a single page, so it’s easy for a recruiter to read and act on. If your resume is longer than a page, try one or more of these tactics:

• Go back and edit the content to eliminate unnecessary words or phrases.
• Be concise with descriptions.
• Expand margins of the page.
• Try a different font. Calibri and Arial Narrow take up less space than Verdana.
• Although 12-point font is preferred for content, 10-point is acceptable.
• Put your name and contact information in a slightly smaller font.
• If you have too much space, try a wider or larger font or change line spacing.

Template Resume for a New Graduate Nurse

This is an example of a simple resume that is professional and easy to read. It includes the essential sections to include and allows an entry-level nurse to include details that will encourage the hiring manager to contact the nurse for more information and an interview.

Your Name, RN, BSN (or LPN/LVN)

Phone: 000-000-0000 Email: [email protected]

Briefly describe your experience (recent RN graduate with entry-level experience), special interests, and skills. Focus on ability to collaborate and deliver high-quality patient care. No more than three sentences.

University of (or School Name) __________, City/State___________

Degree/Month & Year of Graduation_________________________

Honors/Awards, if applicable_______________________________

Nursing Clinical Rotations

For each experience, include the type of clinical unit, Hospital/Site/Organization, City/State.

• Use active verbs (provided care, assumed responsibility for)
• Add 2-3 brief bullet points. Suggestions:
• Patient population (culturally diverse, non-English speaking)
• Clinical information (chronic/acute, cancer, diabetes, etc.)
• Clinical skills (assessment, ECG monitoring, counseling)
• Team members (physician, respiratory therapy, dietician)

Volunteer Experience (If applicable)

• List any related experience you had had, such as taking blood pressures at a health fair, volunteering to help at a clinic, giving a presentation at a school, donating blood, or working at a charity event.
• Use a bullet format, unless you are listing a single experience,

Expertise (If applicable)

• Bilingual in another language or American Sign Language
• EMR proficiency in (APEX, EPIC, NextGen, etc.)
• Other unique areas of expertise

Licensure and Certification

• Registered Nurse, State, License #, Active or expiration date
• BLS/ACLS/PALS, American Heart Association, Active or expiration date

Previous Employment

List any healthcare positions you may have had before (or during) nursing school. Examples: CNA, Phlebotomist, Pharmacy Tech, or working in a medical practice as a scheduler or admin assistant. Provide the organization, city/state, and dates of employment. Add 2-3 bullet points about your responsibilities.

If you don’t have any healthcare experience, list several other jobs you’ve held and what you did. This shows that you’re already a responsible worker and that you’re able to function as a team member and/or provide good customer service. Include dates of employment, even if you only were able to work during summer or school breaks.

Skills (If there is room)

If you have room, or need to fill the page, you can include a list of the skills you mastered during your education. Of course, if you have previous medical experience of any type, add the skills from that, too.

Final tips to perfect your resume…because it should be perfect.

When you’ve finished your resume and formatted it to fit on a single page, take a break. Have a cup of tea or go for a walk. Clear your head. When you’re ready, come back for one last review of your magnificent creation.

• Proofread again. And again. Just one small typo can leave a bad first impression and maybe cost you an interview. Nursing requires careful attention to detail, so show you’re already meticulous. Use Spellcheck, but also do a manual check. Then ask a friend or family member to read it, both for clarity and spelling or grammar errors.
• Don’t keep repeating “I” in your resume. Not only does it take up valuable space, but it’s tiresome for those who read your resume. They understand your resume is about you, so no “I” statements are necessary.
• Do not mention salary. Don’t ask for a certain salary or starting rate. This is a big turn-off for potential employers and distracts from your qualifications. Starting salary information is provided when you get a job offer; at that time, if you feel it’s not fair, you can negotiate.
• Be PROUD! Compiling a resume requires a lot of thinking and careful wording. You have successfully presented yourself in the best possible light. Now you’re ready for some interviews. Learn how to prepare here.

About the Author

Winona Suzanne Ball

Nursing Adviser, RN | MHS, Governors State University, IL Full member of the American Nurses Association. Learn more

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