How to Write Your Nursing Resume
Writing a professional nursing resume is key to successfully setting yourself apart from other applicants. A great RN resume will quickly capture the attention of potential employers and is the first important step towards getting an interview. While there are many ways to write resumes for students and experienced nurses, the best ones will showcase strengths and highlight relevant experiences. Read on for practical resume tips and nursing resume examples for RNs, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and other healthcare professionals.
Four Steps to Writing a Great RN Resume
Employers know that the foundation of a solid nursing career begins with a strong education, so begin creating your resume in nursing school. As you progress through your classes and beyond, update your resume when you take specialized courses and programs. Record your clinical experiences, as well as your participation in volunteer organizations, committees, or community outreach initiatives.
Whether a student or professional, there are four main steps for writing a strong RN resume. First, gather all the information needed to build your resume. Then, incorporate both keywords and action words to strengthen the language of your resume. Next, create a polished, professional document that is easy to read and flows well. Finally, proofread your work for correctness and clarity before submitting it to a potential employer.
1. Gather important information.
Write down all information related to your nursing education, including clinicals, simulation labs or events, and any additional key experiences. Sort this information into two lists. The first list will contain data that you must include in the resume:
- Name and contact information
- Objective (current career goal)
- Related job work history and experience
- Clinical rotations and experiences
- Education
- Certifications
The second list contains optional information. Collect all these details about your experiences – including dates – but only add what is most relevant to the current application:
- Awards and recognitions
- Volunteer roles
- Committee memberships
- Community outreach programs
- Unrelated job experience
- References
2. Add action words to job skills.
Use action words to set a dynamic tone throughout your resume. Take a few keywords from the job description and combine them with action words in the work history section of your resume. Here are some examples of nursing work experience bullet points:
- “Collaborated with a small team of nurses, physicians, and administrators to rewrite organization-wide disease transmission policies reflecting new evidence-based practice.”
- “Implemented therapeutic regimens for up to 5 hospice patients during shifts.”
- “Triaged incoming patients compassionately at this Level II emergency department.”
Using job description keywords in your resume and application is essential because employers are now using applicant tracking software. These programs will sort all applications by keywords that are selected by the employer. Many keywords will be included in the job description itself. Choose wisely when matching your resume to the job description, as the software may also discard resumes that have too many keywords or matching phrases. Ultimately, your resume should be an accurate reflection of your experiences. If you are a good match for the job, many of the keywords from the job description are probably already in your resume!
3. Build a clean and professional document.
The best resumes present information in a clean and professional manner. A resume that is hard to read, cluttered, or contains spelling and grammar mistakes is likely to be discarded quickly. Websites and software programs offer templates that can help applicants quickly build a resume. By utilizing a template, you can focus more on content and less on formatting the document to look clean. Keep in mind that no matter the format of your resume, most candidates should follow the guidelines below.
- Your resume should be one page in length, especially if you are new to the job market with limited work experience.
- Use an easy-to-read, professional font. Visually appealing, easy-to-read fonts include Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Helvetica, and Times New Roman. Use 10-12 pt for normal text and 14-16 pt for section headings.
- Create clearly defined sections in your resume. It should be clear to the reader if they are reading about your work history as opposed to your objective, education, or soft skills.
- Make sure your objective reflects the goal of the resume. The objective should clearly state your motivation for employment. Keep the objective to three sentences at the most. An example of a resume objective might be:
- “Compassionate BSN graduate seeking an opportunity to use learned and natural caregiving skills to provide patient care in a high-acuity clinical setting. Specialized training includes a three-month Trauma ICU externship.”
- List your work history in reverse chronological order, with the most recent work experience first. Keep this section current – work history should be limited to the last 10-15 years and include:
- The name and location of the company
- Your job title
- Specific dates of employment
- A brief job description using action words in bullet format
- Key accomplishments, responsibilities, or awards
- Put the education section first if you are a new graduate and do not have any work experience.
- Similar to your work history, list your education in reverse chronological order (most recent education first).
- Leave out your high school education if you have a college or university degree.
- Include GPA only if your academic career was impressive and stands out – 3.5 GPA and above.
- List both hard and soft skills in your resume. Hard skills are classified as measurable abilities. They can include:
- Certifications in Basic Life Support or other first aid
- Successful experience in Electronic Medical Record (EMR) use
- Technical skills such as airway management and sterile field protocol
- Soft skills are personal abilities that typically cannot be measured with a number. When adding these characteristics, it is best to tie them into an example or experience, such as:
- Delivered empathetic nursing care to families experiencing a loss by creating a safe space for families to grieve and plan next steps.
- Utilized clear communication skills to effectively discharge patients, ensuring they understood their prescriptions and plans for referral or follow-up.
- Adapted care and communication techniques depending on the patient’s age and developmental level.
- Create a separate document for your professional references. Ideally, your references page follows the same format as your resume and includes your name at the top. A short sentence stating “References available upon request” at the end of the resume is also helpful.
- Save your resume as a PDF (.pdf) file with a clearly understandable filename that includes your name and date.
4. Proofread your resume.
Although the autocorrect feature on your device can do most of the work in finding and fixing grammatical mistakes, take the time to closely examine and proofread your resume from beginning to end. You may also ask another person to look at your resume. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can spot a typo that you may have missed.
While the autocorrect feature can definitely be very useful in catching errors, please note that it can also change medical terminology that you meant to include in your resume. Double-check that medical terms have not been altered accidentally before you save and submit your document.
Always Keep Your RN Resume Updated
Make a habit of updating and editing your resume throughout your academic and work career. Updating regularly will keep the document current and will save you time when you embark on your next job search. You will also be prepared for the next great, potentially unexpected opportunity. When applying, ensure the key details of your resume reflect the position. When submitting a PDF of your resume in an online application, upload it with a filename that includes your name and date (e.g., “SmithResume2022.pdf”). And finally, remember to bring paper copies of your resume to interviews and networking meetings. Good luck!
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