functional resume for nurses

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

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Examine Required vs Preferred Nursing Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications

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

Preferred Qualifications

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

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

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

Build a Master Resume

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

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

Use Research to Personalize Your Nursing Resume

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

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

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

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

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

What Is a Resume Reading Robot?

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

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

1. Knockout Questions

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

2. Disqualifying Statements

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

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

3. Keyword Screening

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

How Does ATS Work?

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

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

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

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

What Are the Shortcomings of ATS?

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

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

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

What Other Hiring Technology Might I Encounter?

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

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

Does Every Employer Use ATS?

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

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

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

How to Get Past the ATS

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

How to Spot an ATS

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Reverse Chronological Nursing Resume

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

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

2. Functional Nursing Resume

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

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

3. Combination Nursing Resume

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

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

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

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

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

• Top Margin: 1"
• Side Margins: .63"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special Characters

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

Design Features to Avoid

The following design features are best left off the resume: 

• Multiple font styles
• Special characters

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

Contact Information

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

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

Nursing Credentials

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

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

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

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

Phone/Texting Number

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

Email Address

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

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

LinkedIn Profile

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

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

How Your Digital Footprint Impacts Your Nursing Job Search

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

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

Nursing Resume Credential Quick Reference Guide

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

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

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

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

You may also choose to include awards and honors:

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

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

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

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

Professional Summary

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

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

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

How to Write a Professional Summary for a Nursing Resume

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

However, it could definitely include the following information: 

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

Nursing professional summary example: 

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

Nursing Skills and Areas of Expertise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Certifications and Credentials

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

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

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

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

Work History

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

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

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

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

Work History Format

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

1. Job Title and Specialty

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

2. Facility Name

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

3. Employment Dates  

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

4. Facility-Specific and Unit-Specific Information

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

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

Primary Duties and Accomplishments

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

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

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

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

Write Strong Nursing Resume Bullets

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

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

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

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

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

Education and Training

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

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

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

Here’s an example: 

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

Should I Include Graduation Dates on a Nursing Resume?

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

Should I Include My GPA on a Nursing Resume?

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

Should I Include my Non-Nursing Degrees and Credentials?

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

How Do I Add In-Progress Advanced Education Programs?

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

Should I Include my High School Education?

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

Awards, Accomplishments, and Affiliations

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

In this section, you can include: 

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

We suggest the following format: Title, organization, year

Here are a couple of examples:

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

Naming Your Nurse Resume Save File

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

We suggest the following format: firstlast_specialty_resume.doc

Here’s an example:

PennyLite_ICU_resume.doc

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

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

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

>> Download free nurse resume templates!

What should be included in a nursing resume?

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

How do I write a nurse resume?

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

How do I list my nursing skills on my resume?

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

Do you put RN after your name on a resume?

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

How long should a nurse's resume be?

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

What is your greatest skill as a nurse?

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

How far back should a resume go?

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

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

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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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The Best Nursing Resume Guide for 2024 With Templates

Mar 14 2024

Career Resources / Job Searching / Nursing Resume Guide

Reviewed by: Kiley Griffin, R.N.

Imagine a registered nurse going into a patient’s room without a stethoscope or wearing sandals with their scrubs . The patient would feel confused and uneasy. This example is extreme, but it would relay to the patient their nurse isn’t prepared.

The same holds true regarding your nursing resume. You don’t want to walk into an interview without a quality resume to present to the hiring board.

You may be thinking

“I don’t have time to write a resume, and if I did, where would I start?”

Nurses work long shifts, which can make it difficult to devote time to working on anything outside of their scheduled hours. Accordingly, we have created a guide to help you quickly and easily craft a resume. 

This guide will help you enter the interview feeling confident and prepared. We will explore:  

Nursing Resume Templates

Steps to formatting a professional nursing resume, what to include in your contact section, how to get around the ats, writing your nursing resume objective or summary, how to showcase your skills and duties.

• Keys to Writing Your Experience Section

How to Organize Your Credentials Field on a Nursing Resume

Additional sections to add to your nursing resume.

• Write a Cover Letter to Go With Your Resume

Create a professionally-designed, interview-ready resume in minutes.

We’ve provided three sample nursing resumes as guides along with templates so you can create your own.

Hiring experts generally agree that formatting and content are the most critical elements to focus on when crafting a resume. 

Many healthcare employers are now using applicant tracking software (ATS) as part of the hiring process. This means up to 75% of resumes get rejected before the hiring manager ever sees them.

An ATS quickly scans resumes and then sorts and ranks them based on qualifications. Optimizing your format to key on education and experience can help you gain approval from an ATS.

While you can choose how to format your resume, we encourage you to incorporate a reverse chronological design . This format lists jobs beginning with the most recent first. 

Next, it is essential to choose a format that employs effective white space and utilizes efficient subheadings . We suggest that you set your margins to 1 “. You should align your text to the left since it makes it easier for the ATS robots to scan. 

The best fonts to use for an ATS are Times New Roman or Arial . 

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What's your current role?

No need to overthink this. It doesn’t take a quantum leap to make this deduction: Your resume always needs to begin with your name at the top. It would also help to make it the largest font on your resume. 

Next to your name, make sure you include: 

• Credentials : Starting with your highest degree earned, license, state designation, and national certifications.
• Location : You don’t have to include your physical address. City and state will suffice. 
• Phone number : Check that you include the phone number to receive text messages from as some employers will text candidates. 
• Email address : Use a work-appropriate email here. An employer might not take you seriously if your email is: [email protected] . Specifically, for 35% of employers, an unprofessional email address is a major problem.

The applicant tracking software has helped make the recruiting process much more efficient for hiring managers. While there isn’t a definitive process to always beat the ATS, there are general rules to follow to create a resume that will increase your success rate.

• Design your resume to match the job description
• Optimize for the ATS by aligning your resume keywords to the job description
• Use the long-form and spelled out acronyms such as BSN (Bachelor’s of Science)
• Save your file as a .docx, .doc or .pdf format
• Don’t use headers or footers
• Use plain, black bullet points not any special bullet types
• Do not include tables since an ATS can’t read them
• Don’t include a photo or use creative fonts

Think of your nurse resume objective or summary as an elevator pitch. Crafting a good objective is all about precision and brevity.

When to use an objective

Whether you write a nursing resume objective or summary depends on your experience. If you don’t have a lot of experience in nursing, then you should write an objective . Objective statements highlight training and goals for the future. 

Don’t make the mistake of over-emphasizing your relative inexperience. 

Highlight what experience or training you have accumulated. For example, lead with any licensure or state designation you’ve earned to begin your objective. Then go into some of your skills that make you a good fit for the job. 

When to use a summary

If you have experience in the field, we suggest that you use a resume summary. 

Within the summary, make sure you include how many years you’ve been in the field with your designation or licensure and specific field expertise. Then outline your goal in applying. 

Here’s an example:

Hard-working and passionate Registered Nurse with over eight years of management/supervising experience and paramedic background looking to continue to grow and enhance my skills for the wellness of the facility. Currently completing my master’s in nursing with a specialty in Executive Leadership .

A good nursing resume will highlight hard and soft skills. A lot of your job depends on performing specific duties, and the recruiter will hone in on those when scanning your resume. 

Most professions emphasize accomplishments in a resume over skills and duties . For many, accomplishment-driven resumes highlight what an individual can do for a company. However, the nursing field prefers a skill-driven resume . Healthcare employers need to feel comfortable that you can perform the skills necessary for the job.

That said, employers also want to know about your accomplishments as well. The best nursing resumes are able to incorporate a professional accomplishment with a skill.

• Hard skills display your understanding of job-specific roles and obligations (such as taking vital signs or administering medication).
• Soft skills demonstrate your personality fit within the team (such as communication or leadership skills). 

Tailor your skills to the role outlined within the job description. If you have administered chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapies, then place it in there. Be specific! 

Keys to Writing Your Experience Section 

This is the meat and potatoes of your resume. Writing a striking experience section will go a long way in securing a terrific nursing job. 

Nursing recruiters are not looking for fluff or abstraction. They want specific and detailed accounts of your work over the years. 

Make it scannable

To start, you want to use easily distinguishable section headers such as “employment history” or “relevant experience.” These buzzwords make the ATS happy. 

We suggest writing your experience down in reverse chronological order. 

Start with your most recent position and go from there. Now, if you have held jobs dating back to the Reagan administration or when The Sopranos was on TV, maybe don’t include those. 

Try to keep your job history within the last 20 years. 

Quantify your experience

Instead of just listing your responsibilities with bullet points, convey your accomplishments using quantitative measurements when possible.

For example, instead of saying: “Helped discharge patients.”

Try instead: “Administered 10 discharges an hour during my shift. Provided ample health care education to patient and family members.”

The second example is more specific and detailed. It gives your employer a good idea as to your efficiency. Also, “administered” evokes more responsibility than “helped.”

Here’s an example of an excellent experience section:

You should also consider including the unit type you worked in. Did you work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or an Emergency Room ?

Be descriptive

When highlighting your experience, use strong action verbs such as “assisted” or “displayed.” 

Lastly, highlight transferable attributes that can apply to any position , including leadership skills, project development, or communication.

You may have significant credentials to help you secure a great nursing position. There’s no problem with having credentials. The problem occurs when you don’t know how to organize your credentials effectively. 

Imagine a symphony conductor with great individual cello players that don’t know how to play in sync with each other–it would be chaos.

The same goes for organizing your certifications. You may have great credentials, but not arranging them correctly could create issues for your resume. 

Luckily, there is an industry-standard for listing your credentials. 

The following order is encouraged:

Education : Start with the year you graduated, degree type and major, university name, and GPA (if it was 3.5 and above). If you went to a prestigious school, you could also start with that. Additionally, if you are worried about age discrimination, we’d suggest you leave out the years studied. Unfortunately, ageism sometimes plays a role in the hiring of nurses.

2012-2014 Master’s of Science in Nursing Duke University School of Nursing, 3.7 GPA

Your Licensure : With licensure, the important part is determining where to put them. If nurses have one or two licenses they will put them after their degree. However, if you have an extensive list of licenses, it may be better to place them in their own section.

It’s crucial to include the following:

• License number
• License type ( LPN , RN , or CNA )
• Name of the license (if different than the name on your resume)
• State of licensure
• Expiration date
• If you have a license that falls under the nurse licensure compact

Sample Nursing Resume License Entry:

Registered Nurse (RN): License number 3378931 Arizona State Board of Licensing, Active since January 2018

State Designations: These generally include more advanced destinations for nurses at the state level. Examples include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Nurse Practitioner . 

Certifications : Your certifications demonstrate a commitment to improving as a nurse. Nurses can work without certifications in many cases. However, some jobs offer pay raises for nurses that have them.

We suggest the following order for listing your certifications:

• Name of the Certification and the Acronym: For example, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, ACNP-AG
• The Certifying Organization: Such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
• The Certificate’s Expiration Date
• The Certification Number

Sample nursing resume certification:

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Current – 2018

Awards and Honors: Your awards and honors can include those received in school or at another job. You want to list the name of the award, the awarding body, and the date received.

You may feel like you’ve put a lot of work into your resume up to this point. You have. Since you’re trying to land the perfect nursing job, you want to make sure that you round out your resume . The other sections you should add to your resume are:

Conferences and courses

List any additional terms you have completed as a nurse and any conferences you may have attended or even spoken at.  

The ability to speak multiple languages gives you a leg up over your other nursing competition. Don’t hesitate to put in if you know other languages and designate your level of proficiency. 

An employer is hiring a human being, not a robot. They want to hire someone who they can get along with, so listing your hobbies and interests may serve you well. Additionally, listing a hobby might give your supervisor an idea of whether or not you’d be a good culture fit on the team.

Before you wrap up your resume, make sure you proofread it , and if you can, have someone else read it over for you.

You don’t want your resume to get rejected because you spelled “stethoscope” wrong. Last, when saving your resume, make sure you cave it as a word document or PDF compared to any alternative, older file.

Write a Cover Letter to Go With Your Nursing Resume

Our last parting wisdom to you is to have a cover letter that complements your resume. 

The cover letter gives your recruiter the confidence that you are interested in them specifically.

Having a great resume is fine and all,  but it’s much like giving someone a handshake and not giving a greeting.  It’s a complementary piece that needs a cover letter to reinforce and expound on the ideas covered within it. 

 In other words, the cover letter explains why you chose the company and helps them understand that you aren’t just spamming several companies with your resume. 

You’ve made it. Congratulations!

By this point, you’ve put a lot of time into your resume. You should feel proud of yourself. You’re on your way to landing that new job. Now, it’s time to prepare for the interview . If you need help with that, we’ve got you covered as well.

Resume FAQs

You can write it either way. However, make sure you separate each with a comma. For example, write Jane Doe, RN, BSN or Jane Doe, BSN, RN.

There isn’t one skill that stands above the rest as nurses have to possess many different skills. However, some of the most important ones include problem-solving, attention to detail, organizational skills and multitasking.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice ( DNP ) is the highest degree a nurse can obtain within academia.

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Nurse Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2024

How to write a job-winning nurse resume

As a nurse, you're the unsung hero of healthcare, providing compassionate care and making a difference in the lives of patients.

But when it comes to landing your dream nursing job, a stellar resume is your prescription for success.

In this guide, we'll equip you with all the essential tools and strategies to craft a standout nurse resume that will make recruiters do a double take.

From showcasing your clinical skills to highlighting your bedside manner, we'll guide you through every step of the process.

Keep reading and learn how to:

• Use proper formatting to create the ideal reverse-chronological resume
• Write an authentic summary that represents your nursing values
• Include hard and soft skills to round out your resume
• Prioritize your relevant work experience
• List your complete education and licensing information
• Add extra sections to gain a competitive edge

1. Use proper formatting for your nurse resume

When writing a nursing resume, you want the primary focus to be on your experience working directly with patients and in the field. As such, the ideal resume format is the reverse-chronological resume. 

Reverse-chronological resumes place heavy emphasis on work experience, making it the largest and most prominent element of the document. Your most recent position will be listed first, followed in reverse-chronological order by your older positions. 

A reverse-chronological resume should always contain the following sections: 

• Name and contact information
• Resume summary or objective
• Work experience

These five basic components are the building blocks for this resume format. Typically, the majority of the body of your resume will be reserved for work experience, with education and skills divvying up the remaining space in a side column. 

There are also alternative resume formats known as functional and hybrid resumes. Functional resumes place greater emphasis on education and skills, while hybrid resumes combine elements of both functional and reverse-chronological formats. 

Both the functional and the hybrid resumes are well suited for candidates with less work experience or large gaps in their resumes. 

Try our AI Resume Writer and have your resume ready in minutes!

2. write an authentic resume summary that represents your nursing values.

As a nurse, your demeanor matters nearly as much as your technical medical skills. The resume summary is the perfect opportunity to show off your personality and share the core values that guide your nursing practice. 

Additionally, your resume summary should highlight your biggest strengths and skills as a nurse. Here is an example of a weak nursing resume summary, followed by its correction and explanation:

Incorrect nursing resume summary example:

Nurse with an interest in working specifically with pediatric patients. Completed a nursing practicum at a local hospital, where I learned to carry out daily care tasks and manage patient records.

What's wrong with this example? This example is far too simple and non-specific. When writing your resume summary as a nurse, you want to provide quantifiable information such as how many years of experience you have or specific responsibilities you carried out. Additionally, resume summaries are typically written in 3rd person. 

Corrected nursing resume summary example:

Licensed RN Nurse with 2 years of experience working in pediatric facilities. Specialized in pediatric care and support. Completed a nursing practicum at Saints Memorial Hospital, with responsibilities such as providing daily care to long-term patients, assisting in the management of patient records, and helping with patient transfers.

Why is this better? This corrected example offers an exact number when speaking about years of experience, as well as more context around the pediatric specialization. The nursing practicum is still mentioned, but in greater detail in regards to which facility and what responsibilities were given to the applicant. 

3. Include hard and soft skills to round out your nursing resume

As a nurse, you gain many medical skills that are highly technical and specialized. However, you also interact with patients more than most other healthcare providers, serving as mid-way points between doctors and patients. 

With these dual responsibilities in mind, it is crucial to include both hard and soft skills on your resume. Hard skills are your more technical skills, such as operating an X-Ray machine. Comparatively, soft skills are your interpersonal abilities, such as communication and teamwork. 

Best hard skills to include on your nursing resume

• Checking and monitoring vital signs
• CPR and First Aid
• Urgent and emergency care
• Advanced cardiovascular life support
• Patient care 
• Telemetry (or other specialized machinery skills)
• Record and bookkeeping
• EHR (Electronic Medical Record) Proficiency
• Patient and family education
• Administering injections and medications

Best soft skills for your nursing resume

• Team communication
• Collaboration
• Active listening 
• Clear verbal communication
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Critical thinking
• Respectfulness
• Patient advocacy 
• Time management

4. Prioritize your relevant work experience

If you are using the reverse-chronological resume format , you need to prioritize your most relevant work experience above other jobs.

Chances are, you likely held part-time or temporary positions — such as serving or retail — while working your way through nursing school. Including these jobs can help to show your motivation and work ethic, but should not be the focus of your resume.

Even if you only have one relevant work experience to highlight, you can make the most out of it by focusing on your key responsibilities and accomplishments within the position. 

As you write out your work experience descriptions, make sure to include quantifiable information and detailed bullet points listing out your responsibilities. 

Example of a well-crafted work experience entry on a nursing resume

RN Nurse – Pediatric Unit | Saints Memorial Hospital 

Shelby, NC | August 2019 to September 2021

• Delivered acute nursing care for pediatric patients, including newborn babies, infants, and adolescents. 
• Earned praise for overtime work spent coordinating events for the pediatric unit to help improve the quality of life of the patients. 
• Administered treatment and health exams to chronically ill pediatric patients.

5. List your complete education and licensing information

In the world of nursing, education is the solid foundation upon which your skills and expertise are built. As a nurse, your academic achievements and qualifications hold significant value, demonstrating your dedication to learning and your commitment to delivering exceptional patient care.

Including your education on your nurse resume not only showcases your level of knowledge and expertise but also instills confidence in potential employers.

As a nurse, there are two key pieces of information your education section needs to contain:

1. Where you went to school 2. When you earned your license 

These can either both be listed in the education section, or you can create a dedicated certifications section for your licensing information. Separate sections are ideal when you have multiple degrees and certifications – otherwise, fitting them into one section is perfectly fine. 

Example of a well-formatted education section on a nursing resume:  

• B.S. in Nursing | Appalachian State University
• Boone, NC | Graduate May 2014

Certifications

• RN State of NC – The North Carolina Board of Nursing
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) – The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists 

A documentary photographer and writer. Noel has worked for International publications like Deutsche Welle in Germany to News Deeply in New York. He also co-founded the global multimedia project Women Who Stay and collaborated as a journalist fellow with the University of Southern California . He went from traveling around the world to sitting on a couch thanks to the pandemic, but he gets to help other people actually do things (like find jobs) thanks to Kickresume, so he won't complain.

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• Career Blog

Nurse Resume: Guide, Examples, and Writing Tips for 2024

The nursing profession is in high demand, and the job market for nurses is growing exponentially. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The increasing demand for healthcare services and the aging population are among the main factors contributing to this growth.

As new healthcare facilities open their doors every year, more and more nurses will be needed to provide quality care to patients. However, with the high demand for nurses comes the need for qualified and experienced professionals who stand out from the competition.

Importance of a Strong Nurse Resume

Having a strong nurse resume is critical to landing the job you want. Your resume serves as a representation of your skills, qualifications, and experience that demonstrate why you are an ideal fit for a particular nursing role.

Employers receive hundreds of resumes from applicants for each nursing job opening, and it is the candidate with the most impressive resume that catches their attention. A strong nurse resume can help you stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of being invited to a job interview.

In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to create a strong nurse resume that accurately reflects your skills, accomplishments, and career objectives. With our step-by-step tips, you will learn how to craft a powerful resume that effectively showcases your nursing expertise and experience. We’ll also provide you with nurse resume examples that you can use as a reference to create your own winning resume.

Researching the Perfect Job

When looking for the perfect job as a nurse, it’s important to carefully identify the job requirements. This includes educational requirements, certifications, and experience necessary for the role.

However, it’s equally important to understand the culture and values of the target employer. This can help you determine if the company is a good fit for your own values and work style. Researching the company’s website, social media, and employee reviews can provide valuable insights into their culture and values.

Once you’ve identified the job requirements and target employer’s culture and values, it’s time to craft a job-specific resume that stands out. This should focus on highlighting your relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments that align with the specific job requirements and company culture.

Your nurse resume should showcase your ability to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues, your attention to detail, and your ability to work well under pressure. Utilize specific metrics and achievements to demonstrate your impact in previous roles.

In crafting your resume, tailor it specifically to the job posting and the company’s culture and values. This will show the employer that you have done your research and genuinely want to work for their organization.

Researching the perfect job as a nurse involves identifying job requirements, understanding the target employer’s culture and values, and crafting a job-specific resume that showcases your relevant experience and aligns with the company’s culture. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of landing the perfect nursing job.

Choosing the Right Format

One of the most critical aspects of a successful nursing resume is choosing the right format. A resume format is how you present your skills, experience, and achievements in a structured and concise manner. There are three primary resume formats, each with its benefits: chronological, functional, and combination.

A. Chronological Resume

A chronological resume is the most traditional format, where the experience and skills are presented in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent job. This format is ideal for nurses who have a steady employment history and want to showcase their growth and progress. Chronological resumes are easy to read and preferred by recruiters.

B. Functional Resume

A functional resume, on the other hand, focuses on the skills and abilities of the candidate rather than the employment history. The most notable feature of the functional resume is a skills section that lists the critical skills relevant to the job. This format is appropriate for nurses who have gaps in their employment history or have changed careers. It allows them to highlight their transferable skills and abilities that can add value to the organization.

C. Combination Resume

A combination resume, as the name suggests, combines the best features of the chronological and functional resume. The format starts with a summary statement highlighting the candidate’s most significant achievements, followed by a skills section and then works experience in reverse chronological order. This format is ideal for nurses who have a consistent employment history and want to showcase their skills and achievements in addition to their work experience.

D. Determining which format to use

Choosing the right format depends on several factors, such as the candidate’s experience, skills, work history, and the job requirements. It’s essential to tailor the resume format to the job posting and the organization’s needs, highlighting the skills that match the job description.

A chronological resume is suitable for nurses with a stable and progressive work history, while a functional resume is ideal for those with gaps in employment or changing careers. A combination resume is a choice for candidates who want to showcase their most significant achievements and skills while providing their work experience.

Ultimately, the choice depends on the individual candidate and the job they’re applying for. It’s crucial to consider the job posting, highlighting the essential skills and experience relevant to the organization. By understanding the different types of resume formats, you can craft a nursing resume that stands out and gets noticed by recruiters.

Essential Components of a Nurse Resume

One of the most important aspects of creating a successful nurse resume is including all of the essential components. These elements should showcase your qualifications and experience, making it clear to potential employers why you are the best candidate for the job. The following are the essential components of a nurse resume that every nursing professional should include:

A. Contact Information

Your contact information should be placed at the top of your nurse resume, under your name and professional title. This should include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. Make sure to double-check the accuracy of all information, as any typos or errors could prevent employers from reaching out to you.

B. Professional Summary

The professional summary is a brief overview that highlights your qualifications and experience relevant to the nursing job you are applying for. This section should be tailored to the specific position and showcase your relevant skills and accomplishments. Be sure to keep your professional summary concise and eye-catching, as recruiters often skim resumes first before diving into each section.

C. Licenses and Certifications

As a nurse, you are required to obtain certain licenses and certifications to practice. Listing these credentials can make a huge difference in the recruiter’s mind, verifying that you possess the necessary skills and knowledge required for the job. Include current and relevant credentials, including any continuing education credits, so recruiters can quickly gauge your qualifications.

D. Education and Training

The education and training section should detail your degree, school attended, date of graduation, and any additional relevant coursework substantial to the job. Also, include any nursing school honors received or class ranking if applicable. Make sure to highlight educational experiences that complement the job posting – for instance, policies, procedures, and practices tailored to the prospective employer.

E. Clinical Experience

This section should contain information about your clinical experience, detailing the facilities where you worked, the dates, job title, and a brief description of your duties and responsibilities. Make sure to highlight any achievements you’ve accomplished during your time working at these facilities.

F. Professional Affiliations

List any organizational affiliations you have, particularly those relevant to the nursing field. Showing membership in professional organizations enhances your status as a qualified and competent nursing professional. Examples of professional affiliations include membership in nursing associations, participation in seminars, and attending networking events.

G. Relevant Skills

Highlight your job-specific skills and any nursing competencies you have attained. These skills should be relevant to the job you are applying for and include abilities that demonstrate your competency in the field. Examples of relevant skills include technical knowledge, patient care, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

A nurse resume that includes essential components, such as contact information, professional summary, licenses and certifications, education and training, clinical experience, professional affiliations, and relevant skills, can significantly increase your chances of landing the job you desire.

Nurse Resume Writing Tips

When crafting a nurse resume, it’s important to follow some best practices to increase your chances of landing an interview. Here are five tips to help you showcase your nursing skills, experience, and achievements effectively:

A. Utilizing strong action verbs

The use of action verbs in your resume can make it more compelling and help you stand out from the competition. Start each bullet point with a powerful action verb that showcases your accomplishments and experience. Examples of strong action verbs for nurse resume includes “administered,” “evaluated,” “monitored,” “assisted,” “collaborated,” and “developed.”

B. Quantifying achievements

Employers want to see evidence of your achievements and success as a nurse. To make your resume more impactful, quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. For instance, you can mention the number of patients you have treated, the percentage of success in reducing infection rates in the facility you worked, or the number of colleagues you have trained. Avoid generic claims and provide concrete numbers and data to support your achievements.

C. Tailoring the resume to the job

A nurse resume should be tailored to the specific job you are applying for. Analyze the job description and requirements to identify the skills, experience, and qualifications the employer is looking for. Highlight these skills prominently in your resume, and frame your achievements and experience in the context of the job requirements to demonstrate your suitability for the position.

D. Customizing the resume to the employer

In addition to tailoring the resume to the specific job, you should also customize it to fit the employer’s unique needs and culture. Research the healthcare facility and the nursing team to understand their values, goals, and priorities. Use this information to craft a personal statement that resonates with the employer and to highlight how your experience and skills can contribute to their success.

E. Proofreading and editing

Finally, don’t forget to proofread and edit your nurse resume before submitting it. Typos, grammar mistakes, and formatting errors can create a negative impression on the employer and reduce your chances of getting hired. Use editing software and have someone else review your resume to ensure it is error-free, clear, and concise. This attention to detail can make a big difference in the quality of your application.

By utilizing these tips, you’ll be able to craft a nurse resume that stands out, impresses employers, and shows your potential as a nursing professional. Remember to keep it focused, clear, and relevant to the job, and you’ll be on your way to landing your dream nursing job.

Nurse Resume Samples

As a job seeker in the nursing field, a well-crafted resume is essential. To guide you in creating your own, here are three different nurse resume samples in different formats:

A. Sample nurse resume (chronological format)

This type of resume format lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. The sample nurse resume in this format would list your nursing experience, education, and any relevant certifications.

B. Sample nurse resume (functional format)

This format highlights your qualifications and skills instead of your work experience. The sample nurse resume in this format would focus on your nursing skills and certifications, followed by your experience and education.

C. Sample nurse resume (combination format)

This type of resume format blends the chronological and functional formats. The sample nurse resume in this format would highlight your skills and qualifications at the top of the resume, followed by a chronological listing of your work experience and education sections.

D. Analyzing the samples

Each of these nurse resume samples offers a unique approach to showcasing your qualifications and experience. The chronological format emphasizes your work history, making it a good choice if you have a strong nursing background. The functional format is ideal for those who have less work experience but have gained skills and knowledge through education and certification programs. Lastly, the combination format offers a balanced approach that highlights both your skills and work experience.

When analyzing the samples, it’s important to consider which format best aligns with your personal strengths and job target. Additionally, ensure the content of your resume is tailored for the job you’re applying to, including relevant keywords and job-specific skills. With self-reflection and attention to detail, you can create a nurse resume that stands out to potential employers.

Common Nurse Resume Mistakes

When creating a nurse resume, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that can hinder your chances of getting hired. Here are a few:

A. Overloading the resume with irrelevant information

While it may be tempting to include every detail about your work history, it’s important to only include relevant information. Recruiters and hiring managers have limited time to review each resume, so including irrelevant information could lead to your resume being overlooked. Focus on highlighting your skills, achievements, and experiences that are most relevant to the position you are applying for.

B. Focusing on responsibilities instead of achievements

Listing your responsibilities is important, but it’s crucial to also highlight your achievements. Employers want to know what you have accomplished in your previous positions and how you can contribute to their organization. Be sure to include specific examples of how you improved patient outcomes or implemented new programs that increased efficiency.

C. Using jargon and complex language

While it’s important to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in the nursing field, using too much jargon or complex language can make it difficult for recruiters and hiring managers to understand you. Stick to clear, concise language that highlights your skills and experiences.

D. Not proofreading or editing

One mistake on your resume could cost you the job. Before submitting your resume, make sure to thoroughly proofread and edit it for any errors or typos. Have a friend or colleague review it as well to get a fresh perspective. This small step can make a big difference in helping you stand out to potential employers.

Overcoming Employment Gaps and Other Challenges

When writing a nurse resume, it’s important to acknowledge and address any gaps in employment, changes in career paths, or employment discrimination that you may have faced. Here are some tips to help you overcome these challenges and still land your dream job.

A. Explaining a Gap in Employment

If you have a gap in your employment history, it’s essential to be transparent about it. Whether it was due to personal reasons, health issues, or a career break, explain the reason for the gap briefly and honestly. Your potential employer will appreciate your honesty, and it may even show your resilience and ability to overcome challenges.

B. Addressing a Change in Career Path

Switching careers can be challenging, but it can also showcase your adaptability and flexibility. When explaining the reason for the change, focus on how your previous experience and skills are transferable to the nursing profession. Highlight how your previous employment has prepared you for this new role and why you are passionate about pursuing a career in nursing.

C. Showcasing Transferable Skills

Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced nurse, it’s essential to showcase your transferable skills. These skills may include time management, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. Explain how you’ve applied these skills in your previous roles, and how they will transfer to your new role as a nurse.

D. Conquering Employment Discrimination

Unfortunately, employment discrimination is still prevalent in many industries, including nursing. If you feel you have experienced employment discrimination, it’s important to confront it head-on. Keep accurate records of any discriminatory incidents or actions and report them to your employer’s HR department or to a third-party complaint against discrimination agency. Focus on how you’ve persevered despite the challenges and show how you are committed to providing quality patient care, regardless of any discrimination you may have faced.

Be honest, adaptable, and resilient when addressing any challenges in your nurse resume. Your potential employer will appreciate your transparency and commitment to overcoming adversity. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to landing your dream nursing job.

Nurse Resume Review and Feedback

Your nurse resume is the first thing that potential employers see, and it’s crucial that it showcases all of your qualifications and experience in the best possible light. However, it can be challenging to know whether your resume is effective and contains all the necessary components required for success. To ensure your resume is up to the mark, consider utilizing one of the following methods:

A. Utilizing a Professional Resume Writer

A professional resume writer can be a valuable asset when it comes to crafting a compelling nurse resume. These writers have the necessary expertise and knowledge to highlight your skills and accomplishments in a way that will resonate with employers. They can also tailor your resume to specific job postings and industries, increasing the chances of receiving a call for an interview.

Although hiring a professional resume writer may come with a cost, consider it as an investment in your career. A well-written and formatted resume can pay off in the long run by securing better job opportunities or higher salaries.

B. Seeking Feedback from Colleagues and Mentors

Getting feedback from colleagues and mentors is another excellent way to improve your nurse resume. These individuals can provide honest and constructive criticism, highlighting areas where you can improve and any changes that could make the resume stand out.

When seeking feedback from colleagues and mentors, ensure that they have knowledge or experience in nursing recruitment or HR. This way, the advice you receive will be more relevant and applicable to your resume.

C. Utilizing AI-driven Resume Review Tools

AI-driven resume review tools are a valuable resource that can help you analyze and enhance your nurse resume. These tools use machine learning algorithms to scan resumes for content, formatting, and keywords relevant to specific industries, companies, or job postings.

One of the key benefits of using such tools is their speed and accuracy. Unlike human reviewers, AI-driven tools can analyze resumes quickly and provide real-time feedback, highlighting areas for improvement, and maximizing your chances of securing a job.

Utilizing one or more of these methods can help ensure that your nurse resume stands out from the competition. While you may need to invest time, effort, or money into implementing these methods, the rewards of a polished, professional resume can be significant, securing the nurse job of your dreams.

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5 RN Career Change Resume Examples For 2024

RN Career Change Resume

• RN Career Change 2
• RN Career Change 3
• RN Career Change 4
• RN Career Change 5
• RN Career Change Resume Writing 101

Sometimes you reach a point where you’re ready to move between the RN job role and a totally different occupation that will make use of the professional abilities you already have. You’re totally ready to take the interpersonal communication, teamwork, and critical thinking knowledge from your RN experience and apply it to a whole new career!

But how do you build a resume for this unique career change? What do you include from your RN experiences, and how should everything look?

Not to worry: We’ve helped plenty of medical professionals with handy resume templates —and we can help you with these five RN career change resume examples and seasoned advice for writing cover letters , too.

or download as PDF

RN Career Chang e 2 Resume

RN Career Chang e 3 Resume

RN Career Chang e 4 Resume

RN Career Chang e 5 Resume

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What Matters Most: Your Skills & Job Experience

When you’re listing your skills, think technical! Many of your soft skills can appear to overlap with other fields at first glance, but with a bit of creativity you can break them down into more detailed (and impressive) abilities that demonstrate your readiness for a career switch.

For example, listing something like “negotiation” is far more powerful than simply saying “communication”. You don’t want to repeat whatever the recruiter probably just read on nine other applications!

To really pack a punch with your skills, ensure that each one is specific to your new profession and super fine-tuned. List software programs by name alongside honing those interpersonal abilities.

9 most popular RN career change skills

• Negotiation
• Problem-solving
• Persuasiveness
• Active Listening
• Google Docs
• Employee Training

Sample RN career change work experience bullet points

Recruiters are looking for someone who knows how to translate their skills into deliberate, impactful actions. Address your past role and cite examples of versatile skills from your previous job, like negotiation or employee training. Then, tie your accomplishments in with the new job you want.

The difference you made as an RN can still bolster your credibility in a new field: Just make sure you feature experience points that relate closely to your new job and demonstrate your positive impact in a way that translates well to the new role.

Oh, and always include quantifiable data to measure your impact! Metrics make all the difference between a nice success story and an impressive credential: Include transferable data like error reduction rates and client satisfaction percentages.

Here are some samples:

• Answered questions in alignment with physician’s protocols, educated patients regarding health and lifestyle, and encouraged follow-ups, resulting in 83% of patients returning for preventative care
• Assisted fellow RNs with filling out patient charts, conducting basic health checks, and maintaining a safe and sterile environment, reducing errors by 6%
• Handled and cleared up complaints, responded to online reviews, and monitored incoming and outgoing phone call quality to raise client satisfaction from 85% to 96%
• Managed 12 account executives, training and motivating the team to meet or exceed sales goals 93% of the time
• Evaluated sales objectives and results and drafted weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports to analyze statistics and adjust budgeting goals, reducing budget by 11%

Top 5 Tips for Your RN Career Change Resume

• To simultaneously close the gap between your two career areas and showcase your ability to grow, feature a number of increasingly complex accomplishments on your resume. Show how you succeeded in your previous job role as an RN, and then share how you recently beat those metrics!
• Pick a template that will organize your experience points in a visually pleasing and highly organized manner. Our templates all look a bit different once you fill in your unique info, so see which one fits best! You want to set off your overarching skills but also emphasize the advancement as an RN that’s prepared you for a career change.
• Your bulleted list of RN experiences and achievements should be super easy for recruiters to skim. Keep each point to just one or two lines, and stick with just the essential information: What did you do for your patients? How did you do it, and why? What measurable results did you achieve?
• The “why” of your experience examples involves a bit of backstory, especially if you’re switching from the RN role to a totally different job. By using examples that feature variety from one point to the next in terms of setting and motivation, you keep recruiters interested and show them your adaptability!
• Don’t let your resume go over one page, no matter how good the contents are! Recruiters are often working with a time crunch, so cut to the chase and share your best, most transferable RN experiences (especially anything connected to customer relations or the appropriate technical skills) as concisely as you can.

If you have some great points that you just don’t feel right about parting with, use them to kick off a great cover letter! Be sure to grab RN experiences that demonstrate adaptability and connect strongly with the job ad you’re applying to.

Yes, absolutely! Even if you have a qualifying credential that doesn’t relate to your new career direction, like an ALS or RN certification, list it: This shows your ability to supplement traditional qualifications and get the training you need for any field.

Showing that you’ve read the job description can take you far: Do this by revisiting the original ad and finding skills, objectives, or mission statements you already align with. Reflect these back in your resume, with focus on your most recent relevant RN duties.