Good Nursing CV Examples, Template & Sample for the UK

What to highlight in a nurse CV

When figuring out how to place your experiences and skills on your CV it’s important to recognize what will best catch the attention of your potential employer. This means that when you’re crafting your CV you should use the “top-down” method when presenting your credentials. Mention your most relevant or the required credentials or certifications early in your document as part of the summary or objective statement, then explain the depth of your background and include all qualifying materials in your education and work experience sections.

Credentials may include your degrees MSN, BSN, etc., licensure credentials RN, LPN/LVN and state designations Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner. Nursing licenses have numbers that need to be included, too. Employers often use those numbers for verification. If you have many certifications, awards and honors, create a separate section below your education section.

The preferred order of listing credentials is:

• Highest earned degree
• Licensure
• State designations or requirements
• National certifications
• Awards and honors
• Other recognitions

Once you have the order of preference as the base of your nursing CV and your level of experience is clear, it’s important to review your document as a whole and pay attention to these key factors:

Getting past the applicant tracking system (ATS)

A hiring manager never even gets to see your CV if it doesn’t make it past the ATS (automated tracking system). An ATS is automated resume-scanning software that many large and medium-sized employers currently use in their application process. ATS systems are all unique as they are programmed by employers to search for specific keywords in resumes and reduce the huge pool of potential applicants. To get your resume past an ATS, two things matter most: how you format your resume and what keywords you use.

Use relevant keywords in your nurse CV

The easiest way to find the correct keywords to include in your CV is to break down the actual job posting and note the particular skills, experiences and job requirements the employer lists. For a nursing role, it would typically be a minimum of three years of experience and terms like: Intermediate Care Travel Nurse, IMC RN, IMC Nurse, IMC Travel, etc.

Show the ability to work with patients

Nursing may be classified as a scientific field but it’s a necessity to show your passion for helping and healing people in both your CV and your cover letter. You want the employer to know that you have empathy, compassion and communication skills in addition to being emotionally strong, confident and optimistic.

Include technical nursing skills on your nursing CV sample

At any level, nursing is a technical job with a huge human component. Nursing hiring managers value qualified applicants that demonstrate straightforward, detailed technical skills and experience but also show evidence of success with patients. Be sure your experience matches the job requirements so you can show that you can perform the job tasks effectively and efficiently.

Structure of a nurse CV

CV or resume templates will help provide you with a strong appearance for your CV but you’ll need some insight into the structure of CV formats to write it more effectively. Here’s a rundown of the sections that should appear in a CV.

• Contact Information: Clear and correct contact information is needed from every applicant including your full name and phone number. You can also add your social media links, such as your LinkedIn profile.
• Objective Statement: In your objective statement, give an overview of your top career highlights relevant to the position. What is a good objective for a resume? Describe your professional or academic specializations, key skills or relevant attributes and key achievements to show why you’re the ideal candidate.
• Summary of Qualifications: This section should be focused on what you can offer to a potential employer by highlighting what makes you unique. You can also highlight your affiliations with any professional bodies or groups. Think of these as lengthier descriptions of the most important attributes that would otherwise belong on your skills list.
• Core Qualifications/Key Skills: These sections should include technical or special skills that match up with the requirements of the job description. Here are some examples of teaching skills commonly listed:
  • Checking and monitoring vital signs
  • CPR, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
  • Starting peripheral IV lines
  • Electronic Medical Records (EHR)
  • Ventilator care
  • Compassion
  • Basic nutrition
  • Knowledge of filing systems
  • Communication
  • Organization
• Education: The education section should be presented in reverse-chronological order with your high school listed last and with the least detail — you do not need to include your GPA.
• Work Experience: The work experience section should be presented in reverse-chronological order, just as with a professional resume, and highlight your main achievements and professional skills. Remember to include quantifiable metrics to demonstrate precisely what you contributed to past employers.
• Awards: Academic and professional achievements you have received.
• Certifications: Credentials earned via training online, night classes, etc.
• Publications: List research papers, articles or other published writing related to your work.
• Grants and Fellowships: Here you’d list financial grants or admittance into fellowships. This shows potential employers that you’ve proven yourself to influential people in your field.
• Conferences: Shows your commitment to taking a more holistic interest in your industry through networking, learning from peers and more.
• Affiliations: Highlight which major, industry-relevant associations you’re a part of or have worked with directly.

Modify your CV in minutes with our builder

Although CVs are different from resumes and include more sections, using CV formats to create a CV that will pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) and impress hiring managers using our Resume Maker is easy!

Follow these simple steps to build your CV:

• Click one of the “Create my CV” buttons above. On the new page that appears, select “Create a new resume” to begin the process. Then select “Let’s get started” on the next page.
• Follow the steps on the page and fill in the blanks.
• First, choose one of our resume templates, then select if you want to create a new CV or upload an existing document.
• The builder will automatically guide you through creating the summary, and adding your work history, skills and education.
• After writing your summary, you’ll be able to add extra sections and begin customizing your document. Click the box on the top right to use the “add sections” feature and select “other” from the drop-down menu so you can title and fill in your own custom skills or certifications.
• When you reach the end of the builder, you’ll see your CV to move your new section or any of the preselected builder sections. Hover over the left side of the column you are trying to adjust and select the arrow icon pictured below.
• If you need to edit the standard or your custom sections, select the three dots on the right and the editing drop-down will appear. This way, you can organize the layout of your CV accordingly.
• If you would like to change the headers of any of your CV sections, simply hover over where it says “Summary,” “Education,” etc., until the Rename button appears. Then put your new title in the space provided and click enter.
• You can change the formatting of your document on the menu at the bottom of the page. After clicking the arrow next to “Normal,” press the “Custom” button. A new menu will appear, where you can adjust the margins, font size, font style and spacing. If you want to change the color, a menu with different options will appear when you click the “Color” tab.
• Be sure to click “Spell Check” at the top left to ensure no grammatical errors.
• Once you’re satisfied with your CV, you can click “Download” and save the document on your computer. If you don’t want to download it just yet, press “Save and Next” so your work isn’t lost.

More CV tips and examples

If you want to make the best impression with your nurse resume you need to be able to adapt to changes quickly and have a set of versatile and well-designed templates that can help your documents be professional and readable. ResumeHelp has many resources which could help you to create the perfect resume for your next job opportunity.

Check out these resources if you are looking for just the right way to present your resume or want to view other examples from related jobs in your industry:

• Travel Nurse
• New grad nursing resume
• Nurse manager
• Nurse practitioner resume
• Certified nursing assistant resume
• Caregiver resume
• Home health aide resume

Write a nurse cover letter to accompany your CV

Having an excellent cover letter is a plus when you’re applying to jobs and if mentioned in the job description it is a must to include. A cover letter can be used to tell your career story and express your enthusiasm for the position which is a plus when you are trying to show off your unique classroom experience. If you need help crafting your cover letter ResumeHelp has plenty of cover letter writing tips, cover letter examples and a wide range of cover letter templates you can use to write the perfect accompaniment to your nurse resume.