Guide to Writing the Perfect Nursing Resume With Examples

In a nursing resume, there are several key details that need to be included. For example, make sure to include any professional affiliations, along with any honors, awards, or volunteer work. Additionally, include specific nursing education information, like where you went to college and degrees that you’ve earned. Finally, be sure to include your nursing license and certification information to validate your credentials. If you need help crafting your nursing resume, then check out a few resume builders to help you get started.

Nursing professionals have a number of skills, including hard skills and soft skills. That said, depending on what type of nurse you are, your skills may vary. For example, there are nurse practitioners, Registered Nurses, ICU nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, nursing assistants, and more.

 

Some of the general nursing skills you should consider including on your resume are:

• Urgent and emergency care skills
• Patient and family education
• Patient care and safety
• Tech skills
• Patient assessment
• Pediatric care
• Medication administration
• Recording and monitoring vital signs
• Communication
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Time management
• Flexibility and stamina
• Teamwork

Aside from skills, you can also list your achievements on your nursing resume to stand out to hiring managers. For example, if you have certifications such as the Basic Life Support Certification (BLS), make sure to include them. A few other stand-out certifications include Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training, CPR certification, and First Aid training.

Resumes are created based on one of these three resume formats:

• Reverse chronological resume
• Functional resume
• Hybrid resume

Most recruiters and hiring managers expect a reverse chronological order resume format. This type of resume will start with your work experience and accomplishments, beginning with your most recent job position, followed by skills. A functional resume format focuses more on skills rather than employment history. Finally, a hybrid resume combines the reverse chronological resume format and a functional resume format, emphasizing both skills and work history.

While you’ll likely use a reverse chronological resume format, it’s important to use industry-specific terminology no matter what resume format you use. Additionally, you should tailor your resume to each job you apply to. Read the job posting thoroughly and incorporate listed skills and requirements from the description to your resume, typically in the skills or experience section. Using keywords will grab the reader’s attention and make your resume more relevant to what an employer is looking for.

Each resume has a few key sections. Commonly, you start with a header, a resume summary or objective, then move onto your skills work experience and education sections, with optional sections for certifications, achievements, or notable awards.

 

In your resume header, include your name, job title and basic contact information, including a phone number, and an appropriate email address. You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile if you have one.

 

After your header, most people include a resume summary or resume objective. This brief paragraph should include some of your most notable skills and explain why you’re the best candidate for the job.

 

In your resume skills section, list only relevant skills that match the job description. There’s typically no need to include basic skills that apply to almost all jobs. Use bullet points to make your skills section engaging and easy for potential employers to read.

 

In your work history section, start with your current or most recent job, and work backwards to older job experiences. State your job title, your years of experience, and a short description of common job duties you had while working there.

 

If you went to college, then list your degree, year of graduation, and the name of your college or university in the education section. If you didn’t graduate from a university, then list your high school diploma, or any vocational or professional training you’ve had.

 

Some job seekers also include another section to highlight their certifications, achievements, or notable licensure. Additionally, nursing applicants can include their licenses or credentials. This is where you can add your CPR certification, BLS certification, and other relevant nursing certifications.