Registered Nurse (RN) Resume Examples and Tips for 2024

Your registered nurse resume begins with the header at the top of the page. Your most up-to-date contact information will be featured in the header so the prospective employer can easily locate your information on the resume to notify you for a job interview.

Contact information includes:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Social media profile links, such as LinkedIn

Following your header will be a resume summary or objective. Experienced nurses with a few nursing jobs will want to write a resume summary. A recent nursing graduate or someone changing careers to nursing will want to write a resume objective.

A resume summary is two to three sentences long and offers the hiring manager a concise overview of your nursing work history and most proficient skills. This would include what types of nursing specialty you are experienced in.

A resume objective is the same length and provides an overview centered around career goals. In nursing, you would say how your skills were used on a daily basis in patient care (communication, empathy and dependability) and include future career goals, such as using your leadership skills to manage a team of nurses.

Registered nurse resume summary example:

Energetic pediatric nurse with more than seven years of experience in the high-volume pediatric unit of St. Luke’s Hospital. Looking to deliver patient care at North Shore University Hospital in the pediatric surgical unit. Received a 98% average rating by the St. Luke’s health care team for critical care, excellent communication skills, dedication, attention to detail and multitasking.

Registered nurse resume objective example:

Recent nursing graduate from Molloy College with four years of training in pediatric emergency care, looking to work in a hospital ICU department setting. Proven patient care experience with medical emergencies and a 5-star rating of excellent care from North Shore Hospital patients and families.

When hiring managers or recruiters look at your registered nursing resume, they’ll want to be sure that your resume skills match what a registered nurse should possess. Here are a few resume skills examples to consider featuring on your resume in a bullet point format to stand out:

5 top nursing soft skills:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Empathy

5 top nursing hard skills:

• Patient assessment and monitoring vital signs
• CPR, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
• Medication administration
• IV-line placement
• Infection control

An important fact to consider is that busy hiring managers use an ATS to scan for qualified registered nurse resumes. Be sure to include the skills required in the job description for the job you are applying to so you match the relevant keywords that an ATS is programmed to look for in a qualified applicant.

The work experience of your registered nurse resume shows the employer that you match the qualifications in the job description. Begin by listing your current or most recent nursing role and work backwards with your previous jobs.

Include the following:

• Company name
• Your position title
• Years worked in that role
• Brief description of your accomplishments

Whether you list experience as a registered nurse, licensed nurse, nursing assistant or nurse practitioner, describe your work highlights using action verbs. Also, try to quantify your nursing achievements by highlighting accomplishments rather than simply list routine job tasks. Read the job description carefully to match the specific responsibilities of the job that you are applying for.

Here are a few examples of work experience to consider for your registered nurse resume:

• Executed detail-oriented patient care plans and medication administration with 100% accuracy.
• Demonstrated critical-thinking skills when performing assessment skills to patient care.
• Prepared 20+ patients daily for tests, procedures and surgeries as well as performed post-operative care.
• Monitored continual patient lab work, reporting abnormal lab tests to physicians.
• Provided health education to patients and families from admission through discharge.
• Maintained direct communication and a professional rapport with 10+ staff physicians.

As a registered nurse, you already know the importance of presenting your education and credentials to the potential employer. This includes nursing school, licenses and certifications. To work as a registered nurse (RN), you will typically be expected to complete either two or four years of an accredited nursing program. It’s important you clearly and accurately list your education and include the following information:

• Degree
• Licensure
• Name of the school
• Graduation year
• Academic honors and awards
• Unless requested, don’t include your gpa

Here are a few examples of certifications on a registered nurse resume:

• RN-BC: Ambulatory Care Nursing
• RN-BC: Cardiac-Vascular Nursing
• RNC-NIC Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing
• OCN: Oncology Certified Nurse
• TCRN: Trauma Certified Registered Nurse
• AWCC: Advanced Wound Care Certification
• CPR

To rise above the competition and create the most impressive registered nursing resume possible, consider additional resume sections that highlight your volunteer activities, additional training, awards or other certifications. Be sure to mention the organization name, location and time of involvement. This helps your professional resume demonstrate that you not only have the right work experience and skills but you have other special qualifications.

Here are some examples of awards:

• North Shore Hospital Emergency Room Student Nurse Award
• Smyrna Community Center Volunteer of Year Award
• St. Peter’s Church Volunteer Service Award

Here are some volunteer activities that would benefit a registered nurse resume:

• Volunteer – American Red Cross blood drive
• Volunteer – American Heart Association health screening event
• Volunteer – Smithville Homeless Shelter, first aid rep