summary of qualifications for nursing resume

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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Resume Worded   |  Career Strategy

Nursing resume summary examples.

Approved by hiring managers, here are proven resume summary examples you can use on your Nursing resume. Learn what real hiring managers want to see on your resume, and when to use which.

• Critical Care Nursing
• Entry Level Nursing
• Nursing Education
• Nursing Management
• Oncology Nursing
• Pediatric Nursing
• Public Health Nursing
• Senior Nursing
• Surgical Nursing
• Nursing resume templates
• Similar summary examples

Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight certifications.

The mention of being a "Certified Nursing Professional" immediately highlights key qualifications, a crucial factor for recruiters who often skim resumes. This not only grabs attention but also helps your resume pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter based on keywords.

Quantify Experience

Stating "7+ years of experience delivering patient-focused care" provides a clear picture of your professional journey. This not only shows you're experienced but also underscores your patient-centric approach, a soft skill highly valued in nursing.

Showcase Achievements

"Reduced patient recovery time by 20%" shows your tangible impact in previous roles. Such quantifiable achievements can sway recruiters in your favor as they provide a snapshot of what you could potentially accomplish in their organization.

Emphasize Leadership and Coordination

"Coordinated multidisciplinary teams across three hospitals" demonstrates both leadership and organizational skills, crucial for nursing roles that involve coordinating with various departments.

Demonstrate Ability to Handle Pressure

By stating experience in "working in high-pressure environments", you convey ability to maintain performance under stress, a key trait in the fast-paced healthcare field.

Critical Care Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight your area of expertise.

Mentioning your expertise in trauma and emergency care lets recruiters know that you're not just a regular nurse but one who can handle high-pressure situations effectively.

Speak to your achievements

Reducing a patient mortality rate is a significant achievement that speaks volumes about your skills and dedication. It's the kind of accomplishment that sets you apart.

Show your team management skills

Showing that you've managed a team, especially in an intense setting like an ICU, demonstrates your leadership and ability to handle responsibility. It's important to show you're not just capable of doing the work, but leading it too.

Show recognition

Brag a little. If you've been recognized for your patient care, it means you've made a significant positive impact. It shows you are capable of not just doing your job, but excelling at it.

Don't let a subpar resume hold you back from your dream job. Our tool helps you optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems and human recruiters alike. Get a comprehensive analysis and start landing more interviews today.

Entry Level Nursing Resume Summary Example

Showcase specialized expertise.

Describing "expertise in pediatric care" helps position you as a specialist in a particular area, useful for roles requiring specific skills.

Highlight Clinical Hours

Providing a count of your "800+ clinical hours" is a concrete way of demonstrating on-the-job learning, especially important for entry-level roles.

Present Soft Skills

By mentioning "efficiency and compassionate care", you showcase your soft skills - qualities often sought after in patient-centric nursing roles.

Demonstrate Initiative

The "streamlined patient intake process" suggests you're proactive and capable of identifying and solving problems, qualities highly desired by employers.

Nursing Education Resume Summary Example

Specify role.

Term "Nursing Educator" specifies your role and sets the stage for your resume. This helps recruiters quickly identify if your profile matches their search.

Display Experience Breadth

"Decade of experience in academic and clinical settings" shows a wide range of experience, which can make your profile more appealing to recruiters looking for versatile educators.

Exhibit Curriculum Development Skills

"Developed curriculum for nursing programs" demonstrates your ability to create educational content, a key requirement for teaching roles.

Demonstrate Influence

"Influenced over 500 nursing careers" shows your impact on future healthcare professionals, and adds a humanizing touch to your achievements.

Nursing Management Resume Summary Example

Showcase leadership.

"Proven track record in managing large healthcare teams" shows your ability to handle responsibility and lead effectively, both crucial in managerial roles.

Quantify Efficiency

By stating that you "increased efficiency by 35%", you provide a measure of your administrative capabilities and impact on operations.

Highlight Patient Centricity

"Pioneered a patient-first approach" illustrates your dedication to patient satisfaction, a key indicator of quality healthcare delivery.

Demonstrate Regulatory Knowledge

"Navigating the complexities of healthcare regulations" and "ensuring compliance" shows your understanding of the legal framework in healthcare, a crucial aspect in nursing management.

Oncology Nursing Resume Summary Example

Showcase your specialization.

A niche skill, like palliative care in oncology nursing, can make you a valuable asset. It's not just about being a nurse; it's about being a nurse with a specific skill set that could be critical in some situations. This can give you an edge in the selection process.

Quantify your impact

ATS scan for numbers as they signify measurable impact. Stating that you've managed care for over 50 patients demonstrates your ability to handle workload and stress. Make your contributions tangible to grab attention.

Demonstrate innovative thinking

Your unique approach to patient care not only shows your innovative thinking but also your commitment to improving patient outcomes. It shows that you're not just doing your job, but you're actively seeking ways to do it better.

Mention your leadership skills

Training junior nurses emphasizes your leadership skills and your ability to pass on your knowledge to others. Your experience in this area assures employers that you can guide others in complex situations.

Pediatric Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight specialization.

"5+ years of experience in neonatal care" immediately shows your specialty. Recruiters looking for pediatric nurses would find this compelling and relevant.

Show Impact on Patient Outcomes

"Improved neonatal health outcomes by 30%" provides a measurable impact of your work. Such quantitative accomplishments can help you stand out.

Proof of Handling Complexity

"Managed complex cases" indicates capability of handling challenging situations, a sought-after trait in specialties like pediatric nursing.

Highlight Patient Education Skills

"Demonstrated expertise in patient education" emphasizes your ability to effectively communicate with patients and families, a crucial aspect of nursing.

Public Health Nursing Resume Summary Example

Passion goes a long way.

Mentioning your passion for community healthcare not only shows your drive but also your commitment to the well-being of the community. It gives a sense of your purpose and motivation, which is inspiring.

Show your initiative

Launching a successful immunization program shows your initiative, leadership, and ability to manage large-scale projects. It's an achievement that demonstrates real impact.

Prove your effectiveness

Reducing community health issues by a quarter through education initiatives highlights your effectiveness and dedication to preventive healthcare. This shows that you're not just reactive, but proactive in your approach to healthcare.

Show your versatility

Managing healthcare delivery for diverse populations across urban and rural settings shows your adaptability and understanding of different healthcare environments. It makes you a more versatile and attractive candidate.

Senior Nursing Resume Summary Example

Impress with extensive experience.

Mentioning "over 15 years of experience in critical care" immediately signals a deep level of expertise and knowledge, crucial for senior roles.

Highlight Leadership Skills

As a senior nurse, "leading a team of 20 nurses" showcases your ability to manage, lead, and inspire a team, an essential skill for senior positions.

Quantify Success

"Reduced patient mortality rate by 10%" provides a concrete achievement to recruiters, illustrating your impact on patient outcomes.

Demonstrate People Development

"Implemented a mentorship program" indicates your commitment to staff development. This could be a deciding factor for recruiters looking for leaders who can develop their teams.

Surgical Nursing Resume Summary Example

Proven expertise matters.

Stating your proven expertise in perioperative care not only shows your skill but also gives assurance to the employer about your ability to deliver in the operating room. It adds weight to your resume.

Don't shy away from numbers

Assisting in 500+ surgeries is a strong statistic that demonstrates your experience and reliability. Numbers make your accomplishments concrete and more impressive.

Show your contributions to improvement

Improving surgical outcomes is a crucial contribution in a field where precision matters the most. It shows that you're not just doing your job, but you're making a real difference.

Showcase your leadership skills

Managing surgical teams is not an easy task. Mentioning this shows you can handle pressure, coordinate tasks effectively, and lead a team in high-stakes situations.

Nursing Resume Templates

Dental assistant.

Respiratory Therapist

Medical Resume Summary Examples

• > Case Manager Summary Examples
• > Dental Assistant Summary Examples

Medical Resume Objective Examples

• > Case Manager Objective Examples
• > Dental Assistant Objective Examples

Medical Resume Guides

• > Case Manager Resume Guides
• > Dental Assistant Resume Guides

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

How to Write an Effective Nursing Resume Summary

Writing an effective nursing resume summary is easier said than done. Studies show that recruiters spend mere seconds reviewing a resume and these days that’s after the resume has made its way through the applicant tracking system. An effective nursing resume summary is concise and easy to read. It correlates the candidate’s experience with the job description in question. And it piques the reader’s interest to the point that they will continue reviewing the resume in greater detail.

How long do recruiters spend reviewing a nursing resume?

A 2012 study conducted by the Ladders found that recruiters spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume . That’s right, 6 seconds. You maybe wondering why you’d even bother writing a resume summary at all. Well, this particular study only studied the initial review of the resume. Initially, recruiters typically go straight to a review of the last two jobs held by the candidate. They want to know immediately if they are working with a candidate that has experience in the particular job capacity in question. So they look at the job title and the dates of employment. Recruiters also focused on the employers and education of the candidates.

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Of course, this study was conducted on recruiters reviewing the resumes of general professionals as opposed to professionals in the healthcare field. We’d expect slight variations from recruiters in the healthcare field. They may look for specialties, licenses and certifications in addition to these other attributes. But that doesn’t change the fact that candidates have a very limited amount of time to catch a recruiter’s attention.

If recruiters see some or all of what they’re looking for in an initial review, then they may give the resume a closer look. Even then, the resume may only receive 20 seconds total . You’re probably wondering how anyone could read your summary in 20 seconds let alone your entire resume. Well, they’re actually reviewing it as opposed to reading it. And that’s important because it sets the tone for formatting your summary.

How should your nursing resume summary be formatted?

Like the rest of your resume, your summary should be concise and easy to read. The reader should be able to review it quickly and pick up on the keywords and concepts that they’re looking for. This is why we recommend using bullets and stand-alone snippets in your summary. By doing this, you’re playing to the realities of the review process.

Most summaries are written in paragraph form. This is fine for conveying large volumes of information in a more compact space, but it assumes that the reviewer is actually going to take the time to read it. Unfortunately, they will not do this in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, a summary written as a big, long paragraph may prevent the reviewer from picking up on the key points or distract them from even reviewing it at all.

By contrast, a summary written with bullets and stand-alone snippets allows the reviewer to quickly scan this section and easily pick up on the keywords and points you’re making. You might include a quick snippet from an online evaluation or professional endorsement and provide a link to the site where the rest of the information can be reviewed. You may also provide a brief overarching summary of your skills in bold print and then provide bullets for the rest of the information you’re seeking to convey.

What should be included in your nursing resume summary?

There are many possibilities for your summary and there is no exact science as to what to include. Different people will have different cards to play based on their level of experience and the specifics of their job search. The only certainty is that you should always due your best to match your skills and the information you convey on your resume with the qualifications and job description in question.

You might include the following in your summary:

• Years of relevant experience.
• A summary of your qualifications for the job in question.
• A sense of your work or management style.
• Personal characteristics that make you a good fit for the job and/or company.
• Professional achievements.
• Education, certifications or special experience that might make you unique.
• Measurable improvements that you’ve made for previous employers.
• Accolades or awards that you’ve received from previous employers.

When considering what to write in your summary, do your best to avoid stand-alone cliches like “team player” or “results oriented”. Instead, try to convey these concepts with concrete examples. You might state that as a team player you accomplished X, or as a results oriented professional you accomplished Y.

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that the rest of your resume supports your summary. Remember, your goal is to convey as much information that’s pertinent to the job in question. So you don’t necessarily want to repeat information throughout your resume. As a healthcare professional, you have no shortage of highly technical skills and diverse job duties to convey so making sure your resume isn’t repetitive shouldn’t be a problem.

Sample Nursing Resume Summary

Below is one example of a summary:

Registered Nurse with over 7 years of critical care experience. Specialized practice in cardiovascular surgery, post-operative recovery, and intensive care.

• Extensive experience and thorough understanding of pathophysiology and pharmacology of critically ill patients.
• Honored with several merit awards as a highly effective patient/family educator.
• Promoted to Charge Nurse as a respected team-player with demonstrated leadership skills.
• Current member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) since 2008. AACN Ambassador since 2011.

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Love your reference “rap sheet” I was A travel nurse for 14 years and that’s exactly what it looks like. I always list it as one entry and it works fine. Good Luck!!

Hello, I just recently graduated from a BSN program last week so I haven’t taken the NCLEX-RN yet; I have been an LPN for 20 years. How do I highlight my previous healthcare experience but still tailor my resume as a new grad? Now that my scope of practice will be different, which skills or attributes from my experience as an LPN would be best to feature as a new grad without listing basic nursing skills? Also, how should I word the fact that I don’t have a license yet? Is it appropriate to say “license pending?” Also, should I list my name followed by BSN or LPN?

Congratulations, Brandee! There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but here are my recommendations. Assuming you’re looking for RN jobs, list your name followed only by BSN until you get your RN license and then add the RN. In the Licenses and Certifications section of your resume, list the RN license as Pending and provide a status, ie. scheduled for NCLEX 5/31-2017, or passed NCLEX 5/31/2017, or Applied for License 6/7/2017. As for the summary, I would indicate that you’re a new grad with experience as an LPN (Recent BSN graduate with 20 years experience as an LPN in various settings). From there, try your best to highlight how your experience relates to the qualifications and requirements for the specific job your applying for. And remember, always be looking for ways to explain why you’re the solution to their problems….rather than explaining what they can do for you. I hope this helps!

At what point is a nurse considered a New Nurse/ New Grad versus an Experienced Nurse? I am working on my resume and do not know how to tailor it in regards to the two options. I graduated Dec 14′ and worked my first nursing position in May 15′. I have had one other job since then and currently seeking another. So in total, I would say I have about 1 1/2 years of nursing experience.

I would say that 1 year or more of experience makes you experienced. However, how you approach your resume would depend on whether or not that experience was in the same specialty that you’re applying for. For example, if you have 1 year of experience in Long Term Care, but your applying for jobs in a hospital’s ICU, then you might want to include details about clinical rotations in the ICU during your schooling, in addition to your experience in LTC. I hope this helps!

I am also having difficulties creating a resume. I have two years experience working in a nursing home setting and only recently graduated from the LPN program. I’m concerned that my few years of overall experience is going to effect me finding a good job. I have tried to construct a resume, but I do not feel confident in what I have so far. Any suggestions/references would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you, Sandy B.

I am struggling in writing my resume. I am not sure how to present myself. My most recent jobs included the Program Nurse head for a Life Skills Program for medical fragile children and the nurse in charge of all the medical needs for a camp, including managing all aspects of the clinic. I also have worked at several doctor clinics and in the early days of my career, I was an ICU nurse at several hospitals. I would like another position in some type of nurse management. Suggestions on how to summarize myself?

Thanks for the inquiry, Jean. There’s no easy way to summarize your experience when attempting to transition into a new area of the field. My recommendation would be to review each job posting for hints about qualifications and requirements that you may be able to equate to your past experience. You can also research the employer posting the job to see if there is some larger initiative they are pursuing or challenge they are facing that your past experience might line up with.

You can also review the job descriptions for similar jobs of many different employers to find hints about the qualifications that are being sought for the type of position you’re interested in. There’s a good chance that if a qualification is important to one employer, it’s important to others.

The main goal is to convey how you are going to help solve the problems an employer is facing; how you are the best solution for their hiring need. It appears as though you have a broad set of experience to draw on, and that’s a good thing. The tasks are 1) equating your experience with the qualifications of the new job and/or 2) conveying how your experience will help you solve an employer’s problem and 3) succinctly distilling this into 2 to 4 bullet points in your resume summary.

I hope this helps!

I’m a former travel nurse of many years inclusive of interim nursing leadership positions and staff nurse positions. Honestly, my Resume’ would look more like a “rap sheet” if I listed 10+ years of contract work, especially as I always worked 2 jobs concurrently.

Now that I have my BSN and will complete my MSN: Nurse Executive specialty track degree within 6 months, I am looking to move from Director roles into the C-Suite.

Any suggestions how to summarize or should I list each contract job?

Congratulations or your recent and upcoming achievements! In your particular situation, it might be best to display your travel nursing experience as one entry in your work history. For example:

Travel Nurse 2006-2016 Worked for various agencies completing short term assignments across the country, gaining proficiency with a diverse set of charting systems, processes, procedures, organizational structures and management approaches.

Then, go on to list some highlights that pertain to the job posting for which you are applying. Donna Cardillo recommends this approach . Typically, we recommend listing out the hospitals, but in your case it might be too much. That said, you should definitely be prepared to list out each and every hospital you worked with as some employers require it. I hope this helps!!

Thank you for this article! Helps a lot =)

Thanks for letting us know; we’re glad to hear it’s useful!

Great advice, thank you so much for getting back to me! 🙂

Any advice for a New Grad RN looking for a 1st job? Preceptorship in pediatrics but I am going to apply to medsurg positions as well. What should I highlight in my executive summary? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the question. Here is an article dedicated to new-grad nursing resumes. There’s a bit about summaries there. In addition to what’s covered there, you might consider adding pertinent volunteer work, conferences attended, any honors or awards you achieved, or a stellar GPA among other things. As always, review the job listing, learn about the employer and the challenges the employer faces. Then, try to highlight anything in your experience that might align. I hope this helps!

Thanks for sharing very informative

What about a med/surg nurse who wants to apply for a psych nurse position? Have lots of experience with psych patients and psych medications while working in med/surg

Thanks for the inquiry, Kayla. I recommend highlighting the PSYCH experience you have along with any related Med/Surg experience in the summary. Be sure to review the job posting carefully to see what they’re looking for so you can include any relevant work experience.

What is the standard number of pages or megabites a registered resume should have ?

There isn’t a standard length or file size for nursing resume. Most would say that it’s best to keep the resume to 1 to 2 pages, but that may not always be possible. Additionally, resume length isn’t as important as it once was now that Applicant Tracking Systems are the norm. Here is an article with some more considerations on the topic.

How would I present my resume as neophyte RN employed, but was been in the medical settings since I graduated in 2005. I worked in family doctor’s office as over all in charge. Had3 months practice as RN float temporary while working on my papers to stay for good (acute, long term and dementia) and CNA of 4 yrs. Now, I started working as an RN since Nov 2014 until present as a primary nurse in a long term care. I really want to be a dialysis nurse. I had my 800 hours clinical hours wayback in 2006.

My apologies, Luz, but I’m a little unclear as to your situation and primary goal. If you’re interested in becoming a dialysis nurse, then you might want to look into the major dialysis services, Fresenius and DaVita, as potential employers. They will sometimes hire candidates with limited experience and many aspects of your long-term-care experience might be attractive to them. I hope this helps!

I have a question- thank you. I would like to become a dialysis nurse however, I have no experience in that area I have worked in cardiac telemetry and psyche. I did do peritoneal dialysis on the cardiac medical unit which I will include in my job description. Please advise how to open the door into a new arena of nursing. Thank you so very kindly, El. Towne

Thanks for the question! Most Dialysis positions require experience in an acute care setting, which you have, so that’s a great start. You also have some relative experience in the field. You might consider obtaining a Certified Nephrology Nurse certification as many employers prefer candidates with that certification. Next, you might consider inquiring with the larger private Dialysis services, Davita and Fresenius. The ratings for these employers on Glass Door and Indeed are just so-so, but they might be a great way to get 1 to 2 years of experience in the specialty before searching for a more desirable hospital based position. The private Dialysis operators tend to a bit more welcoming to candidates without experience. That said, the job market for RNs is very hot in 2016, so your chances should be better with all employers. I hope this helps!

What about for a second career new nurse? I have over seven years of experience in the communications field with three years of supervisory experience. I recently graduated with my BSN and passed the NCLEX. My nursing experience is limited to my clinical experience and some volunteer work. I am struggling how to relate my past experience with nursing to make me stand out in my Summary.

Yes, it’s difficult to relate experiences in other industries to nursing because employers are typically seeking candidates with experience in the technical aspects of nursing. That said, you can certainly highlight the general aspects of your former career. Your promotion, leadership, team-work and other aspects are all good qualifications to address in your summary. Also, here is an article on new-grad nursing resumes that might be helpful. I hope this information helps!

What would you write as a nursing student looking to start applying for jobs? I have no experience other than what my clinicals have offered me. I wont be taking my boards for about 5 months still. Set to graduate in December (3 more months.

How would you suggest is the best way to present that as a RN, I simultaneously held the titles of ADON, Wound Nurse, and Charge Nurse at my most recent employer? Initially I was hired as a Charge Nurse, then I was promoted to ADON but I still had to work as a Charge Nurse 3 of my 5 scheduled days so I functioned in the role of ADON only on Monday and Tuesday. Later it was determined there was a definite need for consistent and routine wound monitoring, so I evolved into the Wound Nurse for the facility. Working with physicians I developed new protocols for wound assessment, treatment, and management and every Monday I functioned in the role of Wound Nurse. Is it best to break each job into its own summary and bullet list? I’m in over my head trying to figure out the best way to present myself in a resume now, including the profile.

Hey Tereasa,

Thanks for the inquiry. This is a great problem to have for your nursing resume! I agree it’s difficult to manage though. Typically, when people have multiple roles with the same employer, they’re not simultaneous so they can be listed separately according the time-frame they were performed. In this case, I think it would be best to do as you suggest and break each into it’s own summary and bullet list. The reason is that these are all very different roles. Something like below:

Employer Name Employer information (location, details, etc.) Job Title: Charge RN, ADON, Wound Care Nurse Hired as a Charge RN, I was promoted to ADON and also accepted a role as the Wound Care Nurse for the facility.

Charge RN: Start Date-End Date

• Accomplishment 1
• Accomplishment 2

ADON: Start Date-End Date

Wound Care Nurse: Start Date-End Date

I think something like that works well in this case. It might take up quite a bit of space, but you’ve accomplished a lot! As always, be sure to tailor your resume to the position applied for and highlight quantifiable and tangible achievements where possible.

As for your resume summary, I think it’s best say something like, “X years experience as Charge Nurse, X years experience as an ADON, and X years as a Wound Care Nurse.” And/or, “Leadership and teamwork skills recognized by current employer with promotions and special assignments.” Remember, the summary itself is just that, a quick summary designed to pique interest and get the reader to spend more time reviewing the rest of the resume and the actual accomplishments. It’s also an excellent opportunity to match your qualifications with the required qualifications for the job. So, if the job is looking for X years experience as an ADON, then you might say, “Over X years experience as an ADON.” I hope this information helps and please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.

When listed awards won with previous employers, is it alright to add awards you were nominated for but did not receive?

Great Question! Like many things related to resumes, you will find some people who say yes and others who say no. I would say that it depends on how well you can quantify the nomination. For example: One of five Staff Nurses out of 160 to be nominated for the X Award.

Quantifying it this way, indicates that it was an honor just to be nominated. If you’re able to do this, or something like it, then adding the nomination to your resume could be useful. I hope this helps!!

Thank you. Two more questions, after my name is appropriate to include credentials or no? I have seen differing opinions. My university awards a BS not a BSN, so my credentials will be BS, RN. Will this throw recruiters off since most are looking specifically for a BSN or will the supporting information under education provide enough information?

That’s a tough one. I’m not sure that I have seen a BS instead of a BSN. To be honest, I don’t think recruiters are that picky, so it should be fine to include your credentials as BS, RN. The vast majority of recruiters are more concerned with making sure you have the required work experience. That said, if you’re a new grad, it shouldn’t matter either.

Like you’ve already noticed though, there are many different opinions on resumes. I typically encourage people to include the credentials after their name and I think your situation is no different.

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• • Managed 3 RNs and 5 CNAs for an 18-bed unit on an acute care unit
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• • Provided education and emotional support for trauma to 50+ patients
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• • Managed the medical records and personal care for 600+ patients
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• • Assisted patients with limited mobility in all necessary movement
• • Maintained 96% positive patient scores for compassion and empathy
• • Performed CPR, BLS and ACLS to 20+ patients combined
• • Provided direct patient care to 100+ adult and geriatric patients in various telemetry settings
• • Completed 6 weeks of clinical simulation training
• • Helped 100+ patients by giving health education
• • Created a safe and warm environment for a group of 200+ young patients
• • Oversaw a 33-bed acute care unit and administered medications

30 Nurse Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Ensure your nurse resume highlights your clinical experience and areas of specialization. Demonstrate your proficiency with the latest medical technologies and patient care protocols. Showcase your soft skills, like communication and empathy, which are crucial in the nursing field. Don't forget to include your licenses, certifications, and continuing education achievements.

All resume examples in this guide

New Grad Nurse

Nurse Assistant

Aesthetic Nurse

Agency Nurse

Clinical Nurse

Clinical Research Nurse

Company Nurse

Critical Care Nurse

Dental Nurse

Hemodialysis Nurse

Infection Control Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Medical Surgical Nurse

Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse Practitioner

Occupational Health Nurse

Pediatric Nurse

Perioperative Nurse

Practice Nurse

School Nurse

Staff Nurse

Surgical Nurse

Telemetry Nurse

Travel Nurse

Veterinary Nurse

Registered Nurse

Nurse Manager

Nurse Educator

Charge Nurse

Registered Nurse resume example

Resume Guide

Nurse Resume Example

Resume Format

Resume Experience

Hard & Soft Skills

Certifications & Education

Resume Summary & Objective

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

By Experience

Nursing is a noble and fulfilling profession that most enter for the love of providing high-quality, compassionate patient care, rather than to build an impressive resume.

Highlighting professional skills, qualifications, and achievements can be difficult for humble , patient -care focused nurses . However, it’s a crucial first step to secure a position where you can make a meaningful impact on patient’s lives in the competitive healthcare field.

This  guide, including examples and protips, aims to simplify the process of transforming your nursing resume from merely a document to a powerful narrative showcasing your expertise and telling the story of your passion for healing that resonates with recruiters.

While this resume guide will provide best practices for the nursing field in general, check out these additional resumes for particular nursing specializations.

• ER nurse resume  
• Dental nurse resume
• Charge nurse resume
• ICU nurse resume
• Head nurse resume
• Nurse manager resume  
• Pediatric nurse resume
• Registered nurse cover letter

Nurse  resume example

Here’s what this applicant does well in their resume:

• Clinical experience and leadership: Highlights 8 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, showcasing leadership by managing a team of RNs and CNAs, which is crucial for the role.
• Specific skills and certifications: Emphasizes key nursing skills and certifications like CPR, BLS, and ACLS, which are essential for patient care and safety.
• Diverse patient care and education: Demonstrates versatility in nursing by providing details of working in different patient care units, offering emotional support and health education to a diverse patient population.

How to format a nurse  resume

The nursing job market can be quite competitive. That’s why utilizing every aspect of your resume for optimal impact, including formatting, is crucial.

Formatting is your first opportunity to draw attention and make an impression on employers. To ensure your resume is well-organized, professional, and memorable, consider the following formatting best practices:

• Creative Elements -   Include creative elements  like colors and decorative patterns to make your resume unique and memorable.
• Header Content - A prominent header  featuring your name, desired job title, and contact information  lets employers know who you are at a glance.  
• Ordering -  Listing all section examples in reverse chronological order  ensures your most recent and, therefore, relevant certifications and experiences appear first.

Understanding the role of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is critical, especially in nursing, where job demands may vary considerably from position to position.

ATS analyzes text on resumes, looking for precise keywords or phrases corresponding to skills and qualifications needed for a particular job. Employers use these systems to quickly sort and prioritize resumes to view the most qualified candidates. ATS-optimized formatting enables ATS to recognize and parse the information on your resume accurately, improving the likelihood it reaches the employer.

Here’s what’s considered “best practices” for ATS-optimized formatting on your resume:

• Fonts - Select ATS-friendly fonts matching the overall style of your resume. Some ATS-friendly fonts are Calibri, Arial, and Times New Roman. However, by employing these overused fonts, you may miss a chance to make your resume stand out. For interesting, modern font options with great readability, try Rubik, Lato, Montserrat, Raleway, Exo 2, or Volkhov, all available on the Enhancv Resume Builder.
• Document Type - Doc or PDF files  are typical for resumes and most easily analyzed by ATS.
• Creative Elements in Text - Avoid using nonessential stylistic features within text. Elements such as emojis and non-standard date formats can impede ATS’ ability to recognize information in these sections.
• Headings and Subheadings - Ensure resume sections are logically organized and include simple, precise headings. Standard section titles ensure ATS accurately recognizes and extracts information from these sections.

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To improve the organization and ATS optimization of your resume, include the following top-recommended sections,

The top sections on a nurse's resume:

• Professional Experience: Demonstrates the nurse's clinical skills and healthcare knowledge.
• Education: Highlights relevant nursing education and certifications.
• Licenses and Certifications: Showcases the nurse's qualifications and legal ability to practice.
• Clinical Skills: Details specific medical nursing skills, demonstrating job suitability.
• Awards and Recognitions: Reflects the nurse's excellence and dedication in nursing.

While all nurses have unique backgrounds and qualifications, recruiters specifically seek out candidates that mention particular skills and abilities. Include the following qualifications within your resume sections to ensure your resume gets noticed:

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Medical Skills: Recruiters prioritize these skills because they demonstrate a nurse's capacity to effectively handle the health needs of patients and respond appropriately in emergencies.
• Interpersonal Skills: Soft skills like empathy, communication, and patient advocacy are sought after as they are vital in providing quality patient care.
• Certification and Licensure: These are important to hiring managers as they confirm the individual has met the required nursing standards to practice in the state, ensuring patient safety.
• Specific Training or Specialization: Recruiters value these as they demonstrate a nurse's expertise in specific areas of patient care necessary in particular departments or units.
• Clinical Experience: This is prioritized as it provides evidence of a nurse's ability to effectively apply learned skills and knowledge in a practical setting.

How to write your nurse resume experience

The experience section  of your nurse resume isn’t just an opportunity to share your previous employment. It’s also an opportunity to share practical clinical experiences and internships. In describing these experiences, you will also share the nursing skills and abilities you developed and your achievements in these positions.

The high demand for nurses and the broad range of required tasks in nursing positions means applicants will come from diverse backgrounds with varying qualifications.

Determining which employment experiences are most relevant to the available position can be challenging.

The best way to demonstrate your experiences align with an available position is to create a targeted experience section .

To quickly and easily create a targeted nurse resume for individual applications, follow these steps:  

• Create a resume template including a complete list of your experiences, certifications, education, and skills.
• Make a copy of the template for each new application.
• Review the job description for each new job you apply to, paying close attention to ideal candidate descriptions.
• In the copy of the template, delete all examples that don't align with the job description.
• Edit remaining examples to ensure they include keywords  copied directly from the job description for increased ATS optimization.

A common mistake in the experience section of nurse resumes is detailing duties instead of highlighting skills development and achievements accomplished. Writing detailed descriptions incorporating keywords demonstrates not only what you did but how successfully you did it.

Take a look at the following experience examples to better understand how quality descriptions can boost your resume's experience section.

• • Received recognition for maintaining a high standard of care, with positive patient feedback and acknowledgment from hospital leadership.
• • Acted as a charge nurse.
• • Attended professional development workshops and training sessions.
• • Participated in hospital-wide initiatives, including quality improvement projects.

This example fails to use action verbs  and details to describe how their achievements in this position resulted from their efforts. The resulting example comes across as a list of assigned tasks and passive results. And the applicant has missed opportunities to incorporate keywords and accomplishments.

• • Earned 'Nurse of the Month' recognition in Sept. 2022 for maintaining a high standard of care, with positive patient feedback and input from hospital leadership.
• • Acted as a charge nurse, overseeing the coordination of patient care activities, maintaining a positive team environment, and effectively delegating tasks to ensure optimal patient care delivery.
• • Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement hospital-wide initiatives, including quality improvement projects that led to a 15% reduction in patient readmission rates.
• • Engaged in monthly professional development, attending workshops and training sessions to enhance skills and stay current with industry advancements.

Describing what the applicant did and achieved using active verbs significantly improves this experience example. For example, instead of “receiving recognition,” they “earned” a specific award. Additionally, by including the criteria for the award, they incorporated keywords recruiters look for on nursing resumes, such as “high standard of care” and “leadership.” This experience description indicates the applicant achieved a great deal and was highly successful in this position.

How to quantify the impact on your resume

An effective way to boost the impact of your nurse resume  is to include quantifiable evidence of your skills in experience descriptions. These are tangible, measurable, or verifiable details that highlight your accomplishments  in past jobs.

Sharing a percentage representing significant increases in efficiency or patient satisfaction or a reduction in wait times or adverse outcomes such as medical errors or readmission rates, like the example from the prior section, is an excellent way to quantify the impact.

However, you can quantify your impact in many other ways besides statistics or percentages. Here are a few additional options for using numbers and data  to quantify your skills in your experience descriptions:

• Specify how many years of experience you have in similar healthcare settings to quantify your expertise and illustrate suitability for the available position.
• If available, Including high patient satisfaction scores is a practical way to highlight patient care skills and a commitment to providing exceptional care.
• Note the number of medical procedures you have completed to showcase your vast repertoire of practical skills, such as injections or wound dressings.
• The number of emergencies you have handled establishes your capacity to perform under pressure.
• Citing how many medical software or equipment you’re proficient in emphasizes your technical acumen.
• The number of patients typically seen in an office or patient censuses in an average shift demonstrates productivity and efficiency in managing large caseloads.
• If you’ve held a leadership role such as charge nurse, mention the size of the team you coordinated to highlight leadership skills and the ability to manage large teams.
• Stating how many medical training sessions, workshops, and certifications you’ve completed indicates your commitment to professional development and continuing education.

When selecting quantitative data on your resume, remember to be selective by including only the most relevant for the available job. For example, a recruiter hiring for an emergency care facility would be more impressed with your year of experience in emergency care than your knowledge of medical software in a small, private psychiatry office.

How do I write a nurse resume with no experience

… shortages have plagued the nursing profession since 1998.

Projections indicate the need to hire up to a million new nursing professionals by 2024 to meet the growing demand. This is good news for anyone considering becoming a nurse, as they are almost guaranteed placement.

incrediblehealth.com

Ongoing demand for nurses has created numerous opportunities for nursing students and those entering the field. Some employers even offer certification assistance and graduation contingent employment for nursing students. However, competition for these positions may be competitive.

To write a nurse resume that establishes your potential to succeed in a nursing career without experience , follow these steps:

• Compile a list of keywords from the job description.
• Brainstorm previous related experiences showcasing the same keyword skills and knowledge from your list.

Relevant Non-Nursing Employment To Include on your Resume

Non-nursing employment experience in one of these healthcare settings can provide evidence of a background using medical terminology, medical software, patient communication, empathy, and compassion.

• Clinics and Physician's Offices
• Long-Term Care Facilities
• Home Healthcare
• Community Health Centers
• Public Health Organizations
• Research and Clinical Trials
• Telehealth and Telemedicine
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Ambulatory Surgery Centers
• Health Insurance Companies
• Include practical clinical experiences, internships, and volunteer experiences . These can be listed with employment experiences, if closely related to nursing, or incorporated as separate sections.
• Avoid including irrelevant work experiences  or outdated experiences .
• To add credibility, include tangible evidence of transferable skills, such as certifications and quantifiable data.
• List experiences in reverse chronological order to ensure your most recent and relevant examples appear first.

For those without nursing experience , your cover letter is an excellent opportunity to offer further detail about past jobs and describe how skills and knowledge acquired outside the field are transferable to the open job.

Without experience, this section aims to share transferable skills and background knowledge, especially in the medical field. Therefore, your experience section should still be targeted to highlight your potential to succeed in a particular nurse position.

How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume

Highly valued skills in nursing may vary greatly depending on factors like the specialty, size and specialty of the medical facility, patient demographics, and number of employees. The skills section  of your nurse resume is an opportunity to highlight how your hard and soft skills demonstrate your suitability for a particular job.

For example, an urgent care facility treating high volumes of patients daily will value skills like an expansive repertoire of medical knowledge and procedures and an ability to thrive in fast-paced environments. On the other hand, a small oncology office treating the same patients regularly will appreciate specialized knowledge of oncology terminology and treatments and skills related to compassionate patient care and education.

Hard Skills

The skills necessary to perform a particular job are known as hard skills . These typically require study, training, and practice. In the medical field, they may even require certification.

In nursing, these skills often relate to technical abilities , like using office software and equipment and performing medical procedures, such as taking vitals.

When considering which skills to include on your resume, consult this list of the top hard skills sought by recruiters:

Best hard skills for your nurse resume

• Patient Assessment
• Medical Software (EHR systems)
• Medication Administration
• Vital signs monitoring
• CPR Certified
• Patient Care Planning
• Infection Control
• Emergency Care
• Documentation Skills
• Knowledge of Medical Equipment
• Surgical Assistance
• Clinical Decision Making
• HIPAA Compliance
• Patient Education
• Diabetes Management
• Cardiac Care
• Dialysis Procedures

Soft Skills

Some of the most highly valued skills in nursing are soft skills . The intrinsic, personal skills that demonstrate your ability to provide excellent patient care and satisfaction.

Employers may be willing to train applicants in hard skills. However, the intrinsic nature of soft skills makes them difficult to teach. Therefore, including as many relevant and transferable soft skills as possible on your nurse resume is essential.

These are some of the top soft skills employers look for in nuses:

Best soft skills for your nurse resume

• Empathy  
• Communication  
• Patience  
• Resilience  
• Critical Thinking
• Adaptability  
• Teamwork  
• Time Management  
• Leadership  
• Attention to Detail
• Stress Management  
• Problem-Solving
• Cultural Competency
• Composure under pressure
• Prioritization Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Conflict Resolution

Follow these steps to write your nursing resume's skills sections:

• Format your skills section as a simple list without elaboration or examples.
• Differentiate between hard and soft skills by listing them in separate subsections.
• Target your skills section using keyword skills from the job description.
• Write these keyword skills precisely as they appear in the job description to enhance ATS analysis.
• Never lie about or exaggerate your skills on your resume.
• Ensure consistency between your experience and skills sections by listing the skills mentioned in the experience section in the skills section and vice versa.

Nursing Terminology on Your Resume

Including medical terminologies demonstrates experience in and familiarity with the field, however, excessive jargon or abbreviations can confuse hiring managers who might not have a nursing background. Therefore, you must balance nursing lingo and generally understood terms on your resume.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

Certifications and Continuing Education are essential for nurses. Though nursing roles and industries have differing requirements.

For example, an RN must complete a nursing education program such as an ADN or BSN, pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), and acquire state licensure.

An LPN doesn't need a degree but must complete a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Program, pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), and acquire state licensure.

Detailing all your training and certifications can bog down your resume, making it tough for recruiters to recognize your most valuable qualifications. To prevent this, tailor these sections to each application by sharing only examples aligned to the employer's requirements and reinforcing your targeted skills.

• Follow these steps to write ATS-optimized certification and education sections:
• Create separate sections titled "Education" and "Certifications" to allow ATS to parse information from your resume accurately.
• List all degrees and certifications chronologically, putting your most recent and relevant at the top.

To craft a powerful education section ,  follow these guidelines:

• For each degree, include the name of the institution, its’ location, the dates attended, and the title of your degree.
• Continuing education courses required for maintaining nurse licensing can be listed in the education section, however, if the section is excessively long, you can separate them into a separate “CE Courses” section as well.
• Including your GPA is optional unless the job description specifies a minimum requirement.
• You can include brief statements about relevant exceptional  coursework achievements  in the example description.

Here’s an example of how an excellent education example:

• • Online bridge program from RN to MSN

Best practices for listing examples on your resume's certification section :

• Include the name of the certification, the certifying institution, and the year obtained.
• Limit your certifications to those specifically named or directly related to the required skills mentioned in the job description. For example, if you held an LPN certification before becoming an RN, which is no longer valid, you shouldn't list this. The background will be relevant in your experience section, and the certification is implied.
• Limit certifications to current, unexpired credentials.
• If a certification requires renewal to remain valid, include the date first acquired as well as the most recent renewal date or a "valid through" date. For certifications you have held long-term, this demonstrates soft skills such as organization and responsibility.

The following are some of the most highly sought-after certifications for nurses and should be included on your resume whenever relevant.

How to write your nurse resume summary or objective

A summary or objective section, sometimes called “ Resume Profiles ” or “ Personal Statements ,” is a powerful tool for contextualizing the data and facts on your resume and how it corresponds to your career progression and goals.

The goal of either a summary or an objective is to briefly clarify how your experiences and qualifications make you a suitable candidate for an available job.

Follow these best practices to write either a summary or an objective:

• Customize the statement to match the specific job you're applying for, emphasizing relevant skills and experiences.
• Start sentences with action verbs to make your summary dynamic and impactful.
• Be brief. A summary should only be 3-5 sentences.

The primary difference between a summary and an objective is that a summary statement  focuses on how your employment experience aligns with an available job. In contrast, an objective statement  concentrates on your future career goals to illustrate how they correspond with the position.

A summary is preferable for nurses with extensive experience well aligned to the available job, for example, in the same nursing specialty. It highlights how your past successes indicate your potential to succeed in that particular role.

To write a summary for your nurse resume, follow these best practices:  

• Highlight your most relevant skills or experiences that directly overlap with the job description.
• Briefly mention your years of experience to provide context for your level of expertise.
• Write an impactful summary using keywords  directly from the job description, highlighting your well-aligned keyword experiences and skills.
• Use details such as naming specific software, medical equipment, procedures, and certifications to reinforce the relevance of your experiences.  
• Convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity to continue providing high-quality patient care in the medical field in this position.

A common mistake on nurse resumes is to write a personal statement that is too general for a specialty nursing role. Check out how the following summary is improved by targeting it to critical care nursing.

This well-written summary provides quality information. However, the highlighted skills and experience are too general. If the term "critical care" were removed from the first sentence, this statement could apply to almost any nursing position, failing to target skills valued in critical care. As a result, the applicant misses many opportunities to incorporate key terms and demonstrate that their experiences are valuable in a critical care setting.  

This summary does a much better job of focusing on highly valued skills in a critical care environment, such as speed, accuracy, reacting in high-pressure situations, and providing compassionate care.

An objective section is better suited for nurses with limited experience in similar positions or applying for their first job. It allows you to focus on how you plan to use your background to achieve career goals while contributing to the success of the medical team.

To write your nurse resume objective, follow these best practices:

• Describe the type of position you are seeking.
• Share relevant or transferable skills that will help you succeed in the position using keywords  directly from the job description.
• Clearly state your career goals and enthusiasm to work towards them in the role.
• Highlight valuable contributions you can make while learning and gaining experience.
• Avoid generic phrases. Instead, focus on specific skills and goals that set you apart.

Rephrasing specifics from the “Qualifications” or “Ideal Candidate” sections of a job description is a great way to guarantee you mention the skills and qualifications most valued by the employer.

Additional sections for a nurse resume

In addition to the top-resume sections , including one or more of these additional resume sections  highlights qualifications or accomplishments and helps you stand out among the other applicants.

• Languages: Excellent patient communication is a cornerstone of the healthcare industry. Therefore, being multilingual is a valuable asset in nursing. Including a language section  is an effective way to set yourself apart from other applicants.
• Volunteer Experience: Include healthcare-related volunteer work or community service to demonstrate a commitment to giving back and supporting the community.
• Leadership Experience: To demonstrate extensive experience leading teams and initiatives, share your past leadership roles, such as charge nurse, preceptor, or committee member.
• Achievements and Awards: If you’ve received recognition in your nursing education or work in the past, consider including an awards and achievements section  to support your stated skills. In addition to individual awards, you can include awards your office or team received, such as being voted the top healthcare facility in your community.
• Passion:  If you have a personal experience that drives and motivates you as a nurse, sharing it establishes your passion for and dedication to nursing excellence. For example, a childhood battle with cancer that led you to oncology or losing a loved one in an accident that motivated you to specialize in emergency medicine.  
• Professional Associations: A professional Associations section highlights your dedication to ongoing improvement and staying current in nursing. If you’d like to include a professional association membership to your resume, consider joining one of the leading professional associations for nurses below.

How to write a nurse specialization section:

Nursing is a broad field with many specializations, such as pediatric, surgical, and psychiatric nursing. If you have extensive experience or certification in a particular medical specialty that directly corresponds to the position you're applying for, consider including a specialization section to highlight your qualifications.

Include the following in your nurse specialization section should include the following:

• The title of your nurse specialization
• Specialty-specific employment experience
• Specialty-specific education or certifications
• Valuable Hard skills in the specialization, including technical skills  such as using emergency equipment and technologies, including defibrillators, cardiac monitors, and infusion pumps as an ER nurse
• Knowledge and experience of typical medical procedures and equipment used in the specialty
• Relevant soft skills. For instance, child-friendly communication and patience in pediatric nursing.

Here is an example of how your specialization section should appear on your nurse resume:

While a specialization section demonstrates knowledge, skills, and qualifications, it should only be included as a unique section if applying to a nurse job in a particular specialty. For instance, the above example would be relevant only for employment in a cardiac care position. Otherwise, this information may be incorporated into other resume sections , such as the experience section, to demonstrate your capacity to master specialized skills.

Key takeaways

Organizing the extensive skills and qualifications necessary in nursing is one of the most challenging aspects of writing a nurse resume. Review these key takeaways to ensure your most valuable, unique skills, experiences, and qualifications are accurately reflected on your resume:

• Targeted resumes include only experiences and skills relevant to an available position as found in the job description.
• ATS-optimized formatting helps ensure your nurse resume reaches employers for review.
• Providing quantifiable evidence of achievements in your nursing experience demonstrates your impact in past jobs.
• Include education and certifications required for nursing jobs in reverse chronological order to ensure your most recent and relevant appear first.
• Give context to the information on your resume by including either a summary or an objective section, depending on your experience in similar nursing positions.
• Include a specialization section to highlight your background and expertise in the available nursing position in the same specialty.

Nurse resume examples

Explore additional nurse resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

As a new graduate nurse entering the healthcare field, you are expected to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during your nursing education to provide safe and effective patient care. Your resume should showcase your clinical rotations, hands-on experiences in various healthcare settings, and any specialized training, such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification. Emphasize your ability to work with interdisciplinary teams, adapt to different clinical environments, and contribute to a positive patient experience.

A nurse assistant plays a vital role in the healthcare setting, providing basic care and support to patients under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. They are responsible for tasks such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and monitoring vital signs. On a nurse assistant resume, it's essential to demonstrate hands-on experience in these areas and showcase any specialized training, such as completion of a state-approved nurse assistant training program or obtaining a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential.

Registered nurses (RNs) play a crucial role in the healthcare system, providing comprehensive care to patients in various clinical settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics. Your RN resume should demonstrate your expertise in assessing patient needs, developing and implementing care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize patient outcomes. Emphasize your ability to administer medications, monitor patient progress, and provide education and support to patients and their families.

Nurse managers are experienced nursing professionals who assume leadership roles in healthcare settings, overseeing nursing staff and managing patient care services. Your nurse manager resume should demonstrate your expertise in nursing practice, as well as your ability to lead, motivate, and support a team of nursing professionals. Emphasize your experience in managing clinical operations, developing and implementing policies and procedures, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.

Nurse educators are experienced nursing professionals who play a vital role in preparing the next generation of nurses by teaching, mentoring, and guiding them in academic and clinical settings. Your nurse educator resume should demonstrate your expertise in nursing practice, curriculum development, and instructional design. Emphasize your experience in teaching and evaluating nursing students, developing lesson plans, and coordinating clinical experiences in various healthcare settings.

Staff nurses are registered nurses who provide direct patient care across a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and home health agencies. Your staff nurse resume should demonstrate your expertise in assessing patient needs, implementing individualized care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize patient outcomes. Emphasize your ability to administer medications, monitor patient progress, and provide education and support to patients and their families.

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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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Nursing Resume Do’s and Don’ts: How to Craft a Strong Resume

It's time to find a nursing job, and the first step is making sure your  resume is top-tier . But what should you have on your nursing resume? What are hiring managers looking for? What should a registered nurse resume look like?

Whether you're a  new nurse  getting their start or an experienced  RN seeking a change , crafting a solid resume can be the difference between landing a job or not. In this guide, we’ll give you the resume do’s, tell you what to avoid, and explain formatting tips for crafting a strong nursing resume.

What to include on your nursing resume

1. Add your contact info at the very top.  List your full name, credentials, certifications, the best phone number to reach you, and professional email.

2. Create a professional profile.  This is a short resume summary of who you are as a nurse and where you’ll pitch yourself. Make your profile short and to the point. Don't be overly descriptive .  Summarize your qualifications, list your years of relevant experience, and be sure to include some common keywords such as:

• Good verbal and written communication
• Skilled in patient care
• Collaborative

4. Relevant education and training . It's a good idea to list your relevant  certificates and degrees  in reverse chronological order as well, starting with your highest degree. But there's no need to add your high school diploma. If you have degrees that aren't relevant to healthcare or nursing, don't add them. List the name of the degree or certification first, followed by the institution.

5. Use keywords from the job posting.  Since many companies use an  applicant tracking system  (ATS) software to look for specific keywords on resumes, it’s helpful to include the terms the company is looking for. Plus, you always want to tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for. Take a look at the job description, qualifications list, or the career section on the organization's website. From there, use the keywords in your professional summary and throughout your relevant job experience.

6. Include your clinical rotations.  If this is your first nursing job and you don't have any prior work experience, it's okay to list your clinical rotations. But be sure only to include those relevant to the position you are applying for.

7. When describing your skills, use action verbs.  Action verbs are often keywords. Some action verbs to consider are:

• Coordinated
• Administered
• Implemented

8. Highlight your accomplishments, awards, affiliations, and achievements.  This should be the final section of your nursing resume where you’ll include any:

• Awards and honors
• Accomplishments or recognition
• Professional associations or affiliations that are relevant to nursing or healthcare, like  nursing organizations

Your resume is your chance to market yourself and stand out from other applicants. Use this as an opportunity to highlight what you have to offer. Ask yourself: Have you sat on committees? Did you spearhead a program? Have you been asked to speak to local groups or organizations?

Don't just use your resume to reiterate job descriptions. Use it to sell yourself. And if you have limited nursing experience, focus on your clinical skills that will be beneficial in your new role.

Are you highly skilled in simplifying medical terminology so that patients understand? Do you have any certifications? Are you bilingual or multilingual? List anything that may make you stand out from another applicant.

Once you get past the application process and land your next job interview, here are some  common nursing interview questions  to consider in your preparation.

What NOT to do on your nursing resume

1. Don't list hobbies or non-nursing activities.  Your resume is to show your professional skills and qualifications. Therefore, avoid listing hobbies or personal activities, especially if they are unrelated to the nursing position you're applying for. If asked during the  interview process , it's okay to mention these (as a way to set yourself apart) but leave them off your resume.

2. Don't mention any personal health information.  Once you get the job and begin your onboarding paperwork, you'll have plenty of space to note any private health-related information. For now, skip mentioning your height, weight, marital status, or other irrelevant personal information on your resume.

4. Don't have a long resume.  It's best to keep your resume to one page. But if you can't squeeze all of your experience onto one, two pages are okay.

5. Don't include experiences irrelevant to nursing.  New grad nurses  often make the mistake of "fluffing up" their resumes to boost their professional experience. However, your work experience before your nursing career is irrelevant. Only include experiences related to nursing, such as a certified nursing assistant or patient care tech experience.

It's also okay to mention unpaid nursing experiences, such as volunteer work, a preceptorship, or an internship. List these unpaid experiences under "professional experience" instead of "work experience."

6. Don't get too creative or colorful.  Leave the fancy, colored font and paper for things other than your resume. Instead, stick to black as the color and use a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial that is easy to read. Also, keep your font size between 10.5 and 12 for readability.

7. Don't list your full address . It's not necessary to add your full address. However, be sure at least to add your city and state in your contact section.

How to format your nursing resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Many healthcare organizations use applicant tracking systems to weed through resumes. How it works is the ATS scans the resumes and "tags" the ones with keywords and high percentages of compatibility for the job. Also, resumes go through ATS before even reaching the desk of a recruiter or hiring manager.

Here are some tips to make sure your resume passes the  scan: 

• Keep your formatting clean and simple . This means avoiding fancy fonts, pictures, icons, etc. Use a font size between 10.5 and 12, Times New Roman or Arial font, and only use black ink.
• Use the keywords.  ATS programs are programmed to recognize keywords, and resumes that include relevant keywords and phrases are flagged and sent to the "highly compatible pile." Take a look at the job description and make sure that your resume has keywords or phrases that match it. Additionally, include key terms in your professional summary and work experience. You also should avoid abbreviations and acronyms. But if you must use acronyms, spell out the word first and then list the acronym in parenthesis.
• Keep your section headings simple.  Use standard header terms like "skills," "education," "work experience." Don't try to be fancy here.

Now that your resume is ready don’t forget to update it when you  apply to other jobs . You always want to customize your resume for the position you’re applying for, so that may include changing your keywords or adding relevant accomplishments or clinical rotations.

If you’re looking to expand your resume even further, consider Aspen University’s online  RN to BSN ,  MSN , and  DNP  programs to help you advance your nursing career. For aspiring registered nurses, consider Aspen’s  BSN Pre-Licensure  program.

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Summary of Qualifications for a Resume (With Examples)

11 min read · Updated on March 27, 2024

Learn how a summary of qualifications can boost your job search

To capture an employer's attention and compete for a fantastic job, you need a truly compelling resume that conveys your qualifications in the best way possible. But how can you maximize your chances of ensuring that employers spend more than five or six seconds skimming your resume? The answer is simple: you need a great resume profile that can capture your reader's attention! And when you need a profile that really stands out, a summary of qualifications can be a great option.

In this post, we'll explain this type of resume profile and examine how it differs from a resume summary or objective statement . We'll also provide the tips you need to learn how to write a summary of qualifications for your resume and some useful examples that you can refer to for inspiration and guidance.

What is a summary of qualifications for a resume?

If you're familiar with objective statements and resume summaries, then you should readily understand the purpose of a summary of qualifications in a resume. Like those other types of resume profiles, a summary of qualifications - also sometimes referred to as a statement of qualifications - serves as an introduction to your resume. It is also exactly what the name suggests: a summary of the qualifications highlighted in your resume.

An effective summary of qualifications will provide key details about your skills , experiences , and accomplishments . Done properly, this brief summarization of those qualifications should spark enough interest in the reader's mind to entice them to read the rest of the document.

Resume summary, objective statement, and summary of qualifications: how they differ

It's also important to understand the differences between a summary of qualifications for a resume and the other two main resume profile options - the objective statement and resume summary. Each of these profile types is designed to introduce you to an employer. However, they each do that in a unique way:

The objective statement

The resume objective statement has been around for many decades. These statements tend to focus on the job seeker's career goals and how the desired job aligns with those objectives. Though the objective statement remains popular with many recent graduates, it is increasingly viewed as obsolete by job seekers who want to focus their profiles on how they can meet the employer's needs.

The resume summary

The resume summary fulfills that goal by emphasizing the job seeker's relevant skills and experiences. In addition, an effective summary also highlights how the job seeker used those skills to achieve measurable results for past employers. In short, it focuses on the type of value that you can provide to a prospective employer by citing specific examples of your notable achievements, using real numbers.

Summary of qualifications

As great as a resume summary paragraph can be, there may be times when you need a profile that can pack an even greater punch. That's where the summary of qualifications can be your best option. Like the resume summary, this profile option focuses on the skills, experiences, and achievements that make you a great candidate for the job. However, it does it in a different way.

You see, it doesn't use the same formatting that you see in standard objective statements or resume summaries. Those two profile types are written as three to five-sentence paragraphs. The summary of qualifications uses a different format altogether. Instead of being written in paragraph form, with complete sentences, it presents your qualifications in bullet point form, using achievement statements like those you would include in your professional experience section.

Related post : Resume Profile Explained (with Examples)

How do you write a summary of qualifications for your resume?

To create your own summary of qualifications for a resume, it's helpful to have a step-by-step guide for creating those bullet point details. The following tips and strategies should provide you with all the information you need to know to draft your own summary.

Select the details you want to include

Before you can create your bullet point summary, you need to decide which information you want to highlight. It's usually best to stick to your most compelling resume details and rewrite them for this summary. You should always start with a bullet point listing your professional title and length of experience in that role, and then include several bullet point examples of notable achievements.

Align your achievements with the role's qualification requirements

When you pick those accomplishments, make sure that they relate to the job you're seeking. Each achievement needs to demonstrate that you have what it takes to not only perform the job's duties, but to do so in a way that adds real value to the organization.

Use numbers to quantify results

To show value, you should ensure that your achievements show measurable results. Some possible examples of quantifiable achievements can include:

Revenue that you brought in for the company

The value of client accounts that you worked with

The number of customers you served

The size of any budget or project that you managed

Numbers related to increased profits, productivity, efficiency, and so on

Use your active voice for these bullet points

Each achievement should be described using an active voice to ensure that your resume summary of qualifications is as compelling as possible. To do that, you should use action verbs and make sure that the reader can understand that your actions produced the results. Consider the differences between these two achievements:

Passive : Inefficiencies were reduced by 12% over three years

Active : Implemented new workflow process that reduced inefficiencies by 12% over three years

The passive example is unclear about how those inefficiencies were reduced. The active example not only ensures that the reader knows you reduced those inefficiencies but also explains how you did it. While both examples do a great job of including real numbers to highlight measurable results, the active example is a far more compelling way to convey that information.

Note also that neither example uses first-person words like “my'' or “I” to describe the job seeker's actions. When it comes to resume writing , you should never begin your bullet points with that first-person emphasis. Instead, start each example with an action verb.

Related post : 100 + Keywords, Verbs and Action Words for Your Resume

Use keywords from the job posting

Your resume profile can be the perfect place to use the keywords your resume needs to get past any applicant tracking systems that the company may be using to screen applicants. You'll need a reasonable concentration of those keywords in your resume if you want your resume to be found in searches. 

To identify likely keywords, review the job posting to find any words or phrases related to specific qualifications - like needed skills, educational credentials, and experience. You can insert those keywords into your achievement bullet points to ensure that the ATS can find the words and phrases it's looking for.

Make sure that your achievements highlight your unique value

Finally, you should always strive to ensure that the summary of qualifications in your resume accurately reflects your personal skills, experience, and value as a potential hire. Don't be afraid to boast about your accomplishments here, as long as you're not stretching the truth. Remember, it's up to you to sing your own praises - none of your rivals are going to do it for you. Focus on the actions you took and the results you achieved.

At the same time, you want to be relatively brief. This is, after all, a summary of qualifications, not a comprehensive essay. Try to limit your bullet points to no more than five or six important statements. That should be enough to capture the hiring manager's attention and make them want to read on to learn more about you.

Summary of qualifications for a resume: examples

We'll end this by looking at some summary of qualifications examples to see how these tips can be used to craft your own summary. We've included examples for several distinct job roles. You can use or customize them to fit your employment needs.

1.     Salesperson summary of qualifications example

• Sales Account Representative with eight years of experience in product sales and client management

Led sales team campaign, doubling sales revenue each year for four consecutive years

Expanded seven major accounts, boosting combined revenue by $2.3 million

Developed and implemented training program, reducing team onboarding time by 43%

Recognized as Salesperson of the Year for 2019 - 2023

2.     Marketing Manager summary of qualifications example

• Dynamic marketing manager with six years of experience in brand enhancement

Led effort to rebrand ABC Corp, increasing market share by 12% and boosting profits by 12%

Designed and implemented digital marketing campaigns for client accounts valued at $15 million

Reorganized DeltaOne's marketing department, reducing costs by 19%

Launched more than two dozen social media advertising campaigns, increasing client customer engagement by an average of 75% per client

Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Anytown College, Anytown (2017)

3.     Software Engineer summary of qualifications example

• Creative Software Engineer with seven years of experience in game and app design

Led seven-person team that designed three of the most popular idle hero games for mobile

Designed characters and locations for definitive version of Big Dog console game

As Mega Media Head Designer, created concept art for company's online and television advertisement campaign, expanding market reach by 16%

Master of Arts, Graphic Design, Pretty Pixels University (2015)

4.     CPA summary of qualifications example

• Data-driven CPA with ten years of experience in payroll management, tax filing, and accounts auditing

Implemented new payroll system that reduced administrative costs by $10,000 annually

Streamlined tax filing process, while identifying more than $30,000 in unused deductions

Executed audit that identified $8,000 in monthly waste and redundancies

Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Money University (2011)

5.     Summary of qualifications example for entry level workers

You may be wondering whether newcomers to the workforce can use this type of resume profile to summarize their qualifications. After all, what achievements can they point to if they've just graduated from school and lack any meaningful work experience? Well, we've put together a summary of qualifications example for students that shows how recent graduates may be able to use this option too.

• BS in Marketing, Marketing Experts University (2024)

Creative marketing specialist, specializing in digital marketing and eCommerce

Partnered with ABC Corp for lab project, revamping their branding and contributing to 23% increase in customer outreach and sales

Internship with ABC Corp, serving as understudy to firm's Marketing Director

Three summers active in Search Engine Marketing bootcamp

You can also employ a similar technique if you're a career changer - even if you lack any direct experience in the industry you're trying to join. All you need to do is focus on transferable skills - skills that you've used in your previous career that can also prove valuable in your desired job - and identify achievements that used those skills. You can think of them as transferable accomplishments, or simply achievements that demonstrate your capability to do the job you're trying to land.

When choosing transferable accomplishments, focus on past achievements that demonstrate vital transferable skills. Those skills can include things like collaboration, leadership, conflict management, communication, and other broad interpersonal skills that are invaluable across a wide array of industries and job roles.

Related post : Make the Perfect Resume for a Career Change

Use a summary of qualifications to capture employers' attention!

To break out of a crowded field of rival candidates, you need to make sure that your resume quickly earns the attention it deserves. Using a summary of qualifications for your resume can be a fantastic way to ensure that employers see your best qualifications laid out right at the beginning of your resume, capturing their interest and increasing the chances of an interview and eventual job offer.

Need more tips on using a summary of qualifications for your resume? Get your free resume review from our team of experts today and find out how we can help you create the resume you need for job search success.

Recommended reading:

9 Soft Skills Employers Want in 2024

Make the Perfect First Impression with Your Resume

Create a Personal Brand That Sets You Apart

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

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Nurse Resume Examples and Templates

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To drive your nursing career forward, you’ll want to craft a compelling, accomplishment-driven resume to differentiate yourself from the competition. You should provide tangible examples from your career to illustrate your unique background within the healthcare industry.

Nurse Resume Examples & Writing Guide

Crafting a resume as a nurse involves showcasing your clinical skills, patient care expertise, and dedication to the health profession. This guide will assist you in highlighting these key qualities and experiences. 

It is tailored to define the role of a nurse and provide guidance on creating a resume that effectively communicates your ability to excel in nursing roles, enhancing your prospects in this compassionate and challenging field.

What does a Nurse do?

Nurses are integral to the healthcare system, providing direct patient care, administering treatments, and supporting patients and their families. They must be adept at assessing patient needs, implementing care plans, and working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals. 

An effective nurse resume should emphasize clinical skills, empathy, and the ability to handle stressful and emotionally charged situations.

Skills to Highlight on a Nurse Resume

• Patient care and assessment
• Medication administration
• Empathy and compassion
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work in high-pressure environments
• Knowledge of healthcare protocols
• Team collaboration and leadership
• Wound care expertise
• Patient education and advocacy
• Time management and organization

How to Write a Nurse Resume?

A nurse's resume should be clear, concise, and well-organized, fitting onto a single page. It must include sections for contact details, a professional summary, work experience, education, certifications, and additional skills.

Focus on those sections that best reflect your strengths. For instance, a new graduate might emphasize education and clinical rotations, while an experienced nurse would highlight specific areas of expertise and professional achievements.

Choose a Nurse Resume Format

The format of your resume is key in presenting your nursing career effectively. There are three primary formats: chronological, functional, and combination. 

For most nurses, the reverse chronological format is recommended as it clearly outlines your professional history. However, if you're new to the field or shifting specializations, other formats may be more appropriate. 

Rezi can help create a perfectly formatted resume, and you can choose a suitable template from the options provided.

Start with Your Contact Information and Name

Begin your resume with your name and contact details, including your phone number, email address, and possibly your LinkedIn profile URL and location. This ensures recruiters can easily identify and contact you. Clear presentation of this information at the top of your resume is vital.

Write a Strong Professional Summary

The summary section should concisely capture your nursing expertise and key strengths. It's important to highlight your experience in patient care, clinical skills, and any specialized areas of nursing.

Example Summary : "Compassionate Registered Nurse with 5 years of experience in pediatric care. Proficient in patient assessment, treatment administration, and providing emotional support to patients and families. Dedicated to delivering high-quality care and promoting patient well-being."

This summary effectively communicates the candidate's experience, specialty area, and core nursing values.

Consider Optimizing Your Resume for ATS Keywords

To ensure your resume is noticed by employers, include keywords relevant to nursing. Rezi can help identify important keywords from job descriptions, ensuring your resume aligns with what employers are seeking.

List Your Relevant Work Experience

The work experience section should detail your nursing roles and responsibilities, emphasizing patient care, treatments administered, and any specialized experience. For a nurse, standing out means highlighting specific achievements or initiatives in patient care or teamwork.

Example : “Registered Nurse at City Hospital, 2018-2023. Provided comprehensive pediatric care to an average of 15 patients daily. Implemented a new patient education program that improved patient satisfaction scores by 20%.”

This section shows specific duties and quantifiable achievements, making the candidate's experience and impact clear.

Tips for the Work Experience Section of Your Resume

Focus on experiences that demonstrate your nursing skills and achievements. Start with your most recent position and describe your roles using active verbs. Including specific achievements or improvements you contributed to can help your resume stand out.

List Your Projects

If applicable, include any projects or additional work that highlights your nursing skills, such as volunteer work, research, or involvement in health campaigns or initiatives.

Example Project : “Volunteer Nurse at Health Fair, 2022. Conducted health screenings and provided health education to over 100 community members.”

This example demonstrates the candidate’s commitment to healthcare beyond their formal role, showcasing additional skills and community involvement.

List Your Education

The education section of a resume provides critical information about your nursing training and qualifications.

• Nursing degree and any specializations
• University or nursing school name
• Graduation year
• Relevant coursework
• Academic honors or distinctions

Example Education Section : “BSc in Nursing, XYZ University, 2017. Specialized in Pediatric Nursing. Dean’s List 2016 and 2017.”

This section highlights the candidate's nursing education and any special achievements, adding credibility to their professional qualifications.

List Any Relevant Skills

The final section of your resume should highlight additional skills that enhance your nursing qualifications. This can include specific nursing techniques, languages spoken, technical skills, or soft skills like empathy and patient advocacy.

Final Tips for Writing a Nurse Resume

Ensure accuracy and clarity.

Your resume should be error-free and clearly formatted. This reflects your attention to detail, a crucial skill in nursing.

Tailor to the Position

Customize your resume for each job application, highlighting experiences and skills that align with the job's requirements. This shows your suitability for the specific nursing role.

Highlight Patient-Centric Achievements

Focus on achievements that demonstrate your patient care skills and contributions to patient outcomes. This approach showcases your dedication and impact as a nurse.

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Rezi is an awesome ai-based resume builder that includes templates to help you design a resume that is sure to check the boxes when it comes to applicant tracking systems. this is a great jumping off point to kickstart a new resume..

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Rezi partnered with OpenAI to use their GPT-3 neural network. GPT-3 is an innovative and powerful new neural network. We trained it to understand best resume writing practices from our experience and database of resume content. Integrating this AI into Rezi, we are able to transfer expert-quality resume writing at almost no cost.

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• Nurse objectives and summaries

Nurse Objectives and summaries

88 Nurse objectives and summaries found

A well-written objective or summary on your resume can be the difference between getting rejected, or getting invited for an interview. Copy any of these Nurse objective or summary examples, and use it as inspiration for your own resume. All examples are written by certified resume experts, and free for personal use.

Learn more about: objective vs. summary

Registered nurse (RN)

Summary examples.

Supportive, motivated, and patient-oriented registered nurse (RN) with 2 years’ clinical experience. Dedicated, efficient, and detail-oriented team player with excellent interpersonal skills, compassion, and dedication towards collaboratively maintained treatment plans. Licensed medical professional with history of monitoring patients, administering medications, and supporting doctors and hospital staff on operational tasks.

Patient, persistent, and reliable registered nurse (RN) with relevant clinical experience supporting patient care initiatives in a hospital setting. Proactive and responsible problem solver with excellent multitasking skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently or as part of a team to coordinate hospital rounds and patient treatment schedules. Solutions-oriented team player with strong communication skills.

Motivated, reliable, and efficient RN with 5+ years’ experience supporting monitoring patients and controlling treatment plans. Efficient and collaborative medical professional with excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to multitask to complete daily responsibilities, and thorough understanding of HIPAA regulations and patient confidentiality best practices. Accurate and organized expert in wound care, IV maintenance, and efficient patient transfers.

Objective examples

Proficient and self-driven registered nurse (RN) eager to leverage clinical experience and skills in managing patient treatment plans towards new healthcare opportunities. Adaptive and hands-on learner leveraging strong multitasking skills and passion for continued personal and professional growth.

Passionate and patient-oriented nursing student with clinical experience pursuing RN license and seeking immediate opportunities to continue work in healthcare administration. Eager and dedicated problem solver looking to leverage impressive interpersonal skills and proven track record in maintaining patient relationships to support collaborative and forward-thinking teams in a clinical setting.

Proficient, organized, and self-driven senior RN with 15+ years’ clinical management skills and pursuing new opportunities in healthcare management. Reliable problem solver seeking to lead nursing teams to provide top-quality patient service and support healthcare initiatives.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Efficient, innovative, and patient-oriented certified nursing assistant (CNA) with 5 years’ experience supporting healthcare initiatives and daily hospital operations. Proactive and reliable multitasker with excellent organization skills and ability to prioritize patient needs and coordinate daily basic care needs. Highly motivated team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, and passion for process improvement efforts.

Patient, empathetic, and driven certified nursing assistant with CNA certification and 3 years’ experience supporting patient care in hospital setting. Dedicated, efficient, and collaborative team player with strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and passion for providing excellent patient service and solving problems. Knowledgeable healthcare professional with acute care proficiencies and ability to thrive in fast-paced environments.

Flexible, reliable, and compassionate CNA with 5+ years’ experience supporting RNs and LPNs with basic and advanced healthcare needs across several healthcare and hospice establishments. Experienced subject matter expert (SME) with great research skills, passion for mastering new care methodologies, and established proficiencies in acute care needs, including emergency and urgent care best practices.

Efficient, insightful, and passionate certified nursing assistant with related experience in diverse healthcare settings seeking new opportunities to provide personalized patient care in support of RNs and dedicated healthcare leadership teams. Motivated and hands-on learner eager to master new policies and procedures while contributing to patient care initiatives within a fast-paced hospital, outpatient, or hospice setting.

Reliable and self-driven certified nursing assistant eager to apply 3 years’ resident internship and dedicated patient care experience towards new opportunities in the healthcare industry. Flexible and collaborative team player leveraging patient advocacy and customer service skills to pursue nursing roles with greater responsibilities and room for professional growth.

Self-directed Certified Nursing Assistant(CNA) offering 7 years of experience in direct patient care promoting resident independence and dignity. Eager to provide personal care services with compassion to meet client's needs in a skilled nursing facility.

Compassionate, dedicated Registered Nurse with multifaceted experience in critical care, acute care, primary care, routine medical examinations, and cardiac post-operative care. Deep experience working in diverse facilities including critical care units, community hospital wards, clinics, rehabilitation/skilled, and nursing/long-term care facilities.

Compassionate ICU nurse with broad knowledge of patients' pain levels, sedation requirements, and dosage calculations. Keen on listening to patients’ medical histories and responding to family members’ concerns concerning medications, post-op care, and treatment procedures. Desirous of making a strong contribution to the healthcare field through solid nursing practices based on technology and active communication with patients and families.

Skilled nurse with over 9 years of experience in intensive care units (ICUs) and serving in some of the area's busiest hospitals. Able to implement safe and ethical nursing interventions for patients and their families while delivering continuous quality treatments following institutional policies and regulations. Keen on monitoring the health condition of both adults and children and working under the supervision of expert physicians to intervene against sepsis or shock ahead of time.

A highly motivated medical professional with broad knowledge of patient diagnosis techniques and able to handle critical cases in a fast-paced healthcare environment. Looking to take on more responsibilities as an ICU nurse and utilize my strong organizational skills to provide high-quality patient care.

Qualified ICU nurse with strong skills in administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and assisting physicians in high-volume trauma situations. Eager to apply expertise in emergency response to handle victims in intensive care units and provide them with the best assistance using all available resources.

Top-performing ICU nurse with extensive experience implementing core emergency care plans based on patients’ different health conditions. Eager to take on challenging roles within the Intensive Care department by handling emergencies, assessing patients’ needs, and utilizing all resources to ensure their utmost wellbeing.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Patient-focused, dedicated, and compassionate Nursing professional with 10 years of experience providing exceptional care for patients with many different types of diseases, injuries, and health concerns. Ensure accurate, efficient, and individualized care by working with other healthcare providers to execute strategic plans. Team Leader who forges skills in training employees to reach organizational goals more effectively.

Passionate LPN with a strong dedication to providing medical assistance for patients of all ages as they enjoy a safe and comfortable environment. Skilled at completing patient status assessments, keeping patient records up to date, and ensuring optimal supply levels in treatment rooms. Possessing extensive healthcare knowledge and able to familiarize with different diagnoses and treatment protocols.

Licensed Practical Nurse with 3+ years of experience caring for patients with a patient-centered approach and building connections with senior physicians and nurses. Proven ability to monitor and sterilize medical equipment before each surgical operation within a short timeframe. Boasting strong interpersonal skills and able to facilitate communication between patients and families to optimize care and recovery.

A dedicated medical professional with a passion for nursing care and proficiency in various medical procedures. Looking to secure a position as a Licensed Practical Nurse and utilize exceptional communication skills to foster professional relationships with patients, physicians, and senior medical staff.

Results-driven Licensed Practical Nurse with a strong background in progressive health care settings. Experienced in basic nursing functions such as bandage change and dressing wounds. Seeking to provide exceptional patient care, monitor patient recuperation, and assist families to support ailing ones and improve recovery.

Organized LPN with well-rounded knowledge about patient health assessment, appointment scheduling, and recording medical histories. Looking to help a fast-paced team manage the workflow of patients by monitoring vitals, assessing their health conditions, and providing solutions for a faster recovery.

Nurse practitioner

A highly capable nurse graduate with a natural ability to build relationships with patients and familiar with patient advocacy procedures. Able to interpret diagnostics studies and communicate test results following evidence-based protocols. Compassionate and adept at collaborating professionally with other healthcare professionals to meet the needs of individuals and ensuring high standards of care.

Certified nurse practitioner with 3+ years of experience in busy, small-sized clinics. Strong knowledge of clinical terminology, electronic medical records, and patient confidentiality regulations. Performed initial medical diagnosis, provides consultation under physician’s recommendations, and proposed treatment for acute and chronic illnesses. Eager to assist the healthcare team in treating complex medical cases while maintaining patient wellness and comfort.

Natural caretaker with a holistic approach to patient care acquired from multi-faceted healthcare roles as medical assistant, registered nurse, and clinical operations specialist. Collaborative health activist and patient advocate enhancing quality of care through a multi-pronged approach to nursing and health education. Completed 600 hours of clinical rotations in the areas of family medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, mental health, and internal medicine.

Enthusiastic registered nurse with excellent communication skills and proven expertise in healthcare protocols and best practices. Looking to obtain a position in public health to build long-term professional relationships and expand my nursing skills while promoting favorable patient outcomes.

Patient-focused Nurse Practitioner with 10 years of combined experience in clinical and administrative oversight. Expertise in diagnosing and managing acute and chronic conditions. Looking to explore opportunities in ambulatory care, family practice, and emergency department settings.

Practicing nurse with extensive knowledge about reviewing electronic medical records and submitting examinations in advanced online databases. Eager to work in a clinic where I can diagnose and treat acute illnesses while supporting the institution’s mission and goals.

Charge nurse

Dedicated Registered Nurse with 2 years of experience facilitating efficient and smooth patient workflow within busy medical wards. Brings a proven ability to communicate effectively between patients, families, physicians, and CNAs, while motivating the nursing team to deliver superb patient care.

Patient-centered Charge Nurse with 5 years of experience implementing robust measures guaranteeing the smooth running of medical ward shifts. Excels at delivering patient care while leading, guiding, and supporting nursing staff to complete all tasks efficiently and on time—a compassionate nurse with solid judgment and problem-solving skills and a demonstrated facility to handle stressful situations.

Results-focused Charge Nurse with 10 years of experience within demanding psychiatric wards. Impeccable track record in superintending nursing, coordinating daily administrative duties, including patient admissions, transfers, and discharges, and providing mentorship and training to junior staff. Renowned for heightening efficiency through strategic scheduling and nursing assignments.

Enthusiastic Registered Nurse seeking a charge nurse position within an established healthcare institution to leverage 2 years of experience in optimizing workflow efficiency.

Seasoned Clinical Nurse seeking a charge nurse position with ABC Hospital to leverage extensive shift management experience to maintain/improve service standards.

Seeking a role with ABC Hospital as a Charge Nurse. Targeting to continue with a history of optimizing efficiency and managing crises in psychiatric ward environments. 

Emergency Room nurse

Dedicated and passionate newly certified ER Nurse with a year of experience within a busy ER environment. Proven capacity to handle emergencies effectively according to instructions and under intense pressure. A sympathetic and cheerful individual with a record of quickly establishing rapport and calming unsettled patients.

Patient-centered ER Nurse with five years of experience providing critical care to traumatic injury or gravely ill patients. Well-versed in swiftly performing appropriate procedures for emergencies, including CPR, wound stitching, patient vitals assessment, and drug administration. An astute communicator who can calm patients and cooperate with other staff to ensure exceptional patient care.

Seasoned ER Nurse with over a decade of experience delivering all-inclusive emergency medical support and care to patients in the emergency room. Impeccable track record in performing specialized, life-saving interventions, including CPR, advanced cardiac life support, and infant resuscitations. Deep dedication to diagnosing and treating heart attacks, severe burns, and strokes.

Compassionate, results-oriented ER Nurse seeking to leverage five years of experience within fast-paced, high-stress emergency rooms in delivering exceptional patient care.

Poised, team-oriented nursing professional seeking an ER Nurse position with John Doe Hospital to utilize and hone skills in client vitals assessment, wound suturing, and resuscitations.

Seeking an ER Nurse position with ABC Hospital to utilize critical care experience, team leadership, and passion for enhancing patient care and heightening the Emergency Department's performance.

Operating room nurse

Highly qualified and enthusiastic RN with 8 years of experience in operating and emergency room settings. Competently assists physicians during surgery, and properly maintains and handles optical and surgical instruments. Recognized as a calm and focused professional in high-stress situations who can effectively problem solves by recommending solutions and acting quickly to ensure patient safety and comfort.

Licensed RN with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing seeking BSN to further my experience in nursing. 2 years of experience in Pre-Op, Intra-Op, and Post-Op procedures, mechanical aptitude, and manual dexterity while operating complicated diagnostic equipment. Effective leadership and interpersonal skills supported by an enthusiastic team player attitude. Able to perform all necessary duties effectively and accurately.

Ten years of proven experience as an operating nurse at Springfield City Hospital. Tremendous leadership and mentorship skills who directs teams of 3 to 4 student nurses through various operation room processes and procedures. Possesses a solid understanding of patient safety and precautions with in-depth knowledge of aseptic techniques, sterile techniques, and surgical procedures. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Hard-working and dedicated Operating Room Nurse with 5 years’ experience desires a position at Gotham City Medical Health Center. Eager to utilize emergency room expertise and ability to maintain calm and poise in fast-paced and high-stress environments to improve patient outcomes.

Operating Room Nurse with 8 years of experience desiring a posting to apply expertise in administrative, management, and specialized nursing skills. Adept at preparing patients for operative procedures, administering anesthesia, and providing support to doctors and senior nurses.

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)

Empathetic and dedicated Licensed Vocational Nurse with clinical rotation experience to deliver safe, therapeutic, and competent nursing care. Clear understanding of healthcare procedures with a proven history of managing caseload adhering to HIPPA regulations. Effectively Collaborate with RNs, Physicians, and other healthcare staff to create a warm healing environment. Solid knowledge of all medical procedures and multiple medical conditions.

Patient-centered Licensed Vocational Nurse with 5 years of experience providing bedside care and support for patients of various ages and illnesses. Excels at gathering and recording patient information on admission, assisting RNs with developing care plans, and evaluating and reporting the efficacy of nursing interventions on patients. A friendly individual with a proven ability to quickly establish rapport with patients, families, RNs, and physicians.

Compassionate Licensed Vocational Nurse with a year of experience delivering first-rate patient care within a high-traffic hospital. Well-versed in assessing patient vitals, administering prescribed medication, and assisting RNs with administrative tasks. Exhibits excellent communication and interpersonal skills, keen attention to detail, and a commitment to ensuring utmost patient satisfaction.

Empathetic Licensed Vocational Nurse looking for a position at ABC Hospital to leverage skills in bedside care, records management, administrative assistance, and medication administration.

Skilled LVN seeking a position at ACME Nursing Services. Brings demonstrated expertise in patient care, basic treatment administration, and wound dressing.

Labor and delivery nurse

Patient-focused Labor and Delivery Nurse with two years of experience within busy delivery wards. Hands-on experience providing appropriate antepartum and postpartum care to patients with delivery difficulties. Brings a proven capacity to quickly learn new concepts, establish rapport with patients and their families, and work well individually or as part of a cross-functional team.

Compassionate and personable Labor and Delivery Nurse with 5 years of experience providing care to labor patients and supporting key procedures such as labor inductions and c-sections. Adept at all facets of labor and delivery, including antepartum and postpartum nursing care. Proven capacity to maintain productivity within fast-paced, high-tension delivery environments.

Seasoned Labor and Delivery Nurse offering two decades of experience in providing critical nursing care to high-risk deliveries. Expertise in labor inductions, OR, normal and c-section deliveries, antepartum and postpartum care, and NICU. Track record of training and mentoring new staff to deliver exceptional service that ensures successful deliveries.

Seeking a labor and delivery nurse position within a busy delivery unit to utilize 10 years of experience in implementing patient-centered interventions for optimizing delivery success.

Empathetic entry-level Labor and Delivery Nurse seeking a position with ACME Hospital utilize and hone skills in antepartum and postpartum care.

Seeking a position with Gotham City Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse to leverage 5 years of experience in providing critical care for high-risk delivery patients.

Pediatric nurse

Personable and capable licensed RN with 2 years of pediatric nursing experience in conducting diagnostic tests; good time management and prioritization skills. Provides high-quality pediatric care; detail-oriented, multitasker with exceptional skills in written documentation and verbal communication able to problem solve and liaise between patients, families, and doctors. Hands-on patient care and demonstrated compassion for family needs.

Eight-year career as a school nurse with comprehensive knowledge of methods and techniques for preparing patients for a variety of tests. Utilizes a systematic approach to patient care, and maintains professional ethics. Facilitates outcome-based care to patients and families. Demonstrates independent critical-thinking skills and sound patient care judgment. Plans efficient patient exam workflow to minimize stress on colleagues and patients.

Compassionate healthcare professional with 15 years of experience as a registered nurse in a clinical setting providing comprehensive pediatric care. Possesses extensive knowledge in all instruments and supplies to perform physical examinations and procedures. Demonstrated proficiency in Windows and Apple OS, computer navigation, and electronic patient care health records. Flexible and able to perform tasks with minimum to no supervision.

Dedicated nursing professional with 5 years of experience as a pediatric nurse seeking a position at a teaching health facility to further professional skills in specialized pediatric care. Hard-working and team-focused with a willingness to assume new responsibilities as necessary.

Licensed LVN with 4 years of experience seeking a full-time position as a pediatric nurse at Washington University Public Health Center. Brings dedication and compassion, with the ability to work with diverse colleagues and patients in high-stress situations.

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Nursing (Experienced) Resume

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Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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The Road to Professional Advancement with RN to BSN Programs

In the healthcare field, the importance of continuing education cannot be overstated. For registered nurses (RNs) looking to enhance their expertise and career prospects, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) offers a clear pathway to professional growth. RN to BSN programs are designed to build on the skills and knowledge that nurses have acquired through their initial training and real-world experience. This then provides them with a deeper understanding of patient care, management, and advanced medical procedures.  

Below, we explore all things RN to BSN programs, including answering the questions, “What is RN to BSN?” and “What does RN to BSN mean?” We also examine their significance along with the career outlook for those with an RN to BSN degree.  

Discovering RN to BSN Programs: What is RN to BSN?  

What is an RN to BSN, anyway? RN to BSN programs offer a bridge for registered nurses aiming to elevate their educational qualifications and expand their clinical capabilities. These nursing programs are tailored to integrate seamlessly into the busy schedules of active healthcare professionals, providing flexible learning options that do not compromise on the depth and quality of the education offered.  

What Does RN to BSN Mean? Defining RN to BSN and Its Importance  

When defining what an RN to BSN is, it’s helpful to look at it as an education-to-career pathway. An RN to BSN program is an educational path specifically designed for registered nurses who already possess an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and wish to advance to a BSN. These programs enhance the nurse's ability to handle complex clinical and leadership roles by deepening their knowledge in areas such as nursing research, public health, management, and advanced clinical practices. A BSN is increasingly necessary in today's complex healthcare settings and is often a prerequisite for leadership roles or positions in specialized fields of nursing​.   

The importance of obtaining a BSN cannot be understated in the context of the modern healthcare environment, which demands a higher level of critical thinking and advanced nursing practice capabilities. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are increasingly requiring a BSN for nursing positions, particularly in urban centers or specialized departments. Studies have shown that BSN-prepared nurses are linked to better patient outcomes, including lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates, and are preferred for their enhanced skills in critical thinking and leadership. This degree not only opens doors to new career opportunities and higher potential salaries but also positions nurses to pursue further educational advancements such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)​.  

The Journey from RN to BSN: A Step-by-Step Guide  

Embarking on the journey from RN to BSN involves a series of structured steps designed to elevate your professional credentials and expand your nursing competencies. Here are the steps to navigating this process:  

• Assess your current credentials – Ensure that you hold an active RN license and an ADN or a nursing diploma; these are prerequisites for most RN to BSN programs.  
• Choose the right nursing program – Decide whether an online, hybrid, or on-campus program suits your needs best. Consider the flexibility of online programs, which can be convenient for working professionals, and check if the program is accredited by recognized bodies such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) to ensure quality and eligibility for federal financial aid​.  
• Application process – Prepare to submit an application, which typically includes proof of your RN licensure, academic transcripts, and possibly a fee. Many programs have multiple start dates throughout the year, allowing for greater flexibility in when you can begin​.  
• Transfer credits – Look into the possibility of transferring previous nursing or related credits to reduce the number of courses you need to take. This can shorten the duration of the program significantly​.  
• Fulfill course requirements – Engage in coursework that builds on your existing knowledge and skills (discussed more in-depth below). The length of the program can vary based on whether you choose a full-time or part-time path.  
• Complete clinical hours – Depending on the nursing program structure, you may need to complete specific clinical hours or practical experiences. This often involves working under supervision in a healthcare setting to enhance your practical skills​.  
• Graduate and advance your career – Upon completion of the program, you'll be awarded a BSN degree, qualifying you for enhanced career opportunities, advanced nursing positions, or further education like a Master of Science in Nursing.  

Core Components of RN to BSN Programs  

The core components of RN to BSN programs are designed to deepen a nurse's expertise in both theoretical and practical aspects of healthcare. But more specifically, what is an RN to BSN program, and what does it entail? Dive into the essential coursework and experiences that shape these nursing programs and equip nurses with advanced skills in patient care, leadership, and healthcare management.  

Key Courses and Curriculum Structure  

In an RN to BSN program, the curriculum is comprehensive and designed to build upon the fundamental skills of nursing while introducing more complex concepts. Key types of courses might include any number of the following (but will vary depending on school and program):   

• Health assessment helps students refine their skills in conducting physical, psychological, and health history assessments to establish comprehensive care plans.   
• Pharmacology provides in-depth knowledge about various drug categories and their interactions, which is vital for safe medication administration​.   
• Pathophysiology is included to deepen understanding of disease processes and treatments by applying anatomy and physiology principles​​.   
• Microbiology courses teach about pathogens and how the body defends against them, essential for managing infections.   
• Anatomy and physiology courses offer detailed insights into the body systems, crucial for effective assessment and treatment​.   
• Courses in healthcare ethics and nursing theory and research are also integral, addressing ethical dilemmas in nursing and emphasizing the importance of evidence-based nursing practice and theoretical knowledge​.   
• Population health and human development courses explore the impact of societal factors on health and psychosocial development across a person's lifespan (respectively), preparing nurses to provide sensitive and informed care​.   
• Finally, clinical rotations are a core component, allowing students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings across a range of nursing specialties, which helps build practical skills and professional networks​.   

Clinical Requirements and Experiential Learning  

In RN to BSN programs, clinical experiences and experiential learning are integral components that enhance the theoretical knowledge gained through coursework. These practical experiences are designed to prepare students for advanced roles in nursing by applying their knowledge in real-world healthcare settings.  

Clinical requirements typically involve a set number of hours that students must complete, which are crucial for developing hands-on skills in patient care. For example, some programs might include a capstone project where students work under the supervision of a preceptor to implement a project that positively impacts patient outcomes. This both allows students to apply their knowledge practically as well as helps them integrate into the professional nursing environment effectively​.  

Experiential learning in these nursing programs can vary considerably but often includes simulations, lab work, and other interactive forms of learning. These components are structured to help students build critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills that are essential to modern nursing roles​. The combination of structured coursework and dynamic clinical experiences helps ensure graduates are well-prepared to meet the demands of the healthcare industry.  

Who Should Consider an RN to BSN Program?  

RN to BSN programs are ideal for registered nurses looking to enhance their clinical skills, assume managerial roles, or prepare for more specialized fields within healthcare. These programs are particularly beneficial for those who envision a long-term career in nursing and recognize the importance of advanced education in meeting the evolving demands of the healthcare sector. Nurses motivated by the prospect of higher salaries, leadership positions, and a desire to provide high-quality patient care through evidence-based practices will find these programs especially advantageous.   

Personality Traits and Professional Aspirations  

Those considering an RN to BSN program should exhibit certain personality traits that align well with the nursing profession. The following key traits help nurses manage the day-to-day challenges and protect against burnout while maintaining high engagement levels in their careers​:   

• Compassion is crucial, as nurses should treat each patient with deep empathy and care as they would a family member.   
• Dedication and a strong commitment to patient advocacy reflect a nurse's drive to improve patient care quality and bridge communication gaps between patients and healthcare providers​.  
• Nurses must be adept at assessing situations and making quick, informed decisions.   
• Leadership skills are essential to help nurses guide patients toward better health outcomes and mentor fellow staff members.   
• The role demands physical endurance and excellent time management skills to handle the rigors of nursing duties effectively.   

Evaluating Your Career Goals and Educational Needs  

When planning your career trajectory in nursing, it is critical to set structured and clear goals. Adopting the SMART framework (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) can be extremely beneficial. This method helps in mapping out your educational needs—such as choosing to pursue an RN to BSN program—as well as aligning these needs with your long-term career aspirations, like advancing into leadership roles or specializing in specific areas of healthcare. This structured approach helps ensure your goals are both well-defined and aligned with the developing demands of the healthcare sector, ultimately facilitating a focused and effective progression in your nursing career.  

Benefits of Completing an RN to BSN Program  

Completing an RN to BSN program offers numerous benefits that extend beyond the immediate advancement of nursing skills. These programs are tailored to broaden the professional scope of nurses by enhancing their clinical competencies and leadership abilities. Graduates often find themselves better equipped to handle complex healthcare situations, lead teams, and contribute to policymaking within healthcare settings.   

Furthermore, a BSN degree can increase access to higher salary brackets, greater job stability, and eligibility for a wider range of nursing roles in diverse healthcare environments. This increased qualification empowers nurses with more autonomy in their practice and positions them as pivotal players in the evolution of patient care.  

Career Advancement Opportunities  

Completing an RN to BSN program can substantially elevate career prospects for nurses , opening the door to a variety of advancement opportunities. With a BSN, nurses are better positioned for leadership roles such as charge nurse, clinical nurse leader, patient care director, and clinical nurse manager. These positions offer increased responsibilities and typically come with higher pay plus a broader scope of influence within healthcare settings. Additionally, specialized roles become accessible, ranging from nurse anesthetist to family nurse practitioner , each requiring further certifications that a BSN can prepare a nurse to pursue​.  

Choosing the Right RN to BSN Program  

Choosing the right RN to BSN program involves careful consideration of several factors to ensure it aligns with your professional goals and personal circumstances. It is crucial to assess the program's accreditation, as this impacts the quality of education received and eligibility for certain job positions. Evaluating the flexibility of course schedules, availability of online or hybrid options, and support services the institution offers can play a significant role in your academic success and overall experience.  

Online vs. On-Campus Options  

Choosing between online and on-campus RN to BSN programs depends largely on individual learning preferences and lifestyle needs. Online programs offer flexibility, allowing nurses to balance their studies with work and personal commitments by accessing coursework at their convenience. This can be especially beneficial for those who need to continue working full-time.   

On the other hand, on-campus nursing programs provide structured learning environments, face-to-face interaction with faculty and peers, and immediate access to on-site resources—which can enhance the learning experience for those who thrive in a traditional classroom setting.  

Overcoming Challenges in RN to BSN Programs  

Students must manage and overcome some common hurdles in RN to BSN programs. Finding the right balance to manage coursework alongside professional responsibilities is crucial. Adapting to academic demands (especially if returning to education after a time gap) can be daunting. It involves acclimating to new learning technologies and academic writing standards. However, these challenges can be mitigated with support systems like tutoring, online resources, and time management workshops that many programs offer to help students succeed.  

Balancing Work, Life, and Study  

Balancing work, life, and study in an RN to BSN program is a common challenge that requires careful planning and prioritization. Effective time management strategies, such as creating a structured schedule and utilizing organizational tools, can help nurses allocate adequate time for coursework while maintaining full-time work and personal commitments.   

Financial Planning and Support Options  

When considering financial planning for an RN to BSN program, it's essential to explore the various financial aid and support options available to manage the costs effectively. Many nursing students take advantage of financial aid like scholarships, grants, student loans, and tuition reimbursement programs. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the go-to tool for assessing eligibility for these aids, helping students access federal, state, and private financial support based on their needs​.  

The Future of Nursing With a BSN Degree  

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), registered nurses with a BSN are better positioned for leadership and specialized roles that are expected to be in higher demand. This data highlights that a BSN prepares nurses with not only comprehensive clinical skills but also key management and decision-making capabilities necessary for higher-level positions.   

Trends and Predictions in Nursing Careers  

The nursing profession is expected to see substantial growth and change in the coming years, with an overall employment increase of 6% projected from 2022 to 2032. This growth is fueled by an aging population requiring more healthcare services and an anticipated high rate of retirement among current nurses, which is expected to result in numerous job openings annually. Advances in healthcare and increasing emphasis on preventive care also contribute to the demand for more highly skilled nurses, underscoring the importance of a BSN degree for those entering the field. These trends suggest ongoing opportunities for those who are well-equipped and educated​.  

The Evolving Role of BSN-Educated Nurses  

The role of BSN-educated nurses is evolving to meet the complexities of modern healthcare. These nurses are increasingly pivotal in managing patient care, implementing healthcare technologies, and leading initiatives to improve patient outcomes. With a stronger educational foundation, BSN-educated nurses are prepared to take on advanced roles in management, education, specialty care, and other growing demands and responsibilities within nursing practice.  

Explore High-Level Nursing Careers with an RN to BSN Degree  

As you consider the path to high-level nursing careers, enhancing your education with an RN to BSN degree can be a transformative step. University of the Cumberlands offers a comprehensive RN to BSN program designed to equip you with the advanced skills needed for leadership roles in nursing.   

Whether you're aiming for management, specialized care, or educational roles, this nursing program provides critical knowledge and credentials.  Explore how we can help elevate your nursing career by requesting more information about our RN to BSN degree program today.