New Graduate Nurse Resume Examples
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Nursing school taught you everything a nursing student needs to become a professional healthcare provider, except the first step writing your resume.
To help you secure your first nursing job, you need to create a compelling new graduate nurse resume that will highlight your training, skills, and potential in the healthcare industry. You need to ensure that all the information you include in your application is updated and relevant to the job youre applying for.
Thats why we created a breakdown of a nursing resume example for newly licensed nursing students to help you write a new grad resume, get your file right on top of the applicants list, and kickstart your nursing career.
Certified Nursing Assistant Resume
Use this template
Why this resume works
- Much like applying for an RN role, you should include your license right in your resume title . This effectively alerts the employer that you’re qualified for the role .
- In addition to your title, if you have any certifications or additional licenses, include them on your resume in a designated section.
How To Create A Resume For Nursing Students And Nurses
The first thing that needs to be done is to select a resume template. You can create your own through programs such as Word or you can find free resume templates online . When selecting a resume template make sure they are neat and organized. Avoid nurse resume templates that are cluttered.
Try not to confuse the resume with a nurse portfolio. A nurse portfolio is a collection of the supporting documents that supports your resume. For more information on nurse portfolio check out our article on it.
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Urgent Care And Emergency Care
Urgent care and emergency care skills involve the ability to respond promptly to medical issues a patient is experiencing. One example of urgent care and emergency care skills is the ability to properly care for and dress a wound. Even nurses who do not work in the emergency room may find themselves in situations where they need to apply basic urgent care and emergency care skills, making it a vital skill for all nursing professionals.
Faq: New Grad Nursing Resumes
You should always include a cover letter on your job application. A cover letter is a great way to explain where youre coming from and what youre good at. Plus, when youre a new graduate, you can use a cover letter to explain more about why a hiring manager should choose you instead of someone who might have more experience. The ResumeNerd cover letter builder is a great starting point.
As a new graduate, you probably worry that you dont have much experience to list on your resume. However, just by going through nursing school, you have some relevant experience. Include experience you had to go through while pursuing a nursing career, such as volunteer experience, experience as a nursing student and internships.
Resume keywords are the key to creating a new grad nursing resume for a specific job. If youre looking for the perfect resume while going through your job search, read through the description and include the skills and key terms in your resume that the hiring manager wants for the job.
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Writing Your Nursing Resume
Putting together an effective nursing resume may seem overwhelming and not worth your effort. However, putting in the extra effort now will pay off when you get an interview. And remember, you’re not doing this alone. We’re dedicated to helping you write an amazing resume by providing advice on common frustrating decisions like this:
- When an objective is most useful on your nursing resume
- When a summary can be the preferred choice
- How to list your most relevant nursing work history
- Adding volunteer work and academic endeavors when work history is light
Chief Nursing Officer Resume
Use this template
Why this resume works
- Your chief nursing officer resume should be written in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent experience listed at the top of your resume.
- This formatting showcases your career growth and leadership development by highlighting your most recent job.
- CNOs must have management and finance experience, so focus on including hard skills in your resume skills section.
- We recommend you include six to 10 skills, with at least 70 percent hard skills such as BLS, QA/QC, federal compliance, and fiscal health analysis.
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Add Work And Volunteer History
If you have any work history that applies to the job you’re applying for, you can list that as well. The job doesn’t have to be directly related, but you should highlight the related skills you had to use. For example, if you worked in customer support at a retail chain, you could talk about your problem-solving skills and your ability to deal with customers.
The same goes for any volunteer experience. If you volunteered at a nursing home in your spare time, this is a great thing to list on your nursing resume. Any volunteer work you did is great to list, but if you can relate it specifically to the job you’re applying for in some way, that’s even better.
Read More:Guide To Listing Volunteer Work on a Resume
Nursing Education And Certifications
When preparing your nursing resume, include all the elements that will increase your chances of getting the job. You need to indicate the following:
- Your education level
- Your experience in other nursing environments
- Your years of experience as a nurse
On the topic of licenses, you need to share your area of specialization. Specialists include registered nurses , certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. Including your area of expertise helps potential employers determine whether you’re the right candidate for the job.
Besides, including this information is easy to do and shouldn’t take up much space! Simply place certifications and licenses in a short section toward the bottom of your resume:
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Example Nursing Graduate Resume
Now that weve discussed each piece of the nursing graduate resume, lets put it all together in this example resume using a simple format:
Nancy A. Mazin RN, BSNSeattle, WA 98052 555-5555
Registered Nurse InternCaring, patient-focused nursing graduate seeking entry-level nursing position at a large public hospital. Skilled communicator and technically proficient in electronic medical records. Proven ability to establish rapport with patients and staff in fast-paced setting. Adaptable and able to learn skills / procedures quickly.
Education:
Bachelors of Science in Nursing , Smith & Brown University, City, ST 2022
- Award: Graduated magna cum laude
Associates Degree in Nursing , Charleston Community College, City, St 2018
License: Registered Nurse, Active Ohio, #55443322 expiration 01/2023
Certification: Basic Life Support , American Heart Association, expiration 11/2024
Experience
University Hospital, Seattle, WA, March 2018 to August 2019
Registered Nursing Student-Non-Intensive Care Unit
- Performed blood draws for needle-wary patients in a high-volume setting.
- Provided wound care to 12 patients per shift, including those with diabetes, pressure sores, and other slow-to-heal sores.
- Calmed down upset patients enabling them to receive needed treatments.
Cook Medical Center, Seattle, WA January 2017 to March 2018
Registered Nursing Student-Intensive and Surgical Care
Skills
Technical Skills
Epic and Cerner Alaris IV pumps, Microsoft Office / 365
Other
Davita Dialysis Bridgeport Ct
Patient Care Technician, June 2017August 2018
- Assisted 3 physicians, 2 RNs, and 4 laboratory technicians by needling patients for dialysis and other treatments
- Monitored patients health progress and entered their information into the system
- Worked under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, accountable for observing patients conditions and maintaining data
- Educated patients about the treatments they were undergoing, and encouraged them to interact more with their physicians
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Hard Vs Soft Nursing Skills
The primary difference between hard skills and soft skills is how we gain them and how we put them to use. Your resume should include a combination of both hard and soft skills so you will stand out as a well-rounded candidate to potential employers.
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Soft skills relate more to the personality traits we have gained and developed throughout our lifetime.
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Hard skills are more technical and people can learn them through education or specialized training. Hard skills are the technical skills and knowledge to perform your job duties and soft skills are the personal characteristics that relate to how you perform in a work environment.
Read more:
Experts Answer Top Questions About New Grad Nursing Resumes
1. Why are nursing resumes important?
First impressions are important, and your new graduate nursing resume provides that first impression to your prospective employer.
Experts tell us that employers spend an average of six seconds looking at each resume before they decide to keep or toss it. Your resume is likely your only chance to connect with an employer and secure an interview.
2. What should I include in my new grad nurse resume?
Opinions on this have changed through the years, said Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, a nursing career specialist and advice columnist based in New Jersey.
Years ago, we were told not to put prior work experience in a resume, but today, many come into nursing with prior work histories, so its important to include this.
Ali Marasigan agreed. She is one of 60 nurse recruiters with Banner Health, which has hospitals and outpatient facilities in six states.
3. What about new nurses who dont have any work experience?
We like to see where they did their clinical rotations, Marasigan explained. We may be able to see what hospital in our network they have been exposed to, so when theres no work history, this is an import piece.
4. What are some specific DOs and DONTs for new grad nursing resumes?
5. Are hard copies of a new graduate nursing resume still necessary?
Absolutely, said Cardillo.
6. Should I have a new graduate nursing cover letter to accompany my resume?
Yes, say the experts. Here are some guidelines:
7. Should I also use social media?
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Will Your Nursing Resume Beat The Ats
Optimizing your resume for the Application Tracking System increases your chances of being called for an interview. The ATS is a tool that many companies use to quickly scan resumes and weed out applicants without relying on someone to read through them first.
Most resumes aren’t designed to beat ATS, and end up being filtered out before they ever reach the recruiter. However, if you know how to properly format your resume, you’ll pass the ATS scan and make your way to a person. Here’s what you should know about the role of fonts, font size, margins, header names, logical order, skills, and page length, as far as ATS-friendly resumes are concerned:
- ATS-friendly fonts make it easy for a computer to read your resume. Some of the most commonly used ATS-friendly fonts include: Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial. Preferably, they should have a font size of 10-12 points.
- Beyond just font type, font size also matters. Preferably, your body font size should be 10-12 points, while your headers can be bigger.
- Keywords are the main focus of the ATS, so make sure your skill keywords and header names match what’s in the job description.
- The ATS is not sensitive to the number of pages, but one page is the standard across professions.
How To Write A Good New Grad Nursing Resume
After years of studying, taking exams, rotating shifts at the laboratory and other areas of a hospital, and getting licensed, you have finally graduated as a Nurse. Congratulations! Once the diploma has been set aside, it is time to look for work.
The challenge facing new Nursing graduates is to be considered for the position without having work experience. Your first point of contact is your new grad Nursing resume. If you believe in the saying that first impressions last then you must write a good one!
Consequently, the question you must be asking yourself is, How do I get the interest of the recruiter if I dont have work experience?
To answer that question, you must first change the way you look at a resume. It is not just a piece of paper with details about your education, work experience, and contact information.
In the context of a job search, the resume is your marketing brochure. It is tasked to market your strongest or most sellable points.
If you remember the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, the main character Jordan Belfort would start out his sales seminar by pulling out an ordinary ball pen. Belfort would pick out a member of the audience and say, Sell me this ball pen.
Unlike Belfort, you will not be scamming the HR officer. Quite the contrary, you have to be very truthful! You only have to present or highlight key pieces of your information that would pique his interest and line you up for the job.
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Sections Of A Nursing Resume
The nursing resume usually consists of the following sections:
- Name and Contact Info
- Professional Memberships
- Volunteer Experiences
FUN FACTS: Even before the Covid-19 pandemic when nurses were widely honored for their patient dedication, nurses have been recognized for 18 years in a row as the most honest and ethical profession per a Gallup poll.
New Grad Nursing Resume Template
We highly recommend thinking through your resumes structure when you go to start writing it. There are 5 primary sections you need to fill out:
- List your membership in relevant organizations and communities.
SKILLS
- Name up to 5 hard skills that outline your professional background .
- List up to 7 soft skills that help to succeed in your profession .
- Focus on skills relevant to the target job requirements.
Lets go through each section from the template above to give you ideas on how to emphasize your strongest sides in a new grad nurse resume and create a winning job application.
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New Grad Nursing Duties And Responsibilities
New Nursing graduates must dread writing the work experience section of the resume. After all, this is the area where a recruiter focuses his energies on. The summary of duties and responsibilities will help him gauge if the candidate is qualified for the job or not.
On the other hand, the new Nursing grad is in a quandary. She is looking for her first job as a licensed Nurse. Therefore, she has no work experience. What will she list down in her summary of duties and responsibilities?
First of all, dont panic! Second, take a deep breath and change your approach toward work experience.
The reason why most entry-level job seekers get intimidated in writing the work experience section is their belief that it refers to paid work. To an extent, that is true.
However, if you break down the term work experience what it truly means is experience in applying the practical skills and techniques that you have learned and acquired.
If the university gives you the foundation for the fundamental and theoretical principles of Nursing, your practicum provides the experience of applying what you have learned.
Before working on the work experience section, recollect your time running the shifts at the hospital. What were your duties and responsibilities then?
- Assisted the Head Nurse
- Assisted the Nurse in cleaning up the patient
- Recorded and kept track of patients progress
Good new grad Nursing responsibilities example
Duties and Responsibilities
How Is A New Grad Nursing Resume Different From Other Resumes
A new grad nursing resume is a resume that recent graduates can use to apply for their first nursing job. This resume differs from others in that you will likely need to focus more on your education rather than work history and include specific details related to your nursing education. Formatting your new graduate nursing resume correctly is essential for getting your first nursing job after graduation.
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Critical Thinking And Problem Solving
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills involve the ability to handle complex situations in the workplace and calmly develop creative solutions. Nurses work in dynamic environments with many variables. Being able to think quickly, weigh pros and cons and make informed decisions with their patients life on the line is critical for nurses.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are necessary for many parts of a nurses role, such as making a conclusion about a patients condition and determining when emergency medical care is necessary.
Read more:Problem-Solving Skills: Definitions and Examples
Objectives For A New Grad Nursing Resume
- Graduated from a 4-year course in Nursing and received my professional license as a Registered Nurse in 2015. Dedicated, motivated and compassionate with a great love for providing health care, I hope to start my career in this honourable profession with the Avera Medical Group.
- Detail-oriented nursing graduate with a positive and friendly disposition is seeking work with the Good Hope Hospital as a Registered Nurse. I have ACLS Certification, extensive exposure to the different areas of the hospital, and I am confident of my ability to provide assistance to doctors and other healthcare workers.
- A dynamic and soft-spoken nursing graduate is interested in acquiring an entry-level nursing position at Sunshine Hills General Hospital. My strong skill sets are in the areas of post-operative patient care, surgical assistance, and pharmaceutical oncology. Likewise, I am efficient in collecting fluid samples.
- Seeking a position for a nursing graduate at the West Allen Healthcare Center. I have acquired specialised training in the following areas: Intravenous Infusions, Dialysis, and Cardiac Care. I am also particularly effective in establishing rapport with emotionally unstable patients.
- Dedicated and energetic new nursing graduate is interested in becoming a Registered Nurse for First Care Georgia Hospital. If considered, I hope to contribute my knowledge and expertise in Critical Care, ER, and Oncology.
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