How To List Nursing Credentials
According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center the preferred order is: Highest degree earned, Licensure, National Certification.
- Educational degrees include doctoral degrees , masters degrees , bachelors degrees , and associate degrees .
- 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 , includes RNBC and FNP-BC .
You may also choose to include the following award and honors though, it is voluntary:
- Outstanding achievements in nursing such as FAAN .
- Other certifications that recognize additional skills such as the EMT-Basic/EMT, awarded by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician.
Example For Experienced Registered Nurses
- Assisted in diagnosing and providing treatment to patients and worked in a busy and high caseload emergency room in coordination with other healthcare professionals.
- Administered medications and therapies intravenously, rectally, and orally according to physicians written orders and oversaw pain management plans.
- Monitored patient care of wounds, assisted patients with their post-surgery healing and recovery, and provided education and information regarding strategies for continued care.
Add Your Contact Information
Interested employers need to contact you to schedule an interview, so put your contact information in a prominent place at the top of your resume. Using a larger or bold font for your header section is another way to make your resume stand out. Below your name, include your email address, phone number, and your current city and province or territory. Make sure your email address sounds professional, like a simple variation of your first and last names.
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How To Write Education Section In Nurse Resume
The educational section of a nurse must not be limited to the GPA or SAT Scores. Your education section must include specific hours invested in clinical rotations as well as your specialization and advanced courses in addition to the name and contact of the university you graduated from. If you skipped school, it is better to avoid listing the time duration in any of your points in the resume according to nurse resume samples.
How To Get Around The Ats
The applicant tracking software has helped make the recruiting process much more efficient for hiring managers. While there isnt a definitive process to always beat the ATS, there are general rules to follow to create a resume that will increase your success rate.
- Design your resume to match the job description
- Optimize for the ATS by aligning your resume keywords to the job description
- Use the long-form and spelled out acronyms such as BSN
- Save your file as a .docx, .doc or .pdf format
- Dont use headers or footers
- Use plain, black bullet points not any special bullet types
- Do not include tables since an ATS cant read them
- Dont include a photo or use creative fonts
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Write A Cover Letter To Go With Your Nursing Resume
Our last parting wisdom to you is to have a cover letter that complements your resume.
The cover letter gives your recruiter the confidence that you are interested in them specifically.
Having a great resume is fine and all, but its much like giving someone a handshake and not giving a greeting. Its a complementary piece that needs a cover letter to reinforce and expound on the ideas covered within it.
In other words, the cover letter explains why you chose the company and helps them understand that you arent just spamming several companies with your resume.
Youve made it. Congratulations!
By this point, youve put a lot of time into your resume. You should feel proud of yourself. Youre on your way to landing that new job. Now, its time to prepare for the interview. If you need help with that, weve got you covered as well.
New Grad Nursing Resume
Use this template
Why this resume works
- Since you’re a new graduate, your experience during your clinical rotations can be included on your new grad nursing resume. It’s also important to list any other healthcare experience you have, whether it’s paid experience or volunteer work.
- If you lack experience, that’s okay! Just include more details about your clinical rotations. You can also mention non-healthcare-specific work experience if you have it.
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Let Your Nursing Skills And Experience Shine On Your Resume This Sample Resume For An Rn Shows You How
If you’re looking for top nursing jobs, know that the need for your skills and expertise is high. To grab the attention of top employers, you need a resume that shows you can fulfill the demands of being a nurse. Now, as an RN, you’re very used to providing care and attention to patients in need. But how prepared are you to tend to your resume? To help your nursing skills and experience shine, view this sample resume for an RN below, and download the nurse resume template in Word.
Jobs for nurses are projected to grow by 15% from 2016 through 2026, which is much faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . You’ll find the highest level of employment for this job in the following states: California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania and in the following metropolitan areas: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Boston.
As a nurse, you can expect to earn a median wage of $70,000 per year, or $33.65 per hour, according to the BLS.
Additionally, you can apply to registered nurse jobs and view all nurse jobs on Monster.
Experience
RN, Pediatric Oncology, 5/15 to Present ABC CHILDRENS HOSPITAL Sometown, TX
Provide inpatient nursing care as well as outpatient chemotherapy administration to children receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders. Coordinate treatment with multidisciplinary healthcare team members to attain optimal health and continuity of care.
RN, Pediatrics, 7/10 to 1/12 GHI HOSPITAL Sometown, TX
What If You Dont Have Work Experience
Maybe youre 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.
If youre a recent graduate, you might want to check out our guide on how to make a student resume!
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Highlight Your Educational Achievements For Health Care
Registered nurses might have a diploma, an ASN or a BSN. While all of these paths can lead to a career as a registered nurse, education level plays a big role in hiring and in determining salary levels. When listing education, dont just state the degree earned. Be sure to include where you went to school, the location, when you graduated and the degree. Then, pull out the relevant coursework to match each application. For example, if applying at a pediatric office, highlight any clinical training that worked with children.
Example #1
Johns Hopkins University, 2019
- Exceeded expectations during pediatric clinicals and demonstrated compassion working with younger patients
- Participated in hospital volunteer program for youth patients with long-term hospital stays
Associate of NursingBaltimore Community College, 2019
- Participated in clinical rotations in the surgical unit and excelled at providing compassionate care both pre- and post-surgery
- Passionate about improving recovery outcomes through the use of individualized care plans and with patient input
Baltimore Community College, 2019
Nursing Student Resume Template
Abigail Martin, RNSometown, CA 55555 | 555-5555 | am@somedomain.com
California RN and BSN nursing student offering a combination of diverse clinical experience, academic excellence, compassion, leadership and strong interpersonal skills. Dedicated to providing quality, cost-effective and evidence-based care to help patients achieve optimal outcomes.
Abigail is an outstanding nurse and a key member of my nursing teamShe has demonstrated excellent clinical and technical skills benefitting both general and specialty patient populations… Mary Bates, RN, Nurse Supervisor, GHI Community Hospital
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, 2014 to PresentGPA: 3.8/4.0 | Member: Student Nurses for ProgressFaculty Award for Excellence in Academics | Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing
DEF COLLEGE | Vocational Nursing Certificate, 2014
RN, California Board of Registered Nursing | LVN Certifications: ACLS, BLS, CPR and AED
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Student Nurse / Clinical Rotations | 2014 to Present
Develop and implement nursing care plans for patients and coordinate with multidisciplinary team members to facilitate integrated and comprehensive care.Highlights:
- Labor & Delivery | GHI COMMUNITIY HOSPITAL
Currently work within Maternity Care Unit, a state-of-the-art birthing center. Gained experience in antepartum, labor, delivery, post-partum and mother-baby care.
- Medical/Surgical | JKL HEALTH CENTER
- Hematology Oncology | MNO MEDICAL CENTER
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What Do Nurses Do
Registered nurses are typically involved in providing and coordinating patient care, while also playing an important role in educating patients and the public about diverse health conditions. They work in a wide variety of health care settings, including hospitals, physicians offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities, as well as outpatient clinics and schools.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the median annual wage for registered nurses was $75,330 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $53,410, and the highest 10% more than $116,230.
Nurse Career Prospects In The Industry
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nurses are important as nursing is a growing occupation with many interesting prospects for the future. BLS also claims that the annual wage for nurses across the world range from $40,000 to $102,000+.
A nurse assists the doctor and his actions by monitoring or chaperoning the patient back to health. A good nurse is one with a kind and generous heart to serve the people in need. If youre such a kind-hearted and versatile nurse, all you need is a bachelors degree to improve your career and remunerations.
Bureau of Labor Statistics claims an increase of 16%, higher than most professions until 2024. Registered nurses are vital to healthcare institutions at national and international levels and with every passing year, it adds seniority to your nursing resume.
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Nurse Resume Career Objective Examples
The objective statement in a professional nurse resume refers to the sentence that highlights your key values beneficial to the employer by outlining our career graph as proof of your competency. It must be a goal-oriented statement that is customized to match the needs of the recruiter.
A good career objective in a professional resume is not a plea, but proof of your technical proficiency as a nurse. In short, the career objective must be a brief synopsis of your career graph tailored to match the employers requirements.
- To leverage my 6 years of postgraduate course in Nursing and 2+ Years Nursing Internship in Cardiology for Nursing Position at Sunshine Hospitals
- Versatile and Competent Senior Nurse with Commanding Experience of Serving in Labor Rooms aspiring to join as the Head Nurse for the Pregnancy Division
- Adept and hardworking nursing graduate with dual degrees in general and advanced nursing practices hoping to join as a Senior Content Writer in the National Nursing Journal
- To obtain the position of Head Nurse at Middle East Hospitals by applying modern healthcare reforms and Clinical skills for High-Risk Patients
- Motivated and Kind RN with Thirteen Years of Experience in Patient Care, IV Management and Phlebotomy seeking an opportunity with Healthcare Ltd as the Senior Nurse
Five Use The Right Formatting And Design
As mentioned, modern resumes need to be formatted to pass an ATS. This includes designing it in a comprehensive way that will not confuse the ATS. We recommend the following design and formatting features:
We recommend the top margin to be set at 1, side margins set to .63. Many experts believe this strikes the perfect balance of text to white space.
ALIGNMENT
Left alignment is standard since thats how most people read. You may think a justified alignment looks tidier, but it can leave uneven gaps between words and ultimately make text harder to read.
LENGTH
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 pages. Dont stress over it 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. Bottom line is, it should look visually appealing and should include keywords.
FONT STYLE
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.
Experienced Travel Nurse with 8 years experience in critical care nursing.
Experienced Travel Nurse with 8 years experience in critical care nursing.
FONT SIZES
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Do You Need An Objective Or Summary On Your Nursing Resume
When crafting your nursing resume, you have the option to use career objectives and summaries.
When to include a career objective in your resume:
- You can use an objective when changing or modifying your career.
- For instance, if you plan to change from a surgical assistant registered nurse to an emergency room registered nurse, you’d use an objective to highlight that you’re pursuing a new subfield within nursing.
When a summary is right for your resume:
- Use a summary to highlight your most valuable experience and skills. These are ideal when you have vast experience in nursing.
- For example, if you’ve worked in a health setting for 10 or more years, you can include a summary.
When not to use objectives or summaries:
- Unclear objective example: “Looking for a nursing job to apply my skills and knowledge.”
- This lacks specificity and reads “I just need a job to pay the bills.” While that may be true, employers want to know you’re passionate about your work and will improve your workplace.
When objectives or summaries are worth including:
Key Takeaways For A Nurse Resume
And if you want the perfect tool to save yourself time and win your dream nurse position, use our helpful resume builder with field-tested resume templates!
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Keys To Writing Your Experience Section
This is the meat and potatoes of your resume. Writing a striking experience section will go a long way in securing a terrific nursing job.
Nursing recruiters are not looking for fluff or abstraction. They want specific and detailed accounts of your work over the years.
Make it scannable
To start, you want to use easily distinguishable section headers such as employment history or relevant experience. These buzzwords make the ATS happy.
We suggest writing your experience down in reverse chronological order.
Start with your most recent position and go from there. Now, if you have held jobs dating back to the Reagan administration or when The Sopranos was on TV, maybe dont include those.
Try to keep your job history within the last 20 years.
Quantify your experience
Instead of just listing your responsibilities with bullet points, convey your accomplishments using quantitative measurements when possible.
For example, instead of saying: Helped discharge patients.
Try instead: Administered 10 discharges an hour during my shift. Provided ample health care education to patient and family members.
The second example is more specific and detailed. It gives your employer a good idea as to your efficiency. Also, administered evokes more responsibility than helped.
Heres an example of an excellent experience section:
You should also consider including the unit type you worked in. Did you work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or an Emergency Room?
Be descriptive
Complement Your Resume With A Cover Letter
Cover letters are essential when youre submitting your job application. If you send your application without one, it will be incomplete, and youll miss out on an opportunity. This document gives the hiring manager more details about your qualifications. You can inject some personality as you talk about your accomplishments and experience to capture the recruiters attention. Check out our cover letter examples and use them to help you craft your own.
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Should You Add Projects Interests Or Hobbies To Your Nursing Resume
Most of the time, you don’t need to include projects or interests/hobbies on your resume. However, you may be able to add them depending on your level of experience and the type of role you’re seeking.
If you’re an experienced nurse, you’ve likely gained tangible experience that’s more important than undergraduate projects you’ve completed. Instead, you should highlight your key areas of experience and show your new employer how you’ll impact their business.
In the same vein, you may not need to indicate your hobbies or interests unless it’s encouraged. However, you can gain an advantage over the competition if you have strong qualifications and hobbies that match the company culture.
To help you determine whether or not to include hobbies, visit the company’s website and read the “About Us” section to gauge whether they have a unique cultural fit.
If you’re an entry-level candidate or a recent graduate, listing hobbies and projects can help you fill space and showcase your personality. However, it’s always good to review the job description to ensure these additions are relevant. Either way, keep the project and hobbies lists short and at the bottom of your resume.
Examples of hobbies/interests:
- Work experience bullets
To recap, each job description comes with different skill requisites. Furthermore, remember to note keywords you can use within the body of your resume and cover letter.