Your Nursing Resume Guide (Sample Resume Download)
Whether you’ve just completed your exams or you’re studying for them, there’s no doubt that the road to becoming a nurse was filled with work. If you’re still studying, check out BoardVitals for all of your exam review needs! They are a fantastic company I have been working with and used for my Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Board review. If you decide to purchase a question bank from them, use the code NURSEABNORMALITIES for 20% off your purchase.
Your Nursing Resume Questions Answered
Congratulations, you are officially a new nurse! You might be a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), or APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse), but in every way, you are new and you are looking for a job.
The first step to scoring your dream position is developing a professional resume. Almost a year ago, I posted my own resume that I used for applications to my first Nurse Practitioner (NP) position, and I am still receiving questions regarding the resume process today! Before I continue this post, it is important to note that while I am not a professional resume writer, I am a nurse who has held several jobs and have only been turned down for one. Previously, I worked in bedside nursing and travel nursing, and now, I am working a new NP job. I will tell you why I was turned down further in this post. I am not a business maven, so take my opinion or leave it, but writing a resume for nursing is tough, and at the least, I want to share what I know because I want you all to be successful.
This post will continue in the order of which I examine a resume for a new hire; meaning, if you do not succeed on the first topic, you will likely be discounted from there. So here we go.
How should my resume be formatted?
Spell Check: If you take anything away from this post, note that if your resume has a spelling error, you likely will be out of the running for the position. When I applied for my first NP job I had a spelling error on my Curriculum Vitae (CV) and was removed from consideration. Luckily, the human resources manager called me to tell me, but otherwise I would have sent that CV to every other possible job with the error. So make sure to have multiple people edit your resume. Yes, it takes time, yes its worth it. Side note, typos may also disqualify you based on an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for large corporations making it even more important to spell check.
Optimize for ATS: ATS is a tracking system large corporations use to sort resumes. Eliminating typos as mentioned above is one way to do this. Avoid fonts with serifs or too many colors. I would not use more than three colors on your resume. Additionally, maintain traditional title sections like “Experience,” “Education,” “Skills,” etc., because ATS will likely not recognize others. Finally, use keywords related to the job to which you are applying. If you are an intensive care nurse, you should type out the words “intensive care,” in the resume.
Templates: Resume templates changed my world. At least once per day I am asked about the resume templates I used for mine. I found the best templates on Etsy. So check them out and select one conducive to your style.
Borderless PDF: Save your resume as a borderless PDF to prevent any formatting issues. This is imperative when using a template because the last thing you want is a beautiful issue with spacing issues.
File Name: Do not forget about your file name. Most likely, your employer will see the file name for your resume. When I’m applying to multiple jobs, I want my employer to know I have made a resume specifically for them. Even if I do not change much on the resume, I always change the file name and include my name. If I’m applying for a job at Johns Hopkins Hospital, I will title the resume, “JaneSmith_JHH_Resume.”
What Headers Should my Resume Include?
Summary Statement: When applying for my NP jobs, I included a career summary statement at the top of my resume. Do not include an objective statement here. Everyone knows you want the job, tell the employer why you deserve the job here. This should be your 30-second elevator pitch and include your work history, skills, and accomplishments. Mine was something like this:
“Recent Doctorate of Nursing Practice graduate and dual board certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist with seven plus years of direct bedside, high-acuity, CVICU nursing experience. Passionate and detail-oriented, eager to invest in [insert name of institution here] and grow as an expert clinician and leader in the CVICU.”
Education: If you are a new grad applying for a job, the education section should be first, before your work experience. This should include the degree obtained, the dates attended, and only include your GPA if it is exceptional. I once had a follower tell me she was including her 3.1 GPA because she was proud of it. Employers do not care if you are proud of it, they care that they are getting the absolute best candidate and these jobs are extremely competitive. I would not include your GPA unless it is over a 3.7. Yes, I know it’s tough, but otherwise I would leave the GPA off all together.
Clinical Rotations: If you have no work experience, clinical rotations are very valuable to include under your education. I made a bullet point for each one, the number of hours I completed, any projects done, and key skills learned.
Work Experience: If you are applying for an NP job, include all of your RN experience. Keep this simple and clean, use only key words. Do not forget to include the size of the units (28-bed, 14-bed), whether or not you were charge nurse, any projects or initiatives you participated in, and skills. If you are a new grad RN, include any previous positions you have held that relate to customer service and communication. When I used to interview new-grad RN candidates, I appreciated experience as a waitress or any retail experience because I knew the graduate could likely relate to people, which is important for any registered nurse.
Skills and Certifications: When listing skills, make sure you list how you have used them. If I say I have research skills, I would add that I have worked on two federally funded research studies. If I list that I am proficient in EPIC electronic health record, I would add that I am a superuser. Likewise with certifications, list the date obtained and the date of expiration.
References: I did not previously include references on my resumes, but having them on the resume makes it easier for companies and you. Confirm with your references before you apply that they will vouch for you and put them at the bottom of the resume; it’s easier for all parties.
Other sections you may want to include are “Licensure” with license numbers and expiration dates, “Activities,” “Extra,” or the equivalent showing your other interests.
How Long Should My Resume Be?
New Grad RN: If you are a new grad RN, not second degree, you can likely fit everything on to one page. If you are a second degree RN, you might need two pages. There are not hard rules on this anymore, the most important idea here is that the info is clean and relevant. Do not use a bunch of fluffy words, only facts. Employers spend minimal time reading your resume, you want them to see your highlights before anything else.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse: An APRN should have a Curriculum Vitae including all work, education, projects, papers and presentations. Because mine was very long, I also created a more succinct one to send to my employer before my interview. I also brought copies of both to my interview. I found that the shorter one was more popular during the interview process, but the CV was necessary for my application.
Should My Resume Have A Picture of Myself?
No – this is solely my opinion.
Should I Bring My Resume to My Interview?
Yes. As mentioned previously, I brought two versions of my CV, a long form and short form.You do not have to do that, but print multiple copies to provide to HR, your prospective manager, and some extras in case of a panel interview etc.
Can I See Your Resume?
Well, you can’t see my exact resume, however, I have created a special PDF copy with a lot of examples that I think will help any level of nurse. I just threw this together for you gals and guys, but it should provide a basic structure and some solid examples for you.
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