How to Write a Nursing Resume - Template Included

Let your nursing skills and experience shine on your resume. This sample resume for an RN shows you how.

By Jennifer Verta, Monster Contributor

As a professional nurse you’re the backbone of health care and, in many ways, a Jack of all trades. You're very used to providing care and attention to patients in need. But how prepared are you to tend to your nursing resume? To help your nursing skills and experience shine, we’ve identified the best practices for writing a resume for your industry and prepared a sample nursing resume to inspire you.

Focus Attention

Start by being deliberate about what goes into your resume. Target it to the specific job you’re after. For example, if you’re a mid-level professional, such as in our RN resume example below, you don’t need to list every clinical experience you’ve ever had, just the most relevant ones.

If you have some solid experience as an RN, it’s also important to add a professional profile to your nursing resume as well. This is a short paragraph placed below your contact details, in which you summarize your major achievements, specialization, and career objectives. This quickly shows the recruiter why you’re the right fit for the job.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a novice, you also need to use the same industry keywords found in the job opening itself. For nurses, these often include:

  • communication skills
  • critical thinking
  • empathy
  • attention to detail
  • computer proficiency
  • CPR training from American Heart Association

Put all these tips into practice with our nurse resume example below.

Nursing Resume Template

ISABELLE WALKER

Austin, TX 73301 | Phone: 555-555-5555 | name@mail.com | linkedin.com/isabelle.walker

RN | CPHON® | Specializing in Pediatric Care

Registered Nurse deeply committed to providing quality, compassionate patient care. Nursing background of 7 years includes pediatric oncology, PICU, and general pediatrics experience within Level I pediatric trauma center and Magnet®-designated children’s hospital.

Repeatedly recognized for knowledge, expertise and achievements in areas including:

  • Quality Nursing Care
  • Clinical & Communication Skills
  • Meditech & Cerner EMR Tools
  • Medical Team Collaboration
  • Parent Education & Training
  • Accuracy of Charts & Records
  • Patient & Family Relations
  • JCAHO & HIPAA Standards
  • Lifesaving Interventions
  • Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

EXPERIENCE

Children’s Hospital One, Austin, TX 5/20XX to Present

RN, Pediatric Oncology

  • 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.

Hospital Two, Austin, TX 1/20XX to 5/20XX

RN, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Hospital Three, Austin, TX 7/20XX to 1/20XX

RN, Pediatrics

  • Delivered acute and ambulatory nursing care for newborns, infants, children, and adolescents (400+ a month on average), ranging from wellness visits and routine health exams to treatment for illnesses, injuries, and life-threatening conditions (e.g., heart/respiratory failure, overdoses, eating disorders, trauma and infectious diseases).

ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • Thrived within high-volume settings throughout current employment in children’s hospital and prior tenure within Level I pediatric trauma center.
  • Recognized for serving as a patient advocate while communicating effectively with patients, families and caregivers to facilitate outstanding levels of care and service.
  • Won supervisor’s praise for coordinating events that helped make prolonged hospital stays more enjoyable for youth suffering from debilitating illnesses and injuries. Planned parties, dances, spa days and scavenger hunts for children.
  • Led 20+ fundraising events with local nonprofits that enabled the expansion of children’s libraries and media centers at both hospitals. Procured donations such as books, DVDs, iPads and game consoles.
  • Earned 3 special pin awards at Hospital Two for superior patient care and lifesaving interventions. Achieved top marks from both employers for strengths in multidisciplinary team collaboration, warm bedside manner and clinical skill areas including:

Patient Assessment & Vital Signs | Critical & Intensive Care | Chemotherapy Administration | Medication Administration | Chest & Feeding Tube Care | Therapeutic Communication | IV Pump Management | Wound & Ostomy Care | Infection Control

EDUCATION

University One, Austin, TX 20XX

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Magna cum laude (3.83 GPA) | Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society Inductee | Dean’s List

CREDENTIALS

Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON®), ONCC

Registered Nurse (RN), State of TX | PALS, ACLS, BLS, First Aid and CPR (all current)

Member of: American Nurses Association | Society of Pediatric Nurses | Oncology Nursing Society

RN Resume Tips for Recent Graduates

If you’re an entry-level RN graduate, here are a couple of adjustments you can make when writing your nurse resume.

Your education is probably the heaviest part of your resume. Nevertheless, always prioritize your real-life practice by placing your clinical rotations first, in your experience section. Remember to choose only the most pertinent ones to the role you want.

A career objective is probably going to be a better choice for you over a professional profile, simply because you don’t have enough experience to showcase big successes yet. In two to three sentences touch on your key skills, experiences and goals. Here’s a nurse resume example to show you how this could look: “Recent graduate of the Austin Nursing School seeking a position as a pediatric nurse. I assisted over 50 patients during clinical rotations in the Pediatrics and in the Obstetrics Departments of Austin Hospital. I developed expertise and passion for taking care of children’s health and supporting their families.”

Nursing Profession Outlook

Nurses, along with many other healthcare professionals, will remain in-demand over the next decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data projected growth rate is 6%, with around 203,200 openings each year. So, go ahead and get your nursing resume in its best shape and start applying.

Your nurse resume can land you plenty of opportunities in a variety of environments, such as:

  • hospitals
  • clinics
  • community and senior centers
  • schools
  • kids’ camps
  • cruises
  • rehabilitation centers

The facility you work in, along with your location and the experience you show on your nursing resume influences how much you can earn. The average salary of a registered nurse sits at $34.89 per hour (around $72,571 a year). However, you can make a higher wage in the following top-paying industries:

  • nonscheduled air transportation: $112,630 per year
  • pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing: $105,270 per year
  • merchant wholesalers and nondurable goods: $101,240 per year
  • the federal executive branch: $97,600 per year

Regarding locations, the areas that pay the most nursing jobs include:

Curious to know how much you could be making in your state? Head to Monster’s Salary Calculator. Our free tool will support your job search by revealing the salaries for similar roles as well as the best skills to work on to progress in your field.

Check Your Nursing Resume Vitals on Monster

Have someone assist you with your nurse resume with the same attention and dedication you have for your patients. Monster’s professional resume writers do just that. Get a free resume assessment and learn what you to improve in your RN resume for maximum success. We’ll help you optimize your resume so it stands out, giving you all the right keywords to include.

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