Nursing Resume – Overview
A resume is usually a candidate’s first and only chance to make a good impression on the university admission committee or potential employer. A well-written resume focuses on your skills and abilities professionally and engagingly.
For every registered nurse (RN), it is vital to have an updated resume at all times. Even if you are an RN and not looking for new employment, it is easier to catch an opportunity when it arises.
10 Best Tips for Creating a Great Nursing Resume

Best Tips for Creating a Nursing Resume
Keeping this in mind, let’s take a quick look at the top tips to creating a great nursing resume:
1 – Be Specific and Accurate
As a nurse, you should create your resume for the educational program or job posting that you are applying for. If the program or job requires certain specific skills certification, then make sure to highlight those in the resume.
Your resume should clarify to the admissions committee or recruiter that the skills listed apply directly to the position or educational program’s eligibility criteria or requirements.
2 – Keep it Succinct
The type of person/audience you will submit your resume to will determine its length. The average job recruiter will barely spend around 6 seconds looking at your resume. In such situations, you must put the required information in a compact but straightforward way.
If your resume is several pages long, the recruiter or admissions committee will likely move on to the next one. However, when applying to an educational program, the reviewer will spend more time reading through your resume and considering your admission application. In such situations, the length does not matter as long as the relevant qualifications are listed clearly.
3 – Proofread Multiple Times
It is essential to focus on when creating a great nursing resume. Make sure there are no spelling or simple grammatical errors and that the formatting is uniform throughout the resume. If possible, have someone read through your resumes, such as a peer or mentor, to check for any mistakes that may have gone unnoticed.
4 – List Your Computer Skills
Healthcare everywhere is going digital. With this in mind, showcasing your experience and usefulness with technology is important—list experiences with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR). If you have experience handling medical billing codes (ICD 9 and ICD 10), then list these skills prominently on your nursing resume.
5 – Highlight Unit Type and Facility
Facility type and unit information are distinct signs to potential employers and academic institutions that you have extensive experience. It is especially helpful when you are applying for a position in a program or facility you already have experience working in.
6 – Necessary Keywords
When creating a resume for a specific type of nursing job, remember that large hospitals and healthcare services providers use software to sort through the numerous applications they get from candidates just like you. The software they use looks for specific keywords that are relevant and related to the job position.
To find these keywords that employers use to sort through resumes, you should review the job posting and make a note of any words or terms that appear multiple times. Make sure to include these terms in your nursing resume.
7 – Include Education Details
Create a precise list of schools and colleges you have attended, details of years of attendance and graduation dates. If you are a recently-certified nurse who has just completed their education but has no professional experience, you can include details of your clinical rotation instead.
8 – Add Volunteer Experience
Registered nurses often volunteer their time with a social or healthcare organization. This is meant to showcase to potential employers or academic institutions that they care about improving their communities. This is one of the most important features for any person working in the healthcare industry, especially those at the front line of health care and looking to continue education.
9 – Be Accurate With Details
There are several different ways to format a nursing resume correctly. However, the main thing is being consistent with it. Make sure to put your name in prominent fonts at the top of the resume. You can use bold fonts and other typography features to highlight the points that are most relevant to your potential employer or academic institution.
10 – Show you are a top performer
When creating a great nursing resume, you need to highlight your accomplishments at previous work or academic institutions. Accomplishments can include experience handling patients with challenging, life-threatening injuries or illnesses and treatment-based chronic conditions. If you have received an award while working as a nurse, make sure to add this detail to your resume.
Conclusion
The best tips for creating a great nursing resume include accuracy, highlighting accomplishments, and focusing on consistency when putting down the details. Do not let your resume run to multiple pages; keep it succinct and compact. Make sure to add keywords most relevant to the job position or admission process to enhance your chances of getting selected.
Reference links
https://nurse.org/resources/nursing-resume/
https://zety.com/blog/nursing-resume-examples
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/resume-tips-for-nurses
See Also
How to Get Into the Nursing School?
Nursing School Interview Questions
Legal Nurse Consultant Certification
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