In today’s competitive healthcare job market, a strong nursing resume can make the difference between getting an interview or being overlooked. Whether you’re a new graduate writing your first resume or an experienced nurse updating your CV, you need to showcase your skills, clinical experience, and accomplishments in a way that grabs attention. In this guide, we’ll share proven nursing resume tips to help you write a resume that stands out and gets noticed.
1. Start With a Clear, Professional Summary
Begin with a 2–3 sentence summary highlighting your qualifications, nursing focus, and career goals.
2. Highlight Your Licensure & Certifications
Include your RN/LPN license, state of licensure, and expiration dates. Add certifications like BLS, ACLS, or specialty credentials.
3. Organize Clinical Experience Clearly
For new grads, emphasize clinical rotations (hospital, unit, hours, key skills). For experienced nurses, list roles in reverse chronological order, highlighting responsibilities and accomplishments.
4. Showcase Key Skills & Competencies
Include both hard skills (IV insertion, EHR documentation, patient assessment) and soft skills (communication, teamwork, leadership).
5. Quantify Achievements When Possible
Instead of “assisted with patient care,” write “provided direct care to 15+ patients daily, improving patient satisfaction scores by 12%.”
6. Keep Formatting Clean & ATS-Friendly
Use clear headings, bullet points, and professional fonts. Avoid images, tables, or fancy graphics that applicant tracking systems (ATS) can’t read.
7. Add a Section for Volunteer Work or Professional Affiliations
Memberships in ANA or specialty organizations, or volunteer work, show initiative and community engagement.
8. Tailor Each Resume to the Job Posting
Use keywords from the job description to align with the employer’s needs.
FAQ Section
Q: What should a new grad nurse include on their resume?
A: Clinical rotations, key skills, certifications, and a strong professional summary.
Q: How long should a nursing resume be?
A: One page for new grads, up to two pages for experienced nurses.
Q: Do employers prefer resumes or CVs for nurses?
A: In the U.S., resumes are standard; CVs are more common in academia or research roles.
