Below, we’ve outlined how to create and update an effective nursing resume, thanks to expertise from Nursing Professional Development & Education Specialist, opens in a new windowDamion K. Jenkins, MSN, RN.
- Start with a Strong Summary Statement: Begin with a summary that highlights your qualifications and career goals. Use keywords from the job description and qualifications required. Your summary should connect your past, present, and future as a nurse, making it easy for recruiters to see how you fit the job.
- Include Non-Negotiable Sections: Make sure your resume covers essential sections, including contact information, a professional summary of your achievements, nursing education, licensure and certifications, clinical experience, and relevant role-specific skills. Additionally, list professional affiliations, volunteer work, and references.
- Highlight Valuable Skills: Showcase both hard and soft skills relevant to patient care. Specific clinical and interpersonal skills are crucial, such as patient assessment, medication administration, wound care, critical thinking, conflict resolution, customer service, and effective communication. Don’t forget to prominently feature certifications like BLS, ACLS, PALS, or specialty-specific certifications.
- Do a Thorough Check for Mistakes: As a nurse career coach and mentor, Jenkins recommends checking your nursing resume for the following common mistakes:
- Grammatical Errors and Typos: Proofread carefully to catch any errors. Typos or grammar mistakes can create a negative impression.
- Unprofessional Email Address: Ensure your email address is professional (preferably your first and last name). Avoid using unrelated or informal addresses.
- Irrelevant Information: Remove any details that don’t directly relate to the nursing role you’re applying for. Focus on relevant experiences and skills.
- Dense Blocks of Text: Use bullet points for better readability. Avoid long paragraphs that may overwhelm the reader.
- Follow Nursing Resume Best Practices:
- Use keywords from the job description to improve your resume’s chances with application tracking systems (ATS).
- Tailor your resume for each job application.
- Keep your resume concise and relevant.
- Maintain a clean and professional format, and update it with new skills, certifications, and experiences.
