How to Write a Registered Nurse Resume
The key to getting your foot in the door as a registered nurse is crafting the right resume. While there is no such thing as "the perfect resume," the right resume will get you noticed, while the wrong resume will get stuck in a pile with nary a second look. Whether you're fresh out of school or re-entering the job market, you need a resume that makes employers ask you in for an interview.
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Instructions
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Type your name on one line, followed by your street address. The next line should have your apartment number, if any, then your city, state and ZIP code. On the next line type your phone number, then your email address.
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Write a clear objective statement. Many people leave this out of their resumes, but it allows you to communicate to your employer that you have clear career goals. An entry-level RN can simply write that he is seeking a position in a certain unit. A more-experienced nurse can indicate that she wants a supervisory position. Change this every time you send the resume to tailor it to each position you apply to.
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Summarize your qualifications in a bulleted list between five and 10 lines long that that broadly describes the relevant skills for the job you are applying to. Put this underneath a header titled "Qualifications Summary" or "Skill Sets." Entry-level nurses might skip this paragraph, as the information will largely be repeated in the rest of the resume.
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List your professional experience and education. Experienced nurses put their past work history first, while nurses entering the marketplace highlight their education. List past employers under the heading "Clinical Experience" if you are an experienced nurse or "Employment History" if you are a new nurse listing non-nursing jobs. Include the name of the place you worked, the city and state, the dates that you worked for the company, as well as your duties. Education should include the same geographic and chronological information, as well as key skills learned at each institution.
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List all professional organizations you belong to, as well as any awards or recognition you have received from these organizations. Licensure should also go in this this section. These go under a header titled "Licensure and Certification."
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List your volunteer experience. If you have no work experience to list, highlight volunteer experience directly underneath the education section if the volunteer experience is relevant to the position. This experience goes under the header "Volunteer Experience."
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Proofread thoroughly. Read your resume out loud and have others look over it for you. Even a minor typo can mean the difference between getting a job and continuing to pound pavement.
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Tips & Warnings
Under education, include your undergraduate grade point average if it is 3.5 and higher and your graduate school GPA if it is 3.75 and higher.
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