Resume tips and samples for Registered Nurses
In the United States, nursing is considered a profession of employment stability, promising career growth and decent salary. Given the movement of the US health sector and the pandemic after effects, the BLS has projected a requirement of over 200,000 additional RNs each year till 2031[1]. With its high demand comes higher competition for the top RN jobs as well. Making a great Registered Nurse Resume a critical step in RN job search.
Like any resume or cv writing, when writing a registered nurse resume, there are some must-haves to include (like education, accomplishment, skills, etc.), mistakes to avoid, and formats to follow. You should also personalize each resume you send out basis the job description with an impactful headline or summary statement. These are what we discuss in particular about the RN Resume with tips and ready-to-use templates. We’ll also highlight the Do’s and Dont’s of writing an RN resume and searching for a RN job online.
But before we jump into the details of it, let’s first clarify about the registered nurse job.
What is the job of a Registered Nurse?
A Registered Nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who is responsible for providing direct patient care, managing patient care plans, and advocating for patients’ well-being. RNs work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home health agencies. They are also required to provide emotional support to their patients and their families.
Clearly, the task of a registered nurse requires both technical skills and soft skills, and these should be highlighted in RN resume as well.
What should a Registered Nurse put on their resume?
Before you start drafting your registered nurse resume, you have to figure out what details are required to include (and what should be left out). This will prepare you to cross-check or make arrangements of the information you have at hand.
Typically, your registered nurse resume should include the following:
Contact info
Personal and professional contact information like: Name, Nursing credentials, City/State, Phone number, Email address, social media profile, etc.
Professional Summary
Give a snapshot of your qualifications, experience, and career objective succinctly at the top of your RN resume.
Skills and expertise
Mention your skills (both hard skills and soft skills) as early as you can in your resume; particularly if you are applying for a specialized position.
Education, licensure, and credentials
Include all education, licenses, certificates, diplomas or awards/credentials you have with proper details like accrediting body, credential/certificate number, date issued, expiry, etc.
Work history
List all your full-time, part-time, volunteer and even intern roles in reverse chronological order. Detail them with facility names, dates, units, duties, accomplishments etc.
Examples of Registered Nurse Resumes
Template #1 – Entry Level Registered Nurse Resume
Template #2 – Senior Level Registered Nurse Resume
Dos of writing a Registered Nurse Resume
There are some general tip one has to follow to write any resume, like highlight success, be keyword friendly, include the essentials of personal and professional detail – as mentioned earlier. But recruiters tend to spend just 7 seconds on average to glance through any resume. So, to increase the chances of your RN resume to stand out, there are some specific tips that you can follow:
Create a master resume
Like we mentioned, treat each RN job you apply for as a fresh opportunity to showcase yourself. So, personalize each of your resume basis the job description. But to save time, you should create a master resume that contains extensive details of all the pointers you want to include. It will serve as a starting point and a reference for all other resumes.
Include job description keywords
Once you have your master RN resume, customize each of your resumes as per the specifics of the job description. Include their keywords and phrases from the skill, credentials, experience, and other sections.
Give short examples of accomplishments
Just pointers of experience and duties give a vague idea of your work, so it’s suggested to include a one-liner of your accomplishment, preferably with quantifiers.
Get past the ATS
These days, most healthcare recruiters use ATS to parse resumes. As these tools tend to make mistakes in abbreviations, fonts, and symbols, you should write your registered nurse resume with high clarity.
List Computer Skills
With the increasing digitization of healthcare, it is crucial to highlight one’s experience in handling technology in your registered nurse resume. Specifically, if applicable, mention your proficiency in Electronic Health Records (EHR), Electronic Medical Records (EMR), billing codes such as ICD10 and ICD9.
And, last but not the least, before you send out any copy of your RN resume: Proofread. We cannot overstate it. Proofread twice. Thrice. Get it done by a friend. An expert in the field if possible. And refine your resume to the best draft before sending out for any RN vacancy.
Don’ts of writing a Registered Nurse Resume
The dos and dont’s of anything go hand-in-hand. Above we saw how putting a little extra effort can go a long way in preparing your perfect resume for registered nurse, below we have listed down what common mistakes to avoid in your resume and while applying for RN jobs.
- Sharing unsolicited personal details (religion, marital status, bank details, etc.)
- Making spelling and grammar mistakes
- Including current salary information
- Using first-person pronouns
- Using only a nickname instead of one’s full name
- Including outdated information
- Using an unprofessional email address
- Misnaming the resume document
- Having an inappropriate voicemail greeting
Tips to find Registered Nurse jobs online
Now that you have your registered nurse resume ready – start applying for RN jobs on job sites. You can take your online registered nurse job search with a little extra effort:
Reach out to HRs in healthcare industry
Usually we wait for a company to post its job but it’s equally fine to seek out the same even if they have not posted it. So, you can find and contact HRs in the healthcare industry or a particular healthcare facility to show your availability.
No marketing works better than word-of-mouth. Considering this, you can ask around for an RN job in your friend circle and social media network as well. Even if they don’t know of any such vacancy immediately, they might pass on your RN resume to someone who does.
Follow up on all applications
You possibly apply for a couple of the RN jobs in a go and then wait for their response. But recruiters are busy and they might not respond on time. So, follow-up is the key to all closures. It also shows your proactivity, interest, and expedites the whole process.
Common nursing skills and action verbs to include on RN Resume
You must have noticed our emphasis on making your RN resume keyword rich. Now although part these keywords should be derived from the keywords of job description, there are some trending and evergreen keywords we have listed below to help you further.
Registered Nurse skills-related keywords in order of trends
| cpr | oncology | medication administration | geriatric care |
| leadership | wound care | continuous improvement | patient-centered care |
| communication | tcase management | patient education | clinical assessment |
| telemetry | patient care | pediatric care | patient intake |
| orthopedics | infection control | iv treatment | treatment planning |
Registered Nurse action-related keywords in order of trends
| led | provided | improved | conducted |
| delivered | coordinated | managed | monitored |
| executed | drove | oversaw | enhanced |
| implemented | administered | treated | identified |
| diagnosed | developed | performed | supported |
Key takeaways
Your registered nurse resume is your chance to market yourself and stand out from other applicants. Pairing it up with a cover letter would be an opportunity to highlight what you have to offer as a professional and a person. Remember that customizing resume for the RN job you apply for is also crucial. Also, update your resume regularly as per your latest development in your profession and personal life.
As you go along drafting your RN resume, also look at what registered nurse jobs are live near you and across the US so you get an idea of how to outline it.
FAQs
How do I write a nursing resume?
To write a nursing resume, include essential information, objective, education, work experience, and skills etc. Customize for each job and use strong verbs.
What is a good objective for a registered nurse resume?
A great RN resume objective highlights skills and experience, demonstrates commitment to patient care, and is tailored to the job.
How do you list nursing skills on a resume?
To list nursing skills, review job description, highlight relevant skills such as patient assessment, medication administration, wound care, and communication skills.
What is the best resume format for nurses?
There are three accepted resume formats for nurses: Reverse chronological format, Functional format and Combination layout template.
What is the easiest RN job?
The easiest RN job varies by individual preference and experience; some may prefer outpatient clinics, home health nursing or school/community settings.
What is the highest-paying RN job?
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is considered to be one of the highest paying RN job. However, the actual payment depends upon your degrees, skills, experience, etc.
References
[1] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-6
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