Nursing Resume Examples & Writing Tips for 2023

While scrolling through job postings, you’ve found the one. A job with great perks, a fantastic salary, and a sensible work-life balance—a rarity in nursing jobs. You’re tempted to apply because you tick all the boxes.

But there’s one problem. You’re asking yourself: how do I write a resume for a nursing job?

Don’t worry. You’ll see in a moment how to write a nursing resume that would make Florence Nightingale blush.

In this guide:

• A nursing resume example better than most
• Instructions on how to create a nursing resume template from scratch
• And how to highlight nursing skills on a resume

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Looking for other nursing resume samples? Have a look at our dedicated guides:

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Resume
• ER Nurse Resume
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse Resume
• Medical-Surgical Nurse Resume
• New Grad Nursing Resume
• Nurse Practitioner Resume
• School Nurse Resume
• Nursing Student Resume

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Samples

Nursing Resume Example

Nurses are healthcare professionals responsible for developing care plans, diagnosing health problems, prescribing medications, and educating patients. A successful nursing resume must highlight professional knowledge, experience, and soft skills such as critical thinking and empathy.

How to write a nursing resume:

1. Use the Best Nursing Resume Format

This might be a bitter pill to swallow: if you don’t use the right resume format, your application might end up in the trash can.

Why, you ask? It’s because the hiring managers are busy people. They know what they’re looking for, and they want to see it right away. If a resume can’t deliver, they just move to the next one.

What should be included in a nursing resume?

• Resume header with contact information
• Profile, such as a resume summary or a career objective
• Nursing license information
• Work experience described in reverse chronological order
• Education section with your nursing degree or certificate
• Skills that combine professional knowledge and interpersonal qualities
• Additional resume information that brings extra value

Include the resume sections listed above, and recruiters will be even happier if you wrap the information in nice packaging, such as a good resume layout.

How to create a good nursing resume format:

• Use the reverse-chronological format to make your achievements shine.
• Pick a clear resume font like Verdana, Helvetica, or Georgia.
• Set the font size to 10–12 for the paragraphs and 13–14 for the headings.
• Make resume margins 1 inch wide on all sides of the document.
• Add bullet points to arrange the information on the page.
• Keep the resume 1-page long, or go with a two-page resume if you have extensive experience.
• Save the resume in a PDF or Doc format.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle, you can use free resume templates instead—they will handle the technicalities for you.

Expert Hint: Do nurses need a CV or a resume? For most jobs, a nursing resume is perfectly fine. However, write a CV if you’re applying for a nurse educator or academic position.

2. Write a Nurse Resume Profile

How would you describe yourself in a nursing resume?

Your resume profile must immediately serve the highlights of your career, along with your best professional qualities and credentials. Start with a personality trait such as “empathetic,” continue with your degree, and add years of experience. Then specify a goal you want to achieve and finish off with a relevant career achievement.

An introduction like that is a great way to start a resume. Check an example below:

Registered Nurse Resume Example—Summary for Nursing Resume

You might ask yourself: How do I write a nursing summary on my resume? Thankfully, it’s pretty easy. Give a spotlight to your work experience. Provide examples of your career accomplishments, and back them up with factual information for extra impact.

The example above is uninspiring. The candidate just sounds like one of the 4+ million nurses. Employers don’t want someone who blends in—they want the best.

Need something more suitable for entry-level candidates? Let’s see a nurse objective for a resume now:

Example of Nursing Resume Objective

What makes this nurse objective for a resume so good? It’s clear and very specific. We know what the candidate has to offer straight away.

This example says what the candidate wants—but nothing about their qualifications for the job.

3. Highlight Work Experience on a Nursing Resume

Your work experience section should be a picture of health, so work extra hard on it.

How do you describe the nursing experience on a resume?

• List the jobs starting with the most recent one.
• Add the job title, name of the clinic or company, location, and work period.
• Provide 3–4 examples of your responsibilities using bullet points.
• Specify a key achievement that can impress the recruiter.
• Use action verbs for a resume to show your initiative.
• Make sure to add resume keywords that match the job requirements.

Check the examples below:

Nursing Resume Example: Work Experience

Can you spot the difference between the good and bad examples? The good one provides specific achievements backed up by dates and numbers. The bad one is just vague.

If you don’t have proper work experience yet, don’t worry. When writing a graduate nurse resume, just fill in the work experience section with a description of your clinical experience.

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4. Make a List of Nursing Skills for a Resume

Nursing skills are abundant. Depending on the type of nursing you specialize in, you might need a different set of skills, though many are quite transferable.

What are common nursing skills?

• Patient assessment
• IV therapy
• Recording vital signs
• ICU
• Pain management
• Patient transport
• Pediatric care
• Giving injections
• Emergency care
• Adaptability
• Effective communication
• Leadership skills
• Teamwork skills
• Multitasking
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving skills
• Conflict resolution
• Empathy
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Technical skills

Wait a sec. Don’t copy-paste this list on your resume—that won’t work. You must be selective, and your skill list must match the job requirements.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Make a list of the nursing skills you’ve mastered.
• Compare your abilities with the job advertisement.
• Select 4–6 hard skills and 3–4 soft skills that match the job requirements completely.

Check the example below:

Nursing Skills on a Resume—Example

A curated list like that works much better than a long list of random skills for a resume.

5. Add Education to Your Nurse Resume

Did you know that as many as 93% of graduate nurses get job offers within 4–6 months after completing their programs? That’s almost 30% better than the national average for all types of graduate candidates. So, be proud of that nursing degree, and list it on your resume.

Here’s how to make the education section of a nursing resume:

• Mention the highest degree first.
• Add the name of the institution.
• Mention the years of study or the graduation date.
• Provide additional information such as GPA, clinical experience, relevant coursework, academic accomplishments, or extracurricular activities.

The amount of information in the education section depends on the experience level. If you’re an entry-level candidate, provide as much relevant info as you can. But as an experienced professional, you can stick to the minimum, as your work experience will be more important.

Check the example below:

Nursing Resume Examples—Education

These two examples clearly show the difference between relevant and irrelevant information.

6. Pick Additional Sections for a Nursing Resume

You might’ve heard confusing information about the extra sections on a nurse resume. Some people say it’s not professional to add it. Others say it can be valuable.

Here’s the truth: it’s valuable only if it’s relevant to the job. For example, feel free to mention that you’re an avid runner if you want a job as a sports medicine nurse.

However, there’s one section that you should always put on a nursing resume, and that’s your nursing license number. It’s best if you include it right after your resume profile, so it’s easy to spot straight away.

Then, pick from the following sections:

• Awards and recognition
• Hobbies and personal interests
• Certification and licenses
• Volunteer work
• Publications
• Professional associations
• Conferences

The example below shows how to do it:

Nurse Resume Example: Additional Information

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Key Points

Here’s a quick reminder of the main points from this article.

How to write a nursing resume:

1. Follow the reverse-chronological resume format.
2. Write a nursing resume profile that highlights your qualifications.
3. Add relevant work experience and career achievements.
4. List the most relevant skills on your nurse resume.
5. Provide information about your nursing education.
6. Select a few extra sections for your nurse resume.

Got any questions about writing a nursing resume? Would you like to share some tips for others? Let us know in the comments below!