English
My account

You control your data

We use cookies to tailor the experience of creating resumes and cover letters. For these reasons, we may share your usage data with third parties. You can find more information about how we use cookies on our Cookies Policy. If you would like to set your cookies preferences, click the Settings button below. To accept all cookies, click Accept.

Settings Accept

Cookie settings

Click on the types of cookies below to learn more about them and customize your experience on our Site. You may freely give, refuse or withdraw your consent. Keep in mind that disabling cookies may affect your experience on the Site. For more information, please visit our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

Choose type of cookies to accept

Analytics

These cookies allow us to analyze our performance to offer you a better experience of creating resumes and cover letters. Analytics related cookies used on our Site are not used by Us for the purpose of identifying who you are or to send you targeted advertising. For example, we may use cookies/tracking technologies for analytics related purposes to determine the number of visitors to our Site, identify how visitors move around the Site and, in particular, which pages they visit. This allows us to improve our Site and our services.

Performance and Personalisation

These cookies give you access to a customized experience of our products. Personalization cookies are also used to deliver content, including ads, relevant to your interests on our Site and third-party sites based on how you interact with our advertisements or content as well as track the content you access (including video viewing). We may also collect password information from you when you log in, as well as computer and/or connection information. During some visits, we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, time spent on certain pages and page interaction information.

Advertising

These cookies are placed by third-party companies to deliver targeted content based on relevant topics that are of interest to you. And allow you to better interact with social media platforms such as Facebook.

Necessary

These cookies are essential for the Site’s performance and for you to be able to use its features. For example, essential cookies include: cookies dropped to provide the service, maintain your account, provide builder access, payment pages, create IDs for your documents and store your consents.

To see a detailed list of cookies, click here.

Save preferences

RN (Registered Nurse) Resume—Sample and 25+ Writing Tips

Want to help people get better, stat? With this RN resume sample, you will be in scrubs before you have time to check your pulse.

Dave Rygielski
Dave Rygielski
Career Expert
RN (Registered Nurse) Resume—Sample and 25+ Writing Tips

Healing is a process. Often, a long and painful process. Registered nurses bring their care, grace and knowledge to make that process as fast and easy as possible.

 

They are the frontline against disease, injury, and neglect.

 

This registered nurse resume will get you to the ward faster than you can perform a blood draw.

 

In this guide:

  • A sterile and effective RN resume sample.
  • They key to writing piercing registered nurse resume objectives.
  • How to write your registered nurse job description better than most.

 

First check out this RN resume example:

 

Save hours of work and get a job-winning resume like this. Try our resume builder with 20+ resume templates and create your resume now.

 

Create your resume now

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWregistered nurse resume example

What users say about ResumeLab:

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.”
Patrick

I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work!
Dylan 

My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful!
George

Create your resume now

 

 

Are you writing a specific resume for RN jobs? See our other dedicated guides:

 

 

RN Resume Sample You Can Copy and Use

 

Tim Crawford

Registered Nurse

 

Personal Info

 

25 Old Town Road

Oakland, CA 94612

Phone: 312-009-8120

E-mail: timcrawford@gmail.com

 

Objective

 

Licensed RN with 4+ years of experience of sustaining 99% patient satisfaction at General Hospital. Provided daily care in a 25-bed oncological unit with not a day missed. Commended for 100% accuracy in documentation. In the past year, have been shadowed by two student nurses, who went on to get licensed as RNs. Seeking to provide world-class care in the intensive care unit at Greentree Hospital.

 

Experience

 

Registered Nurse

General Hospital

2016-present

  • Responsible daily for 12 patients in a 25-bed oncological unit, including monitoring their vitals, treatments, long term health plans, as well as providing company, empathy and consultation. 
  • Maintained 99% patient satisfaction.
  • Commended on three occasions after families contacted superiors to express their gratitude for my work.
  • Maintaining 100% accuracy in documentation.
  • Took part in the training of two student nurses.

 

Education

 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Santa Clara University

2012–2016

 

Certifications and Licensure

 

  • Registered Nurse, California Board of Nursing
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician Certification (National Healthcareer Association)
  • First Aid, CPR, Basic Life support — American Red Cross

 

Languages

 

  • Conversational Spanish

 

Skills

 

  • Compassion and Empathy
  • Patient Assessment
  • Wound Dressing
  • Oncological Care
  • Microsoft Office 

 

This RN resume doesn’t waste time in setting out exactly what Tim will bring to the ward.

 

Now here’s how to write a 120/80 RN resume:

 

1. Sterilise The RN Resume Format

 

Organization and tidiness must be part of the core skill set of any RN. That needs to shine through not only your words, but also the format of your RN resume. 

 

Here’s the definitive guide to formatting your resume:

 

Registered Nurse Resume Format

 

 

Now, get your gloves on.

 

2. Write Registered Nurse Resume Objective or Summary 

 

How to start a resume the right way? Write a resume profile that summarizes your best achievements and put it just below your contact information.

 

Think of your resume profile as the patient status. What is the most vital information? Focus on backing up your experience with numbers. Don’t rattle off the list of your responsibilities, we know what RNs do. Focus on the impact you can make on your new ward.

 

Here’s how to write a striking resume summary.

 

RN Resume Summary—Example

Good Example
Licensed RN with 4+ years of experience of sustaining 99% patient satisfaction at General Hospital. Provided daily care in a 25-bed oncological unit with not a day missed. Commended for 100% accuracy in documentation. In the past year, have been shadowed by two student nurses, who went on to get licensed as RNs. Seeking to provide world-class care in the intensive care unit at Greentree Hospital.
Bad Example
Experienced RN—reliable, organized, with great attention to detail. Responsible for providing treatments, monitoring vitals, and maintaining a sterile environment. Skilled at being compassionate and empathetic towards patients. Looking to join the team at Greentree Hospital.

See the difference?

 

The difference in the blood pressure of the nursing manager. The bad example provides no information about what you can do for your new employer, it just lists tasks that you do, which everyone knows.

 

What if you haven’t worked as a RN before, and have no experience?

 

Write a striking career objective that focuses on experience that is similar in type or nature, for example, volunteering or client-facing roles.

 

Entry-Level Registered Nurse Resume Objective

Good Example
Enthusiastic BS Nursing graduate from Santa Clara University with a 4.0 GPA. Dean’s List student. 500+ hours of volunteering experience at the Golden Leaves Retirement community, with experience in several part-time client-facing roles. I am eager to channel my people skills and nursing knowledge to satisfy the patients at Green Tree Hospital.
Bad Example
Recent graduate from Santa Clara University with strong communication and teamwork skills. Looking to effectively fill nursing position at Green Tree Hospital.

Expert Hint: You’re in luck! The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in 2023, there will be more RN positions than any other profession. Make sure you have a perfect resume.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWcreate your resume now

Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.

 

3. Write a Heart-Stopping Job Description and Skills Section

 

This is arguably the most vital part of your registered nurse resume. It is easy to fall into the trap of rattling off a list of your responsibilities, which are obvious and commonly known. Instead, try to put a number on the amount and extent of things you handle.

 

That’s the best way to list work experience on a resume.

 

To write a heart-stopping RN job description:

 

  1. Choose the right skills for a resume. You can find them in the job ad, they will probably use Applicant Tracking Software to look for that keyword.
  2. Use those skills as your resume keywords.
  3. Provide metrics: “Responsible for 25 beds”, “Maintained 100% patient satisfaction”, etc. 

 

The first of these RN resume samples is 120/80:

 

Registered Nurse Job Description for Resume [Sample]

Good Example

Experience

 

Registered Nurse

General Hospital

2016-present

  • Responsible daily for 12 patients in a 25-bed oncological unit, including monitoring their vitals, treatments, long term health plans, as well as providing company, empathy and consultation. 
  • Maintained 99% patient satisfaction.
  • Commended on three occasions after families contacted superiors to express their gratitude for my work.
  • Maintaining 100% accuracy in documentation.
  • Took part in the training of two student nurses.
Bad Example
  • Daily nursing of cancer patients including monitoring, recording symptoms, administering and preparing for treatment, diagnostic testing, and maintaining records.
  • Trained other student nurses.
  • Always try to radiate empathy and positivity to patients.

What to do if you really don’t have the experience? Well, you were a student nurse, so you sure have some. Focus on those, and try to quantify them—this is something most entry-level nurses won’t think to do.

 

You could use a skills section to supplement this.

 

Use these RN resume skills to start:

 

Registered Nurse Resume Skills

 

Soft Skills

  • Adaptability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Compassion
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Decision Making 
  • Dedication
  • Excellent Communication Skills
  • Organizational Skills
  • Patience
  • Patient Assessment
  • Problem Solving
  • Stress Management
  • Technical Skills
  • Time Management

 

Hard Skills

  • Administering and Monitoring Medications
  • Perform and Evaluate Diagnostic Tests
  • Safe Patient Transfers
  • Wound Care
  • Taking Vital Signs

 

4. Up Their Pulse with Your Education Section

 

Your education section is going to be pretty standard. Everyone gets a similar degree, and has to go on to get licensed anyway. Keep it concise. If you are really scarce on work experience, beef up your RN resume with a relevant coursework or achievements section.

 

This RN resume sample passes the diagnostics:

 

Registered Nurse Resume Example—Education

Good Example

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Santa Clara University

2015–2019

  • 3.9 GPA, Dean’s List student
  • Volunteering in Retirement Home as part of Giving Back to the Community Scheme

Expert Hint: The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has published guidelines on displaying your credentials in the proper order: highest degree, licensure, state designations, national certifications, awards and honors, other recognitions. Structure your extra resume sections this way.

5. Dose Your RN Resume With Some Added Sections

 

A registered nurse resume differs from others in that it must have added sections, since unless you are licensed and certified, you cannot practice this profession. See the expert tip above for exact guidelines on listing those. 

 

When you’re done, you can try adding a few “other” sections.

 

Choose from:

 

This RN resume sample shows how:

 

Registered Nurse Resume Example—Extra Sections

Good Example

Certifications and Licensure

  • Registered Nurse, California Board of Nursing
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician Certification (National Healthcareer Association)
  • First Aid, CPR, Basic Life support — American Red Cross

 

Languages

  • Conversational Spanish

 

Skills

  • Compassion and Empathy
  • Patient Assessment
  • Wound Dressing
  • Oncological Care
  • Microsoft Office 
Bad Example

Additional Activities

  • Fully licensed
  • CPT, First Aid, CPR, BLS
  • Spanish
  • Walk the dog 2x, jog 2x week for fitness.

Remember, the license goes first.

 

One final step—

 

You need a nursing cover letter. About half of managers won’t read your resume without a RN cover letter attached.

 

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

 

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

 

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOWcreate your cover letter now

Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

 

Key Points

 

Here’s how to make sure your RN resume gets checked in for observation: 

  • Sterilise the resume format—margins, fonts, 1 page, reverse chronological.
  • Start building from ResumeLab’s RN resume sample. 
  • Quantify the impact and achievements, instead of just listing responsibilities. 
  • Limit the length of the education section, as everyone’s will be similar anyway.
  • Write a RN cover letter. If you just graduated, check out our guide to writing a new grad RN nurse cover letter.

 

Did you find our RN resume examples helpful? Did we help you get your private RN resume right? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.

Rate my article: rn
Thank you for voting
Average: 5 (3 votes)
Dave Rygielski
Dave Rygielski
Dave is a career expert delivering a wide range of well-researched advice regarding the job hunting and application process. At ResumeLab, his data-driven resume and cover letter guides help readers capitalize on their potential.

Was it interesting? Here are similar articles

How to Start a Resume—20+ Examples and Tips

How to Start a Resume—20+ Examples and Tips

False starts, knuckle-cracking, hair-pulling, and groaning are no way to spend an afternoon. Learn how to start a resume so you feel good, finish fast, and land the interview.

Tom Gerencer
Tom Gerencer
Career Writer at ResumeLab