Guide: How to Write a Registered Nurse Resume (Including Examples)

When applying for a job as a registered nurse, it’s vital to have a well-written resume that showcases your education, experience, and skills.

Your resume is often the first impression that a hiring manager will have of you, so it’s essential to make it stand out.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll cover the essential components of a registered nurse resume and provide tips for crafting a standout document.

Contact Information

The first section of your resume should include your name, address, phone number, and email address. This information should be easy to find and prominently displayed at the top of your resume. The hiring manager needs to be able to contact you quickly, so it’s essential to make this information clear and accurate.

Jane Doe, RN
1234 Elm Street
Anytown, USA 12345
(555) 555-5555
[email protected]
RN License #123456
Certifications: BLS, ACLS, PALS

Professional Summary

The professional summary section of your resume is a brief overview of your skills and experience. It should be no more than two or three sentences long and should highlight your most relevant qualifications.

The hiring manager will be looking for specific keywords and phrases that match the job description, so tailor your summary to the job you’re applying for.

Examples of how to write a Professional Summary for a Registered Nurse resume:

Compassionate and highly skilled Registered Nurse with 5+ years of experience in a fast-paced emergency department. Proven ability to provide exceptional patient care, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and handle high-stress situations. Seeking a challenging role in a reputable healthcare facility.

Dedicated and detail-oriented Registered Nurse with a background in surgical nursing. Proficient in assessing patient needs, creating and implementing care plans, and effectively communicating with healthcare providers. Seeking a position that will allow me to utilize my clinical skills and passion for patient care.

Results-driven Registered Nurse with extensive experience in critical care nursing. Skilled in performing complex procedures, administering medications, and providing emotional support to patients and their families. Seeking a challenging role in a dynamic healthcare setting.

Experienced and empathetic Registered Nurse with a background in hospice and palliative care. Proficient in managing pain, symptoms, and end-of-life care while providing compassionate support to patients and families. Seeking a rewarding role in a hospice or palliative care setting.

Professional Experience / Career History

Your professional experience should be listed in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job.

For each job, list your title, the name and location of the facility, the dates of your employment, and your job responsibilities and accomplishments. Use bullet points to make it easy to read.

It’s important to highlight your achievements in each role. This helps potential employers see what you have accomplished and how you have added value to previous organizations, and helps you stand out from other applicants.

Here are some tips for crafting tangible achievements:

1. Be specific: Use specific numbers or statistics to demonstrate the impact of your achievements. For example, “Implemented a new system that reduced patient wait times by 30%.”
2. Use action verbs: Start each bullet point with a strong action verb to demonstrate your proactive approach. For example, “Developed and implemented a new patient education program.”
3. Focus on outcomes: Instead of just listing your responsibilities, focus on the outcomes of your work. For example, “Improved patient satisfaction scores by 20% through implementation of new patient care protocols.”
4. Tailor your achievements: Make sure your achievements are relevant to the job you are applying for. Look at the job posting and highlight achievements that demonstrate your ability to excel in that role.

An example of how to write a Professional Experience section for a Registered Nurse resume:

ABC Hospital, Registered Nurse (ICU)
June 2018 – Present

Responsibilities:

• Assess patient conditions and develop care plans to manage critical illnesses and injuries.
• Administer medications and therapies as prescribed by physicians, and monitor patient responses.
• Utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills to respond to emergent situations.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to coordinate patient care and ensure optimal outcomes.
• Educate patients and their families on disease management, medication use, and preventive care measures.

Tangible Achievements:

• Developed and implemented a pain management protocol for critically ill patients, resulting in a 20% reduction in patient-reported pain levels and improved patient satisfaction scores.
• Improved patient outcomes by providing specialized wound care to high-risk patients, resulting in a 30% decrease in hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.
• Initiated and led a hospital-wide initiative to improve hand hygiene compliance, resulting in a 15% reduction in healthcare-associated infections.
• Trained and mentored new nursing staff, resulting in improved patient care and increased staff retention rates.

Skills

In the skills section, you should list any relevant skills that you possess.

This may include technical skills, such as proficiency in certain software or medical equipment, as well as soft skills, such as communication and leadership abilities.

This section is important because it provides potential employers with a quick overview of the skills you bring to the table, and helps recruiters and automated resume-matching tools find your profile when searching for keywords.

An example of how to write a skills section for a Registered Nurse resume:

Skills:

• Patient assessment and care planning
• Medication administration and IV therapy
• Emergency response and critical care
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication
• Electronic health records and documentation
• Patient and family education
• Wound care and infection control
• Leadership and team management
• Cultural competency and diversity awareness
• Clinical decision-making and problem-solving
• Time management and prioritization
• HIPAA and patient privacy regulations awareness.

Certifications and Licenses

In the certifications and licenses section, you should list any relevant certifications or licenses that you hold, such as BLS, ACLS, or PALS.

This section is important because it demonstrates your commitment to your profession and your willingness to go above and beyond to gain additional qualifications.

• Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, current
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association, current
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), American Heart Association, current

Should I Include Hobbies and Interests on my Registered Nurse Resume?

It is generally not necessary to list interests and hobbies on a Registered Nurse resume.

While it can help to demonstrate your personality and potentially show that you have qualities that can be beneficial to the job, such as leadership or teamwork skills, interests and hobbies are typically not considered relevant to the job qualifications.

In 2023, the focus of a Registered Nurse resume is on qualifications, work experience, and tangible achievements that demonstrate the candidate’s ability to perform the job duties effectively. Therefore, while interests and hobbies may still be viewed as a positive attribute, they are not considered necessary information for the hiring manager to make an informed decision about a candidate’s fit for the job.

Instead, it’s recommended to focus on skills, certifications, education, and work experience that are directly relevant to the nursing field. This information provides a clear and concise representation of your qualifications and experience, which is what the hiring manager is primarily interested in.

Review and Revise

Finally, it’s important to review and revise your RN resume before submitting it to potential employers. Here are some tips to help you do so:

1. Check for spelling and grammar errors: Make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors in your resume. Use a spelling and grammar checker, and have someone else review your resume as well.
2. Tailor your resume to each job you apply to: Review the job posting and customize your resume to match the specific job requirements. Highlight your relevant experience and skills.
3. Keep it concise: Your resume should be no longer than two pages. Use bullet points and clear, concise language to convey your qualifications.
4. Save it as a PDF: Always save your resume as a PDF when using it to apply to jobs, to make sure the formatting stays in tact.

Registered Nurse Resume Example

Here is a sample of a well structured Registered Nurse resume:

[Full Name]
[Address]
[Phone Number]
[Email]

Professional Summary:

Compassionate and dedicated Registered Nurse with 5 years of experience in providing exceptional patient care. Skilled in clinical assessments, medication administration, and patient education. Recognized for developing and implementing evidence-based practices resulting in improved patient outcomes. Seeking a challenging nursing position in a healthcare setting.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, XYZ University, [Graduation Date] Registered Nurse License, State Board of Nursing, [License Number]
Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification, American Heart Association, [Expiration Date]
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification, American Heart Association, [Expiration Date]

Professional Experience:

Registered Nurse, ABC Hospital, [Employment Dates]

• Conducted comprehensive nursing assessments, planned and implemented nursing care plans, and evaluated patient outcomes.
• Administered medications and treatments as prescribed by physicians and monitored for adverse reactions.
• Provided patient and family education on disease processes, medications, and self-care strategies.
• Participated in interdisciplinary rounds and communicated with physicians, physical therapists, social workers, and other healthcare team members to ensure coordinated and quality care.
• Developed and implemented evidence-based protocols for patient care resulting in a 20% reduction in hospital readmissions.
• Facilitated staff education on infection prevention resulting in a 25% decrease in healthcare-associated infections.
• Participated in research studies on patient care and presented findings at nursing conferences.

Registered Nurse, XYZ Clinic, [Employment Dates]

• Conducted patient assessments, triage, and provided nursing care to patients in a busy outpatient clinic.
• Coordinated patient care with healthcare team members, including physicians, pharmacists, and social workers.
• Administered immunizations and performed phlebotomy for laboratory testing.
• Educated patients on disease prevention and management.
• Managed clinic inventory and supplies, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Developed and implemented patient satisfaction surveys and achieved a 95% satisfaction rate.

Skills:

• Clinical assessments and nursing care planning
• Medication administration and monitoring
• Patient and family education
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication
• Evidence-based practice development and implementation
• Staff education and training
• Infection prevention and control
• Research and data analysis
• Patient satisfaction improvement

References: Available upon request.