How To Write an Outstanding Nursing Resume
Nursing is one of the noblest and in-demand professions in the U.S. Nurses perform a wide variety of duties, starting from health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education to direct treatment. They check patients’ vitals and observe them providing direct patient care. In collaboration with physicians, nurses perform examinations, develop treatment plans as well as administer medications. They are responsible for data entry into EMR as well as other administrative duties accompanying patient stay in the hospital, including insurance. All these job duties are essential to mention in nursing resumes.
What Do You Know About Nurses?
Despite a dramatic shortage in numbers of registered nurses, only the most competent make their way to reputable healthcare centers. Education, training, and certifications play a significant role in the candidate selection process. Certificates and licenses often define the scope of responsibilities a nurse can perform. Licensed practical nurses (LPN) complete the least amount of education, which is approximately one year after high school. They work under the guidance of Registered Nurses (RNs), who have diplomas in Nursing and passed the nursing licensure exam. Those of them who continued their pursuit of a Master’s degree become Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). They are the highest-paid nurses, who can fill the positions of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), clinical nurse specialists (CNS), nurse-midwives (CNM), and nurse practitioners (NP).
Nursing Resume Tips
However, when looking for a good job, nurses are bound by the same rules as other professionals. They should present a resume that would stand out among other applications as make their way through ATS. Moreover, nursing resumes should also be creative and comprehensive. It should shine just the way you will do in your new job. We have collected several expert tips you may need to write a killer nursing resume that would get the job you need. If you follow this advice, your new job maybe even bigger and better than you could expect.
Avoid Writing “Letters”
Do not try to put all your credentials next to your name. Job application scanning programs may not be able to recognize them. Thus, leave only the highest nursing degree you have. You can place others later on the page.
Create Your Branding Strategy and Present It In a Qualifications Summary
The job application process and your resume are nothing less than your personal marketing campaign. Your task is to show the value that you bring to the table. Describe your goal, specialty area, level of experience, and other things you think define you in a narrative statement.
Add a Skills Section
It might be a good idea for your nursing resume to specify all your areas of expertise in a bulleted format. They can serve as your keywords as well as can tell your recruiter all about your strengths. Think carefully about what skills define your nursing experience and do not hesitate to mention them as your competitive advantage.
Be Specific about Your Nursing Experience
It is a good idea to mention the type of facilities you worked for. A brief introduction to your main roles and responsibilities can send a powerful message to the recruiter, but be more specific about your achievements of yours in this role. Every recruiter wants to find somebody who can get things done, so your main task is to assure that you are this person exactly. Your achievements speak for themselves.
Add All Your Academic Achievements
Degrees, certifications, and licensures define your level of competence. Therefore, your education section should include all courses, training, meetings, and conferences that you could ever attend and have evidence of it. Your academic involvement is critical in such a profession as nursing and directly affects your pay rate.
Volunteer and Other Experience
The best resume writers suggest adding all related experience only if it is really meaningful. If your altruistic intentions are closely intertwined with helping sick people or educating them, do not hesitate to focus on this in your resume. However, if they are more hobbies than experiences, it is better to leave them behind the curtains.
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