Table of Contents
1
Introduction
Your registered nurse resume is an advertisement for yourself. Hiring managers take only about 10 seconds of reading to decide whether to call you in for an interview. Make that time count by placing in front of them a professional document that stands out. Use our registered nurse resume template for Word as a guide while making it uniquely yours. You will create a professional profile using a summary statement, work history, skills section, and education section. A well-written document is just as important as the qualifications contained in it.
2
Writing Your Summary Statement
Your summary statement is a quick overview of what a hiring manager should know about you. It is a short summary of your value proposition and can be thought of as a sales pitch to your reader.
• Present your top selling points at a glance
• Highlight reel of job positions and key strengths
• Presents important information up front so that it doesn’t get lost in the depths of your resume
Read through our registered nurse resume template for Word to help you fashion your own summary statement. Here are some examples to get you started.
Summary Statement Example 1:
Registered Nurse with 12+ years’ experience providing quality care to a variety of patients. Possesses a Master’s in nursing from John Hopkins University. Well-versed in administering treatments and medications as prescribed by physician.
Summary Statement Example 2:
Self-motivated and patient-focused registered nurse. Effectively able to plan nursing interventions and develop and implement core medical services to ensure patient comfort and rehabilitation. Six months’ internship experience providing quality care to multicultural patients.
Summary Statement Example 3:
• Registered Nurse with 2 years’ experience working in the emergency room of a busy hospital
• Experience effectively assisting physicians during surgery and other medical procedures
• Achieve quality patient care and communicate well with patients as well as family
Summary Statement Example 4:
• More than 15 years’ experience working as a registered nurse in pediatrics
• Experience providing nursing care to infants, children, and adolescents in a clinical setting
• Detail-oriented leader who works well under pressure
3
Writing Your Skills Section
Listing your skills gives a hiring manager some insight into your abilities as a professional. You want to show what your different experiences have taught you in the form of useable skills. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when creating this section.
• Choose five to seven highlights that you can easily expound upon later in an interview. Right now, you just want to get your foot in the door.
• Make sure the skills you are listing are relevant to the position you are seeking. Look through the job description for keywords you can incorporate and build around.
• Be concise. Your prospective employer is scanning a lot of documents. Make sure he or she sees what you want him or her to see.
This registered nurse resume template for Word, coupled with these important skills, will help you write a resume that is unique and impactful.
• Immunization
• Infection control
• Administration of medications
• Healthcare software (be specific on program types)
• Hospice care
• Seizure precautions
• Exceptional bedside manner
4
Writing Your Work History Section
Your work history section should list employment in reverse chronological order. Here are some best practices to consider when writing this section.
• List your past employment, including two to three bullet points
• When possible, include quantifiable metrics
• Use keywords from the job description
Look at our registered nurse resume template for Word to learn how to format this section, and view these examples of descriptions you can use in your work history section.
• Provided care to young children on 24-bed medical-surgical unit
• Assisted in pediatric surgeries
• Treated children with cerebral palsy, diabetes, congenital heart defects, and other illnesses
• Administered medication and treated adolescents under the instructions of a qualified physician
• Headed a program educating mothers with HIV on mother-to-child transmission prevention
• Worked with a team to help create a better-organized system
• Educated parents on latest treatment protocols
5
Writing Your Education Section
Although you may have had some real accomplishments in high school, you are now a professional. Your higher education trumps any previous accolades. Now that you are a registered nurse, you should include your college education and any certifications or licenses. This is a good section to include any awards or honors you might have earned during your schooling. You might have noticed from our registered nurse resume template for Word that you should refrain from including GPA or school ranking, especially if you have work experience to back up your training.
Registered Nurse: New York State Board of Licensing, License #0000000
John Hopkins University / BS Nursing / May 2009
