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Resume Guides • Nursing Careers

Simple Registered Nurse Resume Guide

A short, plain-English playbook. Use the proven RN resume format, write clear result-focused bullets, and add the right keywords. Copy the example and finish fast.

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Why your RN resume matters (and how to keep it simple)

Recruiters skim in seconds. Clean layout, consistent dates, and clear results get callbacks. You don’t need fancy design—just short, strong bullets and a basic structure.

This page gives you exactly that: the format, the sections, a one-line bullet formula, and copy-ready examples so you can build fast—even if you’re busy or changing units.

RN resume format: what works

FormatBest forWhy it works
Reverse-chronological Most RNs Shows your latest unit and growth first.
Hybrid (combo) Pivots, travel, gaps Leads with skills & highlights but keeps timelines.
Functional only Rarely recommended Can look vague, hides dates, and hurts trust.

Typography: 10.5–12pt body, 0.5–0.75" margins. Clean bullets beat graphics.

Sections to include

  1. Header — Name, credentials (RN, BSN), city/state, phone, email, LinkedIn.
  2. Summary — 3–4 lines on setting, strengths, and a result you care about.
  3. Licensure & Certifications — State license(s), compact status, expirations; BLS/ACLS/specialty certs.
  4. Experience — Facility, location, dates, unit; 3–5 bullets with measurable results.
  5. Education — Degree, school, year (GPA if recent/strong).
  6. Skills — EHR, clinical skills, quality/safety, coordination, people skills.
  7. Projects & Leadership — Precepting, charge, committees, QI.
  8. Awards & Memberships — Recognition and professional orgs.

Sample summary (paste-ready)

RN with 4 years in Med-Surg and Step-Down. Strong patient education and calm prioritization in high acuity. Improved discharge understanding by 18% using teach-back. BLS/ACLS, Epic-proficient.

Write bullets the easy way

Action Verb + Keyword + Result

  • Stabilized 4–5 high-acuity patients per shift in Step-Down using Epic and bedside education, reducing readmissions by 11%.
  • Co-led falls-prevention rounding and hourly checks, cutting falls per 1,000 patient-days by 23%.
  • Trained 8 new hires on sterile technique and med rec; preceptor evaluations rose to 4.6/5.
  • Coordinated ED triage during peak flu season; reduced LWBS by 15% with rapid screening.
  • Standardized discharge teaching with teach-back and bilingual handouts; raised scores by 19%.

Lead with the best part: speed, volume, safety, satisfaction, or cost.

Keywords & skills recruiters scan for

  • EHR: Epic, Cerner, Meditech
  • Clinical: IV therapy, telemetry, vents, wound care, triage
  • Quality & safety: CLABSI prevention, sepsis bundles, falls
  • Certifications: BLS, ACLS, PALS/NRP, TNCC, NIHSS, CCRN/CEN
  • Coordination: rounding, throughput, charge support
  • People: patient education, de-escalation, family communication

Use them naturally in your bullets and summary.

New-grad tips

Lead with education, licensure status (or exam date), and a clean summary. Add rotations, capstone, and preceptorship with unit/site/skills. Translate CNA/tech/EMT work into RN-ready lines.

New-grad summary example

Entry-level nurse with 700+ clinical hours across Med-Surg, ED, and L&D. Safe med admin, accurate Epic documentation, and clear patient education. BLS/ACLS, NIHSS. Ready for a high-support residency.

Experienced & specialist tips

Emphasize outcomes, influence, and leadership (charge, preceptor, committees). Tailor bullets to the unit.

ICU / ED

  • Vents, titratable drips, hemodynamics
  • Sepsis protocols, stroke alerts, door-to-needle
  • Rapid triage, trauma flows, code participation

Sample: Managed 2:1 vented patients; coordinated RT and intensivist rounding, cutting sedation interruption delays by 28%.

OR / L&D / Specialty

  • Sterile field integrity, time-outs, counts
  • Fetal monitoring, VBAC education, NRP
  • Oncology chemo safety, ONS guidelines

Sample: Circulated 6–8 procedures/day; maintained 100% timeout compliance and reduced first-case delays by 12%.

Travel nurses: highlight adaptability, fast EHR onboarding, cross-unit coverage.

Common mistakes

  • Decorative multi-column templates that confuse parsers
  • Duty-only bullets with no result
  • Inconsistent dates or missing licensure details
  • Walls of text with no white space
  • Generic skills that don’t match the posting

Copy-ready mini templates

Reverse-chronological (one page)

Name, RN, BSN • City, ST • (555) 555-5555 • email • LinkedIn
Licensure: RN – State (Compact) • Certs: BLS, ACLS, NIHSS
Summary: Nurse with X years across [unit]. Results: [metric, metric]. Epic/Cerner.

Experience
Hospital – City, ST | Unit (Month YYYY – Present)
• Managed [ratio] patients; improved [metric] by [%].
• Standardized discharge teaching; reduced callbacks by [%].
• Precepted [#] nurses; evaluations improved to [score].

Education
BSN – University, Year

Skills
EHR (Epic/Cerner), IV therapy, telemetry, wound care, sepsis bundles, patient education, teamwork

Hybrid (pivot or travel)

Name, RN • City, ST • (555) 555-5555 • Email • LinkedIn
Summary: Versatile nurse with experience in [A] now targeting [B]. Key results: [metrics].

Core Skills
Epic, triage, vents, patient education, throughput, discharge planning, precepting

Selected Highlights
• Led PDSA on fall risk; reduced events by [%].
• Streamlined triage; cut LWBS by [%].

Experience
Hospital – City, ST | Travel RN / Unit (YYYY–YYYY)
• Floated across [#] units; rapid onboarding to [EHR]; maintained safe ratios.

Education & Licensure
BSN – University (Year) • RN (State), Compact • BLS/ACLS/PALS/NIHSS

Power phrases to adapt

  • Raised HCAHPS nurse communication by 18% via bedside rounding and teach-back.
  • Maintained 100% barcode scanning and medication reconciliation compliance.
  • Reduced CLABSI risk through sterile central-line dressing changes and audits.
  • Shortened ED-to-floor time by 22 minutes through admission coordination.
  • Lowered non-urgent callbacks by 14% with clearer post-op education.
  • Precepted six nurses; improved onboarding satisfaction to 4.7/5.
  • Served as charge two to three shifts per week during staffing gaps.
  • Executed ACLS in codes and improved time-to-ROSC adherence.
  • Aligned discharge planning early in interdisciplinary rounds.
  • Implemented a falls PDSA that reduced incidents by 23%.

The simple system

Every strong line uses three parts: start with an action verb, add a keyword the job post uses, and finish with a concrete result. Repeat it for each bullet.

FAQ

How long should my RN resume be?

One page for new-grad to mid-career. Two pages for senior or multi-specialty. Put the most relevant items on page one.

Best format for ATS?

Reverse-chronological for most; hybrid for pivots or gaps. Avoid complex columns and non-standard headings.

PDF or Word?

PDF is fine for email/many uploads. If the portal asks for .docx, follow that and keep a PDF for direct outreach.

Do I list every skill?

No—prioritize what the job post mentions. Group similar skills so scanners can spot them quickly.

No big numbers?

Use relative improvements (faster admits, fewer callbacks), compliance rates, or education outcomes. Small wins count if specific.

What tips matter most?

Clean layout, consistent dates, numbers in bullets, natural keywords, and a short summary that matches the posting.

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