Bolstering your nursing career begins with a stellar resume that speaks volumes about your dedication and expertise.
Whether you’re a seasoned nurse or just starting out, you’ll find our guide full of handy tips and tailored advice.
Take a look at our nurse resume example below to help you craft an application that’s as impressive as your clinical skills.
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Nurse Resume Example
The above Nurse resume is a great example of how your resume should be formatted, along with the type of content it should include.
It looks professional and creates a seamless reading experience for busy recruiters and hiring managers.
Now we will take an in-depth look at how you can write your own interview-winning Nurse resume.
Nurse resume structure & format
Resume structure
Crafting a resume that grabs attention requires clear structure.
Ensure your resume features the following:
- Contact details: Essential contact information.
- Resume summary: A snapshot of your skills aimed to catch the recruiter’s eye.
- Core skills: A bullet-point list highlighting skills crucial for Nurse jobs.
- Work experience: A reverse chronological list of your professional roles.
- Education: Your academic and professional training details.
- Additional info: Optional details like extracurricular activities that might appeal to employers.
How to format your Nurse resume
The format of your resume determines how attractive it will look to hiring managers, and how easy it will be for them to read.
Here are the main things to remember when formatting your resume.
- Resume length: Keep your resume between 1 to 2 pages long because recruiters see tons of resumes every day and only have limited time to read each one.
- Font & colour scheme: Use a simple font which is easy to read and avoid elaborate ones which might make reading difficult. Go for black-text-on-white background, but feel free to add a splash of colour in the design to help your resume stand out.
- Page layout: Split your page into distinct sections using bold headings or borders, making it easy for readers to locate the information they need at a glance.
- Break text up: Break text up into concise bullet points and short paragraphs to make it easy for busy recruiters to digest the info.
- Photos: Photos aren’t necessary in Australia, but if you want, you can include a small headshot at the top.
Quick tip: Achieving a professional look for your resume can be difficult and time-consuming. If you want to create an attractive resume quickly, try our Resume Builder and use one of our eye-catching professional resume templates.
Contact Details
Being reachable and identifiable is essential for any job seeker which makes the contact details section a fundamental part of your resume. Although simple, it’s crucial to execute this section correctly.
Be sure to include these vital details clearly at the top of your resume, and be economical with the space you use:
- Your name and professional title: Adapt the title (e.g. Marketing Asssitant or Junior IT Manager) to suit the roles you’re aiming for.
- Email address: Use a professional-sounding email (e.g. shane-smith@gmail.com) and steer clear of nicknames or informal tags (e.g., shanzeybwoySmitho200@gmail.com).
- Phone number: Provide your mobile number for direct contact. Double-check to ensure it’s correct.
- Location: Include the general area you are targeting for work, such as Canberra, Brisbane.
You might also consider adding these optional details:
- Webpage links: Connect to a professional online presence such as a LinkedIn profile or a personal portfolio, making sure they are properly maintained and professional.
- Photograph: In creative sectors, a professional photo can be helpful, though it should not dominate your resume’s layout.
It’s advisable to omit personal information such as your date of birth, full home address, or gender from your resume as these do not enhance your job application and occupy precious space.
Nurse Resume Summary
Your resume summary is a crucial, concise introductory paragraph located at the top of your resume. It’s your opportunity to provide a snapshot of your professional strengths and demonstrate your fit for the role.
To capture the recruiters’ interest immediately and motivate them to delve deeper into your resume, follow these strategic tips:
- Keep it short: Hiring managers won’t have time to read an essay-sized summary when dealing with hundreds of applications – keep it between 3 to 5 sentences.
- Tailor to target jobs: Fill your summary with as many keywords from the job adverts you are targeting as possible. This will ensure recruiters instantly see your suitability.
- Avoid using cliches: Thinking about calling yourself a “hard working team player who thinks outside the box“? Don’t! These phrases are meaningless and don’t provide employers with the facts they want.
Nurse resume summary example
What to include in your Nurse resume summary
- Summary of your experience: Give an overview of the types of jobs that you’ve done, companies you’ve worked for, and how much experience you have.
- Relevant skills: Highlight your most valuable skills, focusing on job-specific skills for Nurse jobs.
- Qualifications: Add a brief mention of any qualifications that are relevant to Nurse jobs, to show that you are qualified for the role.
- Benefits of hiring you: Highlight the benefits you can bring to the employer, whether it’s in terms of cost reduction, efficiency improvements, or revenue generation for the company.
Quick tip: Choose from hundreds of pre-written summaries across all industries, and add one to your resume with one-click in our Resume Builder. All written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset and style.
Core skills section
Make your resume more noticeable with a dedicated core skills section.
Use bullet points to highlight the skills most in demand for Nurse positions, and keep descriptions brief, ideally under four words, for easy scanning by busy hiring managers.
Skills for your Nurse resume
Clinical Assessment – Conducting comprehensive patient evaluations to determine their health status and identify care needs.
Medication Administration – Accurately dispensing and administering prescribed medicines, including injections, tablets, and intravenous medications.
Wound Management – Cleaning, dressing, and monitoring wounds to promote healing and prevent infection.
Medical Equipment Operation – Utilising a range of medical devices such as ventilators, ECG machines, and patient monitoring systems to support patient care.
Emergency Response – Providing immediate medical attention in emergency situations, including CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Patient Education – Offering clear guidance to patients and their families about managing illnesses or injuries and promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
Infection Control – Applying strict hygiene and infection control protocols to minimise the risk of infection transmission within healthcare environments.
Pathophysiology Understanding – Recognising and understanding the changes in the body as a result of disease or injury to inform appropriate interventions.
Phlebotomy – Performing blood collection for diagnostic testing in a safe and efficient manner.
Electronic Health Records Management – Navigating and updating electronic health records to ensure accurate documentation of patient care and treatment.
Quick tip: Our Resume Builder contains thousands of in-demand skills for every profession that can be added to your resume in seconds – saving you time and greatly improving your chances of landing job interviews and getting hired.
Work experience section
Your work experience section gives you the opportunity to showcase the contributions you can make to potential employers.
List your past jobs starting with the most recent and focus on detailing your last 3-5 years of work.
Structuring your jobs
To make your responsibilities clear to recruiters, present your previous jobs in the following format.
Outline
Introduce each job with a concise 1 to 2 line outline that covers the employer’s business, your role within the structure, and the key goals of your position.
Key responsibilities
Outline your primary duties in 5-8 bullet points, focusing on essential skills, tools, and expertise.
Ensure each point is succinct, indicating your interactions within the company and your contributions to its success.
Key achievements
Round up each role by listing 1-3 key achievements that had a big positive impact on the employer (like saving them money or completing a project ahead of schedule).
Wherever possible, quantify them using hard facts and figures to prove the value you delivered.
Example job for Nurse resume
Outline
Provide 1-2-1 nursing care to patients on various wards at a large hospital, collaborating with physicians to deliver personalised care and clinical support during inpatient stays.
Key Responsibilities
- Administer daily and acute medications, following established protocols
- Collect, measure, and assess daily patient data to provide appropriate therapeutic care
- Perform venepuncture and cannulation and conduct nursing assessments, including physical examination, psychosocial assessment, and functional assessments
- Develop, maintain, and terminate therapeutic relationships with patients and families
Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our Resume Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.
Education section
Your resume should feature an education section near the end.
This part should be a bullet-pointed list of your qualifications, with a focus on those that are significant for Nurse roles.
Keep it brief if you are an experienced candidate. If you’re new to the field, use this section to elaborate on the skills and knowledge you’ve obtained through your educational pursuits.
This section can include:
- University degrees
- Industry specific qualifications for Nurse jobs
- Vocational education and training (VET) diplomas
- Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE)
Additional information (optional)
At the end of your resume, you can consider incorporating a section for additional information.
This part is suitable for hobbies, interests, awards, publications, or technical skills that could enhance your appeal to employers.
When adding content here, ensure it is either directly relevant to your profession or exceptionally impressive.
Avoid listing everyday activities like watching television or casual socialising, as they are unlikely to influence hiring decisions.
Although creating a standout Nurse resume is no small feat, following these steps will help you produce a resume that not only draws responses from recruiters but also results in a significant number of interviews.
Remember to thoroughly proofread your resume and adapt it to each specific job to ensure it remains relevant.
Good luck with your job search!