How to Create a “New Nurse” Resume

Well, New Nurse, are you ready to get hired? You’ll need to create a compelling resume that attracts the attention of the hiring personnel at the organizations where you want to work. It’s not hard to write a resume; there are great templates that will make it easy to format your education and skills. And with a few tips, you can complete it in a few hours.

As a new graduate, or a nurse with little or no experience, it can be challenging to demonstrate that you have what it takes to succeed. Don’t worry--every seasoned nurse was once an entry-level nurse like you. They got hired, and so will you. You already have a lot to offer an employer. It’s just a matter of presenting your information in a dynamic way.

Before starting to write your resume, do these four things.

1. Be sure your email address is appropriate for job applications. If your current personal email is your name (JaneDoe@xmail.com or William-Smith@xmail.com), or something nondescript, that’s fine. But if it’s left over from your “pre-nurse” life (Born2BWild@xmail.com or Sexy_Mama@xmail.com), then you need to establish a new email address for career correspondence before writing your resume.
2. Choose a simple template to make your resume look crisp and professional. Avoid “flashy” or “fun” templates, as well as those with colors. Your resume will likely be uploaded to the organization’s Human Resources portal, so it should look good in a black and white format. Both Microsoft Word and Google Pages have suitable templates. Or do an online search for sample resumes and copy a style that appeals to you. Do not be tempted to add a stethoscope graphic!
3. Select a font that is easy to read by both Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software and humans. Current standard fonts that are good for your resume include Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Palatino, or Verdana. Content should be font size 10-12 point. Headings can be larger, 11-14 point. Your name can be 20-24 point. Experts recommend typing out your resume, then adjusting font size and spacing to fit on one page.
4. While you’re at it, update the voicemail on your phone to be ready for calls from hiring personnel. It should be courteous and less than 25 seconds long. An example: “Hello, you’ve reached (First Name, Last Name). I’m sorry I wasn’t able to take your call. Please leave your name, number, and detailed message, and I will get right back to you. Thank you for calling.”

Read the job description carefully — then adapt your resume to match it.

Human Resource hiring managers can receive hundreds of resumes for a position. They use a special ATS to screen the resume you’ll upload and submit on the website. Take time to read each job description that you’re applying for and include those keywords, skills, and qualifications in your resume. Then include them in your resume. For example, if you’re applying for a pediatric nurse position, edit your profile to “special interest in pediatrics.” Use the exact words in the job description, such as “pediatric nurse” or “pediatric nursing.” The ATS software searches for keywords in your resume that match the job description.

You’ll need to make changes on every resume you submit in order to make it past the ATS screener and increase your chance of speaking with a person who can actually hire you. Do not skip this important step!

Use action verbs to make your experience vibrant.

Start each bullet point in the clinical rotation and work experience sections to demonstrate that you were engaged and responsible. Here are some suggestions:

What to say about Clinical Rotations and Skills

Don’t simply list your clinical rotations. Every nursing student has the same experiences, although they may have had a different title or course name. You’ll want to highlight what YOU did or learned during your rotations. Use action verbs and provide descriptions. Here are a couple of examples:

1. Medical-Surgical Nursing
   1. Delivered care for three patients two shifts each week, including assessment, documentation, medication and IV administration, and care plan coordination.
   2. Performed patient admissions and provided discharge counseling for patients and families, including EHR documentation.
2. Community Health Nursing
   1. Managed a caseload of four patients over an 8-week rotation. Made home visits to underserved or vulnerable community members, including pregnant women, postpartum mothers and infants, chronically ill patients, and homebound elderly patients.
   2. Served the homeless population by designing and implementing free materials and education sessions at local health clinics.

Like clinical rotations, many skills are standard outcomes of nursing education. If your resume template has a space or section dedicated to lists, you can add skills there. Or if your resume needs to be longer to fill out a page, go ahead and include a catalogue of your best proficiencies. Definitely include any unique or advanced skills you have gained. Skills are divided into hard (clinical competencies) or soft (qualitative) skills.

Here are some examples of key skills that an entry-level nurse may be able to safely provide or perform:

Hard Skills

Soft skills

Keep it to one page.

Human Resource experts agree that unless you’re a nurse with more than ten years of experience, your resume should fit on a single page, so it’s easy for a recruiter to read and act on. If your resume is longer than a page, try one or more of these tactics:

• Go back and edit the content to eliminate unnecessary words or phrases.
• Be concise with descriptions.
• Expand margins of the page.
• Try a different font. Calibri and Arial Narrow take up less space than Verdana.
• Although 12-point font is preferred for content, 10-point is acceptable.
• Put your name and contact information in a slightly smaller font.
• If you have too much space, try a wider or larger font or change line spacing.

Template Resume for a New Graduate Nurse

This is an example of a simple resume that is professional and easy to read. It includes the essential sections to include and allows an entry-level nurse to include details that will encourage the hiring manager to contact the nurse for more information and an interview.

Final tips to perfect your resume…because it should be perfect.

When you’ve finished your resume and formatted it to fit on a single page, take a break. Have a cup of tea or go for a walk. Clear your head. When you’re ready, come back for one last review of your magnificent creation.

1. Proofread again. And again. Just one small typo can leave a bad first impression and maybe cost you an interview. Nursing requires careful attention to detail, so show you’re already meticulous. Use Spellcheck, but also do a manual check. Then ask a friend or family member to read it, both for clarity and spelling or grammar errors.
2. Don’t keep repeating “I” in your resume. Not only does it take up valuable space, but it’s tiresome for those who read your resume. They understand your resume is about you, so no “I” statements are necessary.
3. Do not mention salary. Don’t ask for a certain salary or starting rate. This is a big turn-off for potential employers and distracts from your qualifications. Starting salary information is provided when you get a job offer; at that time, if you feel it’s not fair, you can negotiate.
4. Be PROUD! Compiling a resume requires a lot of thinking and careful wording. You have successfully presented yourself in the best possible light. Now you’re ready for some interviews. Learn how to prepare here.

About the Author

Winona Suzanne Ball

Nursing Adviser, RN | MHS, Governors State University, IL
Full member of the American Nurses Association. Learn more