Once the graduate has passed the NCLEX-RN exam and received their state-issued nursing license, they are ready to hit the proverbial pavement in pursuit of their first "real" nursing position.

To begin the job search, the nursing grad must first create a compelling yet approachable resume that conveys clinical capabilities, soft skills, and dedication, in a way that appeals to the hiring manager and their team.

Before dazzling the hiring manager during the RN interview, they need to first capture their attention on paper via their exceptional resume, cover letter, and recommendation letters.

Basics of a Nursing Resume

Nursing graduate resumes should be concise and informative while also persuasively conveying to the reader why they are the best candidate for the job.

The goal of the resume is to capture and retain the hiring manager's interest and to demonstrate skills, experience, character, and potential. In short, it should make the hiring manager want to pick up the phone and schedule the job interview as soon as possible.

New nursing graduates should focus on presenting what they have to offer and not get overly concerned with limited clinical experiences. The hiring manager is not expecting much in this way from recent grads. In fact, most employers embrace the opportunity to train, guide, and mentor new graduates.

The resume should show that the candidate is open-minded and willing to learn. Though achievements should be highlighted, exaggerating about them or other experiences won't bode well for the prospective hire.

New Graduate Resume 101

An attention-getting new nursing resume is professional and concise showing the best possible view of the job candidate. It should summarize the candidate's capabilities and background, while persuasively relaying all they have to offer. The nursing resume includes name, contact info, job title, summary, education and certifications, job experience, and skills sections.

  • A one-page resume is sufficient in length for recent nursing graduates. The resume is not the place for verbose writing style or the play-by-play of every clinical experience.
  • Resumes should be free from typos, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and the like. Such errors demonstrate carelessness and lack of attention to detail. Having a friend proofread the resume or hiring a professional proofreader for a nominal fee is a good idea.
  • Resumes no longer include a hobbies and interests section. Resumes should not include age, marital status, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and the like.

Keywords

Today's nursing resumes should also contain job-related keywords, such as Registered Nurse, New Nurse Graduate, and Registered Nurse Intern. Such search terms will help make the resume be found on online job boards, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and databases.

Resume Style

Before beginning to write a nursing resume, it is important to choose a design template that is clean, easy to read, and professional. The template or format style should include a singular design throughout the document that makes a strong impression. When putting together their resume, new nurses should consider the following:

  • Fancy fonts or designs are not necessary and can interfere with applicant tracking systems used to scan resumes. Likewise, elaborate tables and columns are best to avoid.
  • To enhance the readability of the resume, 10-point font or larger should be used with adequate white space and margins.
  • Bullet points and short paragraphs are preferred. Long paragraphs have no place in a resume.
  • Bold and italics can be used minimally to highlight achievements but should not be overdone.
  • Photos are not needed in a new nursing resume.

Sections of a Nursing Resume

The nursing resume usually consists of the following sections:

  • Name and Contact Info
  • Summary, with job title
  • Education, Licensure, and Certifications
  • Experience
  • Skills, clinical and soft skills
  • Technical Skills
  • Optional sections may include:
    • Honors and Awards
    • Languages
    • Professional Memberships
    • Volunteer Experiences

FUN FACTS: Even before the Covid-19 pandemic when nurses were widely honored for their patient dedication, nurses have been recognized for 18 years in a row as the most honest and ethical profession per a Gallup poll.

Name and Contact Info

In large font, the job candidate's name should be clearly delineated at the top of the resume. Underneath it in a smaller font should be the contact information, including phone number, email address, and city and state.

Summary

The summary paragraph of the new graduate nursing resume opens with a specific objective statement that incorporates descriptive adjectives, background information, and what job they are seeking.

Examples:

  • Caring, patient-focused nursing graduate (with 600+ clinical hours) seeking entry-level nursing position at a large public hospital.
  • Licensed registered nurse holding ACLS and BLS certifications and over 600 hours of clinical experience seeking RN position.
  • Patient, open-minded new graduate nurse with clinical experience in fast-paced teaching hospitals, including Medical-Surgical and Intensive Care Units.

This statement should succinctly convey the purpose of the resume to the hiring manager, who may be reviewing dozens of resumes for dozens of different positions. Job seekers should avoid assuming the hiring manager knows what job the resume is for.

The remainder of the paragraph might list a few sentences about skills, character traits, and aspirations.

Examples:

  • Skilled communicator (English and Spanish) and technically proficient in electronic medical records including Epic and Cerner.
  • Proven ability to establish rapport with patients and staff in a fast-paced setting. Adaptable with ability to learn skills / procedures quickly.

The summary paragraph should be short, no more than 3-4 lines total.

Empty language objective statements, such as "Seeking a job where I can apply my skills and gain experience," have little meaning and should not be used.

New nursing grads would do well to remember that hiring managers read resumes very quickly. A clear, concise objective statement helps the manager to put the resume in the "yes" pile. If the manager has to wonder, "What job is this person applying to?" the resume is more likely to be filed away.

Education, Licensure, and Certifications

In a list format, the education section should list the degree, college or university name, location, and graduation date in reverse chronological order. It is not necessary to list high school education. Listing honors, extracurriculars, or GPAs of 3.5 or higher may also be included. If space allows, grads could also list relevant coursework.

Similarly, the nursing graduate should list any and all relevant certifications and licensures on the resume, including dates. By listing required certifications, the candidate shows they are prepared to start work right away.

The new graduate's nursing license with state and number should be explicitly spelled out. This makes it easy for human resources to verify credentials, which works in the job candidate's favor.

Certain units require their own certifications; Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is commonly required to work in an intensive care unit.

Below is an example of how education, certifications, and licensure can be listed:

Education

  • Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), Smith & Brown University, City, ST; 2022
  • Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), Charleston Community College, City, St; 2018

License: Registered Nurse, Active; Ohio, #55443322; expiration 01/2023

Certification: Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, expiration 11/2024

Experience

Recent grads don't need to worry if this section isn't extensive. Including supervised clinical experiences completed in school is completely acceptable, including any additional volunteer experience. Here the employer is looking to see what the applicant has been exposed to so they should list as many clinical experiences as they can. When possible, add quantifiable information, achievements, and specifics; sentences should start with a strong action verb.

The following is acceptable, yet it describes a standard, non-distinct nursing job description:

  • Performed blood draws, provided wound care, and monitored patients.
  • Communicated with patients and doctors.

The below examples are better because they are quantifiable and specific:

  • Performed blood draws for needle-wary patients in a high-volume setting.
  • Provided wound care to 12 patients per shift, including those with diabetes, pressure sores, and other slow-to-heal sores.
  • Calmed down upset patients enabling them to receive needed treatments.
  • Completed clinical rotations treating up to 20 patients per day with chronic and acute conditions.
  • Performed patient assessments and diagnostics under supervising preceptor.
  • Helped struggling student nurse learn how to properly perform suture.

More than clinical experience, include soft skills such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, problem-solving, and more. Also include tasks related to documentation, charting, or using technology.

Skills

The skills section serves a few different functions. First, it gives recruiters a place to eyeball to see if the resume matches the job description. Likewise, it includes keywords, so adding terms the nursing candidate would like to be found for is good advice. List a particular unit, such as Intensive Care, Surgical Care, or Pediatrics in this section.

For whet-behind-the-ears nurses, the skills section can include clinical and soft skills. For instance, wound care, sutures, vital signs, and medication administration are good to list, as are patient communications, electronic medical records (EMR), and teamwork.

Technical Skills

Many job ads will state the technical skills desired for the job. As such, nursing graduates can make it easy for managers by listing all of the technical and electronic medical records (EMR) programs they are familiar with. In addition to clinical-related software, they can also list standard office software as well as experience with medical equipment and devices.

Optional Sections

Optional sections include Honors and Awards, Languages, Professional Memberships, and Volunteer Experiences. These can be listed in a simple, straightforward manner.

Brief statements, such as "open to relocation" or "willing to travel" can also be included if appropriate.

RELATEDPros & Cons of EMR’s

Example Nursing Graduate Resume

Now that we’ve discussed each piece of the nursing graduate resume, let’s put it all together in this example resume using a simple format:

Nancy A. Mazin RN, BSN
Seattle, WA 98052 ∙ (555) 555-5555 ∙ [email protected]

Registered Nurse Intern
Caring, patient-focused nursing graduate (with 600+ clinical hours) seeking entry-level nursing position at a large public hospital. Skilled communicator (English and Spanish) and technically proficient in electronic medical records. Proven ability to establish rapport with patients and staff in fast-paced setting. Adaptable and able to learn skills / procedures quickly.

Education:

Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), Smith & Brown University, City, ST; 2022

  • Award: Graduated magna cum laude

Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), Charleston Community College, City, St; 2018

License: Registered Nurse, Active; Ohio, #55443322; expiration 01/2023

Certification: Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, expiration 11/2024

Experience

University Hospital, Seattle, WA, March 2018 to August 2019

Registered Nursing Student-Non-Intensive Care Unit

  • Performed blood draws for needle-wary patients in a high-volume setting.
  • Provided wound care to 12 patients per shift, including those with diabetes, pressure sores, and other slow-to-heal sores.
  • Calmed down upset patients enabling them to receive needed treatments.

Cook Medical Center, Seattle, WA January 2017 to March 2018

Registered Nursing Student-Intensive and Surgical Care

  • Completed clinical rotations treating up to 20 patients per day with chronic and acute conditions.
  • Performed patient assessments and diagnostics under supervising preceptor.
  • Helped struggling student nurse learn how to properly perform suture.

Skills

Intensive Care, Surgical Care, Pediatrics, wound care, sutures, vital signs, medication administration, patient monitoring, patient communications, bilingual (English / Spanish), electronic medical records (EMR), teamwork

Technical Skills

Epic and Cerner; Alaris IV pumps, Microsoft Office / 365

Other

Professional Membership: American Nurses Association, Ohio

Volunteer: Help prepare and serve warm meals to needy families biweekly at St. Vincent's soup kitchen.

Willing to travel

Cover Letters

Though they are not read as closely as they once were, many organizations will still ask that new nursing applicants submit a cover letter along with their resumes. When possible, the cover letter should be directed to the manager of the unit or department where the candidate is seeking to work.

The cover letter, which should be less than a page, should briefly tell the reader their interest in the job and what they bring to the table. It should include specifics such as "ambitious recent graduate looking for a nursing position at large state hospital within its intensive care unit."

The candidate should include key elements from the resume but can also go a little off-script and tell the reader why they are interested in becoming a nurse, why that hospital, why that unit, etc. If they worked for the facility in school, they can elaborate a bit on what they enjoyed about it so much or why it impressed them.

Finding an RN Job

Once the resume is perfected and has been proofread a few different times by a few different people, it is ready for submission.

Candidates can search online to find an RN job. By visiting major and industry-specific job boards, the candidate can search for and apply to several different hospital and non-hospital jobs. Such online job boards also allow candidates to post their resumes so they can be contacted directly by hiring entities or recruiters working on their behalf.

Nursing graduates can also reach out to their network, including fellow students, former instructors and preceptors, or nurses they may have engaged with while completing their clinicals. Let these people know that you have completed your program, passed your test, and received your license to practice as an RN. Tell them that you are actively looking for work and ask if they have any openings at their hospital or if they know anyone who does. Do not discount "who you know" as a way of getting your foot in the door.

Lastly, find and list local facilities that you'd love to work for and then apply directly on those facilities' websites. For example, if you loved your clinical rotation in the busy intensive care unit at the large teaching hospital, apply there first, then go down to the next facility on the list. If possible, reach out to connections at those places and let them know you've applied. They may be able to put in a good word for you, and this can be invaluable to landing a job interview.

Search Terms for Hospitals

When searching for a new nurse, hospital nursing position, it might be helpful to use the following search terms:

  • Nurse Intern
  • New Nurse Graduate
  • Registered Nurse Intern
  • Registered Nurse Graduate
  • Critical Care Intern
  • Medical-Surgical Intern
  • Graduate Nurse
  • RN
  • Registered Nurse
  • Intern

Most hospitals and medical centers today have a searchable careers website, where the candidate can enter job search terms. When doing so, less is often more as broad terms such as “intern” or "nurse" will turn up a large number of results to parse through. For those just starting out, this is likely preferred. Job candidates can narrow search terms as needed by adding "intensive care" to "nurse."

Large hospital systems, meaning one large company with many hospitals, will often allow for a user profile to be created based on the resume. This profile can be used for multiple positions.

The sought-after new nurse graduate positions in hospitals include:

  • Medical-Surgical
  • Intensive Care Unit
  • Operating Room
  • Oncology
  • Emergency Room
  • Gynecology / Labor and Delivery
  • Pediatrics

Searching for Non-Hospital Jobs

For non-hospital nursing jobs located at small facilities, the new nursing graduate can apply directly on their website. An ambitious nurse may even call and ask for the best way to submit a new nursing resume and to whom to address the cover letter. They may even visit the facility itself to drop off the resume, but this tactic, once common, is done less these days.

For the new graduate seeking employment outside of a hospital setting, desired locations include:

  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • Home health
  • Outpatient surgical centers
  • Physicians’ offices
  • Aesthetics offices
  • Adult family homes

Like hospital positions for new graduate nurses, non-hospital jobs will also provide training to those fresh from nursing school. Most nursing graduates have some experience in skilled nursing facilities and home health so they should highlight this information in their resume and cover letter if possible. As with hospital positions, nursing leadership will ensure the new nurse is proficient and well-trained before they are tasked with solo patient care.

Social Media

LinkedIn is a useful tool for finding a job, engaging with others in the nursing community, and building a professional network. Other social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are less useful from a career perspective. New nursing graduates who are active on these sites should be advised that they are routinely reviewed by human resources and hiring managers. Consider removing questionable or tasteless photos or comments.

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