With the rising population of people across the world and the recent outbreak of deadly diseases, comes the need for more nursing jobs in the healthcare sector.
This means two things for you as a nursing student.
First is that they'll always be available jobs and secondly, you'll have to compete with a huge crowd of nursing candidates for the available jobs. So to stand out from the crowd you need to be the best at what you do, but it's not just enough to have the best results or certificates, you also need to learn how to create the perfect resume.
Being a nursing student is hard enough on its own without the added stress of creating a "job-worthy" resume. Fortunately, this post is all you need.
Here, we'll share tips on how to create the perfect nursing resume, and things to include in your resume even if you have no experience.
You'll also get practical examples and templates, which you can model to create your customized resume in less than 10 minutes.
Ready? Let's get into it!
As a nursing student, you have not graduated yet so you do not have a nursing certificate. What then are you supposed to put on your resume? Honestly, there are a lot of things that go on your resume, certificate inclusive. They are:
Your name, address and phone number
Relevant course work with an emphasis on observational methods, quantitative analysis, pharmaceutical oncology and principles of teaching applied to nursing.
Licenses and certifications ( if you have them).
Clinical experience including clinical rotations and other work experience.
Soft and hard skills. Examples of hard skills include- patient transport, wound dressing, recording patients' vitals, Electronic Health Records (EHR), medicine administration etc. Examples of soft skills include- communication, compassion, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving etc.
Other certifications or awards of recognition.
As a nursing student or new graduate, your resume will be different from that of a professional RN, because you just started developing your skills in nursing school and probably do not have any other work experience besides clinical rotations.
Notwithstanding the no experience thing, you can still showcase your unique abilities, talk about the different technologies you were exposed to at different facilities and emphasize important details of your clinical experience. This will enable the hiring manager to tell if you're adaptable or a quick learner and decide whether to hire you.
So how exactly do you write a nursing resume with no experience? We've simplified the process with the following steps.
1 . Start with your contact information
The first thing the recruiter should see at the top of your resume is your full name, followed by your home address, phone number and professional email address.
2 . Write a summary
Writing a summary is not compulsory, but if you want your resume to stand out we suggest you include a summary right after your name and contact information. Your summary should highlight your most important skills and qualifications, career goals and what you intend to contribute to the facility and your employer. The summary should be brief and straight to the point. Ideally, it should not be more than two sentences.
3 . List your certifications and licensure
Once you have passed your board exams and have received your RN license number, make sure to write it out including other additional certificates you have such as Basic Life Support (BLS), Basic EKG Interpretation certification etc.
4 . Describe your hard and soft skills
This is where you highlight those hard skills you mastered in nursing school e.g sterile dressing changes, oxygen titration, head-to-toe assessments etc. And do not forget to include those essential soft skills like therapeutic communication, critical thinking, and time management. To further demonstrate that you have a well-balanced set of skills, make sure to list the same number of both soft and hard skills.
5 . Give detailed information about your education
Write out your educational qualifications in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent degree, followed by the name of the school, location, degree level and years attended. You can also list out some important courses you took, and highlight a group project or assignment that impacted your nursing program. This shows the employer that you're interested in collaborating with others in the nursing unit.
6 . Describe your clinical experience
You may not have a standard working experience as a nursing student, but you have clinical experience and this is where you get to highlight your skills and how you implemented them in a clinical setting. Each person's clinical experience is different and the hiring manager knows this. Sharing your experience offers you the opportunity to sell yourself. Do not just list out stuff, rather describe how you participated in various clinical activities. For example- "Removed sutures on abdominal incisions per facility protocol" shows that you're willing to follow and learn the protocols used at any facility.
7 Add any affiliations or achievements
If you are a member of any nursing association, you can include that here. You're also free to include other organisations or events you've participated in, even though they're not nursing-related as these can help add credibility to those soft skills you listed earlier. For example, if you were the treasurer of your school's annual science fair, mention it. This shows the employer that you're organized and good with calculations, all of which are essential skills for nursing. Lastly, if you have any awards, academic recognitions, scholarships or nominations, you can also include them in this section.
We've explained the process and steps you should take to achieve the perfect nursing resume but it won't be complete without a practical example. Below is a nursing student resume example that you can model when writing your first nursing resume.
Nursing Student Resume Sample:
Mariam Adams
Warri, Delta State. | 08076891245. | Mariamadams@gmail.com
RN and BSN upcoming graduate, committed to providing patient-centred care with fundamental knowledge of medical terminology, and health care policies. Interested in combining ongoing nursing education and experience in securing internships in professional healthcare settings.
Certifications and Licensure
Key Skills
Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidate, 4.2 / 5.0 GPA
Delta State University, Abraka 2019- Present
Completed Coursework:
Clinical Experience:
Student Nurse, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.
January 2021 - May 2021
Patient care attendant ER, ST. Luke's Hospital, Asaba
April 2020 - August 2020
Achievements and Affiliations
Do you know you don’t have to create your CV from scratch? Use our CV builder to get started fast.
Sharing your clinical experience on your resume is very important, but you have to keep in mind the following before you start writing.
Creating your first nursing student resume might seem a bit challenging but with the information in this article, we believe you're going to create the perfect resume for you with zero stress. Just follow the steps we've listed. Start with your contact information, followed by certifications, skills, and education, with much emphasis on describing your relevant clinical experience.
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