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Erin Basher is a Registered Nurse and Certified Professional Resume Writer. Whether you're eyeing your first transition out of bedside or just want your resume to finally work for you, Erin's got the practical, no-fluff guidance you need. I'll let her take it from here. |
Your Nursing Resume
Few people consider resume writing a transformative experience.
Sitting down to write feels less like The Hobbit and more like writing an 8th grade book report on Great Expectations.
But what if resume writing could actually be fun and purposeful?
Seems impossible, I know, but maybe you just need a wizard to set you on your path.
I’m Erin Basher, a Registered Nurse and Certified Professional Resume Writer with over 7 years of experience in the career services industry. I’ve reviewed hundreds of resumes over the years, and for the purposes of this article, consider me your resume Gandalf.
In 5 simple tips, here’s what hiring managers are looking for and what pitfalls to avoid along the way.
Tip #1: Follow the Three S’s
First and foremost, your resume should be guided by Strategy, Storytelling, and Structure.
Ask yourself, “What’s the end goal?”
Reverse engineer your resume to remove any doubt that you’re perfect for these targets.
Think of your resume as a story arc. Add a headline to the top of your resume and summary statement below that explains your unique attributes.
For example, here’s my headline:
Nursing Professional | Resume Writer | Career Coach
Your summary statement should be no longer than 2-3 sentences. Explain what sets you apart from the competition. Here’s mine:
Former healthcare recruiter with a passion for connecting nurses with job opportunities. Award-winning nurse with history of surpassing sales quotas and rolling out quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes. Generated over $466K as the number one recruiter in 2024 at Prestige Staffing.
Be selective in the information you choose to include. If it doesn’t support your overall strategy, leave it out.
The purpose of a resume is to secure an interview, not list every task you’ve ever completed.
Tip #2: Use Power Verbs and Power Statements
Employers value outcomes. Let them guide your storytelling.
Each job description should include ways you’ve solved problems, helped others, served as a subject matter expert, and so on.
For example, instead of saying this:
Consulted and coordinated with healthcare team members to evaluate patient care plans.
Take it one step further. How did you help the team?
Coordinated with a 20-member interdisciplinary healthcare team to evaluate patient care plans and streamline care transitions, helping reduce 30-day hospital readmissions by 14%.
Your outcomes don’t necessarily need to be quantified. For example:
Created a valuable teaching tool for the department, entitled “Guide to Nodal Pathways and EKG Interpretation,” to facilitate a shared, concise understanding of important cardiovascular rhythms.
When you’re thinking about impact, think in terms of time (reduced admission time by 30 minutes), headcount (7-10 patients per shift), workload (discovered and corrected 17 documentation issues), money saved (reduced turnover by 10%), and locations (floated between 5 units).
Avoid task-based language like “responsible for” and “tasked with.” Instead, use action-based verbs like “led” or “created.”
Avoid typos like the plague! Ask someone to proofread your resume. Don’t share previous salaries, your personal mailing address, references (especially the names and phone numbers of clinicians), hobbies, or reasons for leaving previous jobs.
Lastly, it’s okay to have a 2-page resume if your background is extensive and relevant to your goal.
Tip #3: Keep the Design Simple
When it comes to design, less is more.
There are a million resume templates on Canva and other design programs. Unfortunately, many of them use features that can’t be read by ATS software.
Stay away from columns, fancy fonts, and logos.
Structure your resume in reverse chronological order (most recent job first).
If a recruiter has to work to piece together your job timeline, he or she will probably just move on to the next resume.
If you’re a travel nurse, be sure to list all of your travel assignments. Again, if someone has to work to find the information, chances are he or she won’t.
Tip #4: Don’t Forget Transferable Skills
Nursing is a wonderful training ground for so many other careers.
Time management. Prioritization. High stakes outcomes. Safety. Compliance.
Make sure these skills are front and center on the resume – especially if you’re planning a career transition.
According to Nicky Garcea, an occupational psychologist and advocate for women in leadership, these skills are the most marketable: curiosity, learning agility, growth mindset, critical analysis, and collaboration.
Include a core competencies section at the top of your resume under your summary. If the job posting requires a specific certification or credential, include it in the core competencies section.
Steer clear of soft skills that sound nice but add little to no value, such as communication, attention to detail, empathy, and creativity.
Tip #5: Aim for Accuracy
Make sure what’s on your resume matches your LinkedIn profile and other personal branding.
Cross-check all of the dates in case your interviewer decides to do a reference check.
Avoid resumes with a functional design; these tend to look like you’re hiding something.
Further, avoid excessive explanations on your resume. If you stepped away from your career to care for young children, just note it as “Career Break: Family Caregiver” with the dates.
Stay true to the facts and let the rest of the resume do the talking.
Final Thought
In summary, we are aiming for a resume that is A) strategically geared toward your target, B) easy to scan, and C) tells a story about all you’ve accomplished.
The person reading your resume should say to themselves, “Wow, this person is perfect. I can see why they applied!”
As we near the end of our journey, I should remind you that your resume is just one piece of the puzzle.
Even the best resume will go unnoticed if you aren’t adopting a proactive approach in the job search (i.e. networking and reaching out to prospective employers).
But that’s a topic for another day.
Happy writing!
