Nursing employers look for job candidates with goals and experience that is targeted for the nursing career. They solicit job candidates through human resource departments, newspapers, and online job banks. Candidate submissions that are short and to the point are more likely to secure an interview.
The curriculum vitae is a compilation of general work experience, education, awards, affiliations and other information. It is generally two or more pages and offers a complete background.
A resume is targeted for a specific job. It includes only information that is related to the intended position. For example, a nursing job candidate would include the acquired nursing degree, but not a journalism degree or other unrelated degree.
Nursing Resume Format
The resume format is the best choice because it succinctly lists those qualifications that are important to the employer. A brief view of the resume should be all that is required for a prospective employer to know if a candidate is right for the job.
Choose a simple resume template with an easy-to-read font. Adding a little color, such as a dividing line, and using a different font and font size for the name is a simple way to draw attention to a resume. It should draw attention while looking clean.
The heading of the resume should include the job candidate's name, address, phone number, and email address. It is absolutely necessary to proofread this information for accuracy. Potential employees have lost job opportunities because the employer could not contact them. Do not include personal information such as date of birth, social security number, and registry and certification numbers. This information could be used for identity theft.
Nursing Resume Objective
The resume objective should be short and to the point. It can be used to either list the qualifications of the job candidate or to indicate the position for which the candidate is applying. The following are examples where both are applied:
- RN seeking to apply emergency medicine experience in a critical care unit.
- RN with more than 20 years of experience seeking second-shift position in the inpatient unit.
Job seekers applying for a specific position may simply list that position in the objective:
- Prior authorization review nurse
- Per diem nurse
- NICU/Infant nurse
Healthcare Job Experience, Nursing License and Nursing Certification
Include the years of employment, the employer name, and the employer location with the job experience. List job skills in a bulleted format. Graduates with no job experience may replace the "Job Experience" heading with "Clinical Experience" and list the hospitals where they obtained their clinical training.
Nurses must obtain their licenses in the states in which they work. Some nurses may have licenses with multiple states. These can be listed along with other certifications, such as CPR. Since it is a list, a bulleted format is best.
- State of Michigan, Active
- American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, CPR, Current
Nursing Education
Educational experience may be listed in the same format as the job experience. List only those degrees obtained that directly relate to nursing or other patient care jobs. A degree in ultrasound and a certificate in phlebotomy are useful healthcare degrees that are related to nursing, but a degree in communications is not.
Special skills and experience with specific equipment may also be listed under the appropriate schools. Those with degrees in different healthcare careers may list skills to differentiate between each degree and certificate. New graduates who replace the Job Experience section with Clinical Experience may use Educational Experience to simply list degrees and honors.
Check Spelling and Punctuation
Read the resume two or three times to check for errors in spelling and punctuation. Ask another person to read through the resume to find additional errors. Mistakes with personal information, such as the name and address, are not unusual, so verify this information several times.
Nursing job candidates should submit targeted resumes that are one page in length. The resume is a simple introduction to the candidate with a succinct summary of qualifications. Its purpose is to grab the attention of a potential employer and to secure an interview.
Resource
"Nursing Resume Do's and Don'ts Part I," Nursing Link
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Diane Ursu - Diane Ursu joined Suite101 as a contributing writer in August 2009 and became a Feature Writer in January 2010. She is a freelance writer ...
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