5 Nursing Student Resume Examples That Work In 2021

Why this resume works

• Almost all nurses have to go through some sort of clinical rotations in nursing school. This is relevant experience you should certainly include on your resume, especially if you're applying to your first ever full-time nursing position.
• You'll hear a lot of arguments both for and against including a resume objective on your nursing resume. It's the one or two sentences that sit right below your name. After reviewing the performance of thousands of resumes we recommend you only consider including one if: 1) You're undergoing a career change, 2) You just finished nursing school and this is your first full-time nursing job, or 3) You're going to customize it for each job you apply to.
• If you're a licensed Registered Nurse (RN) and have passed the relevant exam, then include it on your resume. Also be sure to include the state(s) in which you're certified, because sometimes certification doesn't carry over.

Why this resume works

• If you're looking to land your first full-time nursing position out of nursing school, then play the part. That means labeling yourself as a Registered Nurse, not as a Nursing Student. This is especially true if you already have an RN certification.
• This resume works in part because it includes a handful (we recommend 5-10) of skills in the resume skills section. When it comes to nursing, include any specialties you might have (like pediatrics, med/surg, geriatrics, etc) plus more technical skills like IV management.
• The resume objective on this resume is excellent because it is customized for a specific job. That it, this candidate tied actual experience (exposure to heart health as a volunteer EMT) to what might be required in the new role.

Why this resume works

• If you have any experience in the healthcare space or leadership experience outside of healthcare, then feel free to include a hobbies and interests (or "Activities", like in this example) section on your resume.
• Most people understand the importance of nurses, but that doesn't mean it's easy to demonstrate the direct impact of your work. A good rule-of-thumb when writing your work experience bullet points is to start each one with a strong action word (like "Served", "Measured", and "Performed" in this example).
• When applying for externships, you should label yourself as a "Nursing Student", instead of a Registered Nurse. Hospitals that hire externs are expecting students after all.

Why this resume works

• As a Nurse Practitioner Student, you likely have plenty of experience as a Registered Nurse (RN). Remember that whenever possible you should try to keep your resume to a single page. If you're on the border between 1 page and 2, try things like reducing font size and reducing page margins to fit more content (while keeping an eye on overall readability).
• As soon as you get your NP certification, be sure to include it on your resume. That way, you can apply to Nurse Practitioner jobs without any problems. However, if you're still in the process of obtaining your certification whether because you're still in the process of obtaining a Master's Degree or you haven't yet passed the certifying exam then don't include the certification.

Why this resume works

• Obtaining a Master's Degree of PhD in Nursing is a great way to advance your career. It leads to more responsibility, higher pay, and brand new career tracks like Nurse Practitioner.
• When it comes to creating a great resume, the little things matter. This resume does a great job of being consistent in the use of punctuation. More specifically, all the work experience bullet points end in a period. You can choose to omit periods but make your choice and be consistent with it.
• Some nursing jobs require additional certifications (beyond an RN). So be exhaustive when it comes to listing what you're certified in. Don't assume that a hiring manager or recruiter reading your resume knows that you have an ALS certification, or CPR, or EMT, etc.