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Registered Nurse Resume Examples
Use these registered nurse examples as a guideline or visit our extensive library of customizable resume templates.
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Free Registered Nurse Resume Example [Text Version]
Registered nurse resume examples and writing guides help you highlight skills like monitoring patients, administering medicine, and educating families on care.
RNs plan long-term care, manage health conditions, and guide post-hospital recovery. Tailor these registered nurse resumes with your specialized certifications or licenses like a BSN, ADN, or accredited nursing program completion.
[Your Full Name]
[City, State]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
Professional Summary
Compassionate and detail-oriented Registered Nurse with three years of experience in medical-surgical and post-operative care. Skilled in patient assessment, medication administration, and care planning, with a proven ability to manage up to 15 patients daily. Certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).
Skills
- Patient care and assessment
- Medication administration
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) documentation
- Patient and family education
- Team collaboration
- Awareness of patient care standards
- Critical thinking
Work History
City General Hospital – Provo, UT
June 2020 – April 2023
- Monitored vital signs and performed initial patient assessments for 12+ patients per shift in a fast-paced medical-surgical unit.
- Assisted physicians during procedures and administered prescribed medications.
- Provided emotional support to patients and families during hospital stays.
- Participated in a hospital-wide quality improvement initiative, contributing to a 10% increase in patient satisfaction scores.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
University of Utah – Salt Lake City, UT
Graduated: May 2020
Certifications
Basic Life Support (BLS) – American Heart Association
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) – American Heart Association
How to Write a Registered Nurse Resume
Your registered nurse resume format is as important as how you write your resume. This sample resume demonstrates the best layout: 1-inch margins, bullet points and clear resume headings for each of the following sections.
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Professional header and contact info:
Include your name, contact information and a professional email address.
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Compelling summary statement:
A brief resume summary or objective highlighting two or three nursing skills, experience or accomplishments.
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Highlight your skills:
Create a dedicated section to showcase hard and soft skills specific to healthcare like strong communication, bedside manner and mathematical skills.
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Additional sections:
You can add resume sections for licenses, certifications, industry memberships or unions, awards, volunteer experience or spoken languages.
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Emphasize your work history:
List your work experience in reverse chronological order. Include job titles, company names, dates of employment and key responsibilities and achievements for each role in a bullet list.
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Supporting education section:
Detail your educational background, mentioning any relevant degrees, diplomas or certifications obtained.
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How to Write a Registered Nurse Resume Summary
Your resume summary is a brief, impactful statement highlighting your most relevant skills, experience, and achievements as a registered nurse. Placed at the top of your resume, it should immediately catch the employer’s attention and showcase your suitability for the role. Here’s how to craft an effective summary:
Tailor it to the job:
Align your skills and experience with the job description.
Focus on key qualifications:
Highlight critical nursing skills, certifications, and specialties. Use numbers to provide context, such as years of experience or patient care volume.
Showcase achievements:
Mention specific accomplishments that demonstrate your impact.
Keep it short:
Aim for 2–3 sentences that convey your value clearly and succinctly.
Good and poor registered nurse resume examples
“Compassionate and detail-oriented registered nurse with eight years of experience in acute care and post-operative recovery. Proven ability to manage 20 daily patients, calculate and administer medication dosage, and lead a team of 5 RNs in a high-pressure environment. Skilled in patient education and certified in ACLS and PALS.”
Why this registered nurse resume example works:
This summary is tailored, specific, and quantifies experience.
It highlights critical skills (acute care, patient education), achievements (managing a team), and relevant certifications (ACLS and PALS).
“Experienced nurse looking for a job in a hospital. Skilled at patient care, giving medications, and working with other nurses.”
How this resume example fails:
This registered nurse resume example doesn’t share specific achievements or relevant nursing certifications.
It doesn’t share care-relevant skills or experience that match the open hob description.
Pro Tip: If you’re a recent nursing graduate, try the resume objective instead. This professional introduction highlights transferable skills and experience to downplay your relative lack of work experience.
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How to Add Your Registered Nurse Work History
The work history section of our registered nurse resume examples share hands-on experience, achievements, and positive impact. Use this space to outline your clinical expertise and contributions to patient care and team success. Follow these tips for an effective work history section:
Organize effectively:
Use reverse-chronological order and include key details like job title, employer, location, and dates of employment.
Highlight achievements:
Use bullet points to showcase accomplishments, incorporating metrics like patient loads, care improvements, or team leadership.
Tailor and strengthen:
Align responsibilities with the job requirements and start bullet points with strong action verbs to convey impact.
Good and poor registered nurse resume examples
Good registered nurse resume example
Registered Nurse | St Dotto’s Medical Center
Salt Lake City, UT | May 2023 – March 2025
- Administered medications, provided treatments and assisted with activities of daily living for clients receiving Palliative Care.
- Provided education for clients and families regarding end-of-life and the dying process.
- Coordinated with interdisciplinary team members according to the client’s plan of care.
- Delegated tasks to ancillary staff. Attended End-of-life Nursing Consortium (ELNEC) training.
Why this RN resume example works:
This work history works because it highlights specialized expertise (palliative care and ELNEC training), showcases collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, and uses action verbs to convey responsibilities like education, coordination, and delegation.
It’s concise, tailored, and demonstrates both technical skills and compassionate patient care.
Poor registered nurse resume example
Registered Nurse | St Dotto’s Medical Center
Salt Lake City, UT | May 2023 – March 2025
- Process patient intake.
- Take regular patient vitals.
- Explain home care and follow-up procedures.
How this RN resume example fails:
This example fails because it uses generic language, ignores collaboration, and fails to highlight any specialized nursing specialties or contributions.
You can improve this by adding the number of patients you handle, your preferred medical specialties, or improvements to your departments that enhance patient care.
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How to Add Your Nursing Education
The education section of your registered nurse (RN) resume is crucial for showcasing your qualifications, training, and certifications. Employers want to see that you have the necessary academic background and credentials to provide quality patient care. Follow these steps to create an impactful education section:
1Include your nursing degree:
List your degree, the school you attended, and the year you graduated. Use the official degree title, such as Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).
2Highlight relevant certifications or licenses:
Add professional nursing certifications that demonstrate your expertise, like Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
3Mention any specialized training:
Include additional relevant programs, workshops, or continuing education that adds value to your role as an RN, especially if you’re a candidate with less than three years of experience or a recent graduate.
Here’s a registered nurse resume example:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Graduated: 2020
Certifications:
Registered Nurse (RN) – Utah State License #RN123456 (Active)
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), American Heart Association
End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Training
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15 Skills for These Registered Nurse Resumes
The skills section of your RN resume is where you showcase your most relevant abilities, both technical and social, to meet the needs of the job. Here’s a list of 15 relevant nursing skills to help improve this section:
Soft skills
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Empathy
- Interpersonal teamwork
- Conflict resolution
Hard skills
- Emergency response
- IV therapy
- Medication administration
- Patient care and assessment
- Wound care management
Technical skills
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) management
- Catheter insertion and care
- Infection control protocols
- Ventilator management
- Vital signs monitoring
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20 Nurse-Related Action Verbs
Action verbs make resumes more dynamic and impactful by clearly demonstrating your responsibilities and achievements. They convey your contributions effectively, showcase your expertise, and align with job descriptions, helping employers quickly see your qualifications and value as a candidate.
- Administered
- Advocated
- Assessed
- Assisted
- Collaborated
- Communicated
- Coordinated
- Delegated
- Delivered
- Documented
- Educated
- Evaluated
- Implemented
- Led
- Monitored
- Performed
- Provided
- Responded
- Supervised
- Trained
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Additional Resume Sections
Tailor these registered nurse resume examples with the following sections. Remember to base these additions on the unique needs of the job.
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Key Takeaways
- Tailor your resume to the job by highlighting the skills and experiences that align with the employer’s needs.
- Focus on achievements that show your impact, like improving patient outcomes, lowering readmission rates, or leading teams
- Highlight technical skills like IV therapy and medical record management, and soft skills like communication and empathy.
- Use numbers to provide context, such as the number of patients managed, procedures performed, or improvements achieved under your care.
Use a Cover Letter to Express Yourself
A resume is a concise overview of your skills and experience — a cover letter expands on this foundation. Add a cover letter to share one or two examples of how you excelled in similar roles or how your skills match a company’s needs. Use this sample as a guide or visit our helpful resources to boost your application.
Nursing Cover Letter Examples
Registered Nurse Resume FAQ
Should I include references on my RN resume?
No, don’t add your references to your registered nurse resume. Employers will request them later in the hiring process if needed. Save this space for your skills, experience, and certifications.
How do I tailor my RN resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS)?
To optimize your resume for ATS, use keywords from the job description, such as “patient care,” “EHR management,” or “IV therapy.”
Avoid overly complex formatting like graphics or tables, and use clear headings and bullet points. This ensures your resume is easily scanned and ranked by the system.
What certifications should I list on my RN resume?
Include essential certifications like Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).
If applicable, add Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC), or specialty-specific certifications like Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) or Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) to stand out.
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Last edited by: Gabriela Barcenas, CPRW, Content Writer II - January 25, 2025
Gabriela Barcenas
CPRW, Content Writer IIGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and career adviser. With 10 years of digital media experience and five years of resume writing expertise, her publication history includes fashion, education, travel, social justice, equitable design and career advice.