RN Resume examples & templates
Copyable RN Resume examples
By 2025, nearly 18% of current registered nurses plan to retire, creating an unprecedented 1.2 million vacancies in an already strained healthcare system. This exodus—happening as our population ages and chronic disease rates climb—represents both a crisis and an opportunity for aspiring and current RNs. The nursing profession has transformed dramatically over the past decade, with specialized roles like informatics nurses and nurse navigators expanding the traditional bedside scope. Many RNs now work in telehealth settings, pharmaceutical research, or as legal consultants—positions that weren't mainstream options even five years ago.
What hasn't changed is the profession's heart. Despite burnout challenges (which prompted hospitals in Minnesota and Oregon to implement mandatory rest periods between shifts), nursing continues to rank as America's most trusted profession 21 years running. As healthcare evolves toward preventative and community-based models, nurses find themselves at the forefront of reshaping patient care—making this challenging career perhaps more influential than it's ever been.
Junior RN Resume Example
Emily Rodriguez, RN
Portland, OR | (503) 555-8941 | e.rodriguez@email.com | linkedin.com/in/emilyrodriguezrn
Compassionate Registered Nurse with 1+ year of acute care experience at a busy metropolitan hospital. Strong clinical assessment skills with particular interest in pediatric care. Known for building rapport with patients and families during stressful situations. Seeking to grow my clinical expertise while providing exceptional patient-centered care.
EXPERIENCE
Registered Nurse – Medical-Surgical Unit
Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR
June 2022 – Present
- Provide direct patient care for a 5-6 patient assignment on a 32-bed med-surg floor with high patient turnover
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary team to develop and implement individualized care plans
- Improved unit’s medication administration timing by 17% through creation of a visual med schedule tool
- Mentor nursing students during their clinical rotations (started Jan 2023)
- Serve on unit’s falls prevention committee, helping reduce fall incidents by 9% in Q1 2023
Student Nurse Extern
Oregon Health & Science University Hospital, Portland, OR
Jan 2022 – May 2022
- Assisted RNs with patient care activities including vital signs, ADLs, and ambulation
- Practiced therapeutic communication with diverse patient populations
- Documented patient care activities and observations in EMR
- Gained exposure to various medical specialties through 12-week rotation program
Certified Nursing Assistant
Evergreen Senior Living, Beaverton, OR
May 2020 – Dec 2021 (Part-time during nursing school)
- Provided personal care for 10-12 residents per shift in assisted living facility
- Monitored and recorded vital signs, intake/output, and changes in resident condition
- Assisted with feeding, mobility, and social activities
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
University of Portland, Portland, OR
Graduated: May 2022
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Associate of Arts
Portland Community College, Portland, OR
Graduated: May 2020
CERTIFICATIONS
Registered Nurse License – Oregon State Board of Nursing (#RN98765)
Basic Life Support (BLS) – American Heart Association, expires June 2024
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) – American Heart Association, expires Oct 2024
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) – American Heart Association, expires Oct 2024
SKILLS
- Clinical Skills: Medication administration, IV therapy, wound care, catheter insertion, NG tube placement
- Technical: Epic EMR, Pyxis medication system, Alaris pumps, telemetry monitoring
- Soft Skills: Patient advocacy, crisis management, family education, time management
- Languages: Conversational Spanish
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Nurses Association (ANA) – Member since 2022
Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) – Member since 2022
Mid-level RN Resume Example
Melissa Danvers, RN, BSN
mdanvers87@email.com | (512) 555-7649 | linkedin.com/in/melissadanvers | Austin, TX
Dedicated Registered Nurse with 5+ years of experience in critical care and medical-surgical units. Known for strong clinical assessment skills and patient advocacy. Effectively managed care for high-acuity patients while mentoring new staff. Looking to leverage my experience in a Charge Nurse role where I can continue developing leadership skills while providing exceptional patient care.
Professional Experience
Critical Care Nurse – Seton Medical Center | Austin, TX | June 2020 – Present
- Provide comprehensive care for 3-4 high-acuity patients in a 16-bed ICU with 87% patient satisfaction scores
- Serve as preceptor for 6 new graduate nurses, developing and implementing personalized orientation plans
- Initiated and coordinated implementation of a new pressure ulcer prevention protocol that reduced incidence by 23%
- Responded to over 40 rapid response calls, performing initial assessments and interventions
- Act as charge nurse for night shift 2-3 times monthly, managing staffing needs and bed assignments
Medical-Surgical Nurse – St. David’s Medical Center | Austin, TX | August 2018 – May 2020
- Managed care for 5-6 post-surgical patients on a 28-bed unit specializing in orthopedic and neurological cases
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive discharge plans for patients
- Recognized as “Nurse of the Quarter” (Winter 2019) for exceptional patient care and team support
- Participated in unit-based quality improvement committee that reduced medication errors by 17%
Graduate Nurse Resident – St. David’s Medical Center | Austin, TX | May 2018 – August 2018
- Completed 12-week residency program with rotations in medical-surgical, telemetry, and emergency departments
- Developed and presented in-service on early mobility protocols for post-surgical patients
- Shadowed wound care specialist and earned certification in basic wound management
Education & Certifications
Bachelor of Science in Nursing – University of Texas at Austin | May 2018
Certifications:
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) – 2021
- Basic Life Support (BLS) – Current
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) – Current
- Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) – 2019
- Wound Care Certification – 2018
Skills
- Critical care nursing & ventilator management
- IV therapy & central line care
- Medication administration & titration
- Electronic medical records (Epic, Meditech)
- Patient & family education
- Time management & prioritization
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Conflict resolution
- Nurse precepting & mentorship
- Spanish (conversational)
Professional Memberships
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) – 2020 to Present
- Texas Nurses Association – 2018 to Present
Senior / Experienced RN Resume Example
Sarah J. Matheson, BSN, RN
Newark, NJ • (973) 555-8124 • s.matheson@email.com • linkedin.com/in/sarahjmatheson
Registered Nurse with 11+ years of progressive experience in critical care and emergency medicine. Known for calm decision-making during high-stress situations and mentoring new nursing staff. Recognized twice for exceptional patient care and developed a new protocol that cut medication errors by 22% in the ICU. Looking to leverage my clinical expertise and leadership skills in a Nursing Director role.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Charge Nurse, Emergency Department
Saint Michael’s Medical Center • Newark, NJ • 06/2018 – Present
- Supervise team of 14 nurses and 4 techs during high-volume shifts in Level II trauma center averaging 137 patients daily
- Streamlined triage process, reducing wait times by 31 minutes and improving patient satisfaction scores from 3.2 to 4.1
- Implemented bedside handoff protocol that decreased medication errors by 27% over 9 months
- Serve as clinical preceptor for 3-4 nursing students each semester; 6 former students now work in our department
- Coordinated emergency response during unexpected power outage that affected 32 patients on ventilators
Staff Nurse, ICU
University Hospital • Newark, NJ • 03/2015 – 06/2018
- Provided direct care to critically ill patients with complex medical needs in 28-bed ICU
- Specialized in post-surgical cardiac care, managing patients with VADs, IABP, and fresh CABG procedures
- Created educational materials for family members of ventilated patients, which was adopted hospital-wide
- Participated in Rapid Response Team, responding to ~75 calls quarterly throughout the facility
- Received “Excellence in Critical Care” award (2017) for exceptional patient outcomes
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
Beth Israel Medical Center • Passaic, NJ • 07/2012 – 03/2015
- Managed care for 5-7 patients per shift on busy 36-bed unit specializing in post-surgical recovery
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team to develop and implement comprehensive care plans
- Trained in wound care management and served as unit resource for complex dressing changes
- Advocated for improved pain management protocols, resulting in 19% increase in patient comfort scores
EDUCATION & LICENSURE
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Rutgers University School of Nursing • Newark, NJ • 2012
Licensure & Certifications
- Registered Nurse, New Jersey State Board of Nursing (#RN00087421) – Current
- BLS, ACLS, PALS – Current
- Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) – Current
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) – Current
- Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) – Current
SKILLS & EXPERTISE
- Clinical: Advanced cardiac life support, ventilator management, IV therapy, wound care, trauma assessment
- Technical: Epic EMR, Meditech, Pyxis MedStation, patient monitoring systems, telehealth platforms
- Leadership: Staff scheduling, conflict resolution, performance evaluations, quality improvement
- Specialties: Emergency medicine, critical care, cardiac care, trauma, post-surgical care
- Languages: Conversational Spanish (enough to conduct basic assessments with Spanish-speaking patients)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), 2015 – Present
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), 2014 – Present
- New Jersey State Nurses Association, 2012 – Present
How to Write a RN Resume
Introduction
Landing your dream nursing position starts with a resume that truly captures your clinical skills and compassionate care. With hospitals receiving hundreds of applications for a single RN position, your resume needs to stand out while checking all the right boxes. I've helped over 500 nurses revamp their resumes, and I've noticed what works (and what definitely doesn't). This guide will walk you through creating a resume that showcases your nursing expertise and gets you in the door for an interview.
Resume Structure and Format
Keep your resume clean and scannable - both for human eyes and computer systems. Most nursing resumes should be 1-2 pages, depending on your experience level.
- Use a clean, professional font like Calibri or Arial in 10-12pt size
- Include clear section headers (Experience, Education, Certifications)
- Use bullet points rather than paragraphs for your work history
- Save your file as a PDF (unless specifically asked for a .doc format)
- Name your file professionally: "FirstName_LastName_RN_Resume.pdf"
Skip the fancy graphics, photos, and colored backgrounds! Most hospital HR departments use Applicant Tracking Systems that can't process these elements. Stick with a clean format that machines can read and humans can skim.
Profile/Summary Section
Your profile should be 3-5 sentences highlighting your nursing specialty, years of experience, and stand-out skills. This isn't where you talk about wanting to "grow professionally" - save that for your cover letter. Instead, focus on what you bring to the table.
For example: "Med-Surg RN with 6+ years of experience in high-volume hospitals. Specialized in post-surgical care with expertise in pain management and wound care. Known for reducing patient readmission rates by following up with detailed discharge education."
Professional Experience
This is the meat of your nursing resume. For each position, include:
- Hospital/facility name and location
- Your exact title and employment dates (month/year)
- Unit type and bed count (e.g., "32-bed ICU")
- 4-6 bullet points focusing on your accomplishments, not just duties
Turn everyday tasks into accomplishments by adding context, numbers, and outcomes. Instead of "Administered medications to patients," try "Maintained 97% medication administration accuracy while managing care for 5-7 complex patients per shift."
Education and Certifications
List your nursing degree, school, and graduation year. Include your license number and state (some hospitals verify this before interviews). List all certifications with expiration dates:
- RN License (include state and number)
- BLS/ACLS/PALS certification
- Specialty certifications (CCRN, OCN, etc.)
- Any additional training relevant to your target position
Keywords and ATS Tips
Hospitals use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter resumes before a human sees them. Include these keywords from the job description:
- Specific clinical skills mentioned in the posting (IV insertion, wound care)
- Equipment you're proficient with (Epic, Meditech, Pyxis)
- Required certifications (even if you've listed them elsewhere)
- Department-specific terminology (PACU, ED, L&D)
Industry-specific Terms
Pepper your resume with nursing terminology that shows you speak the language. Include terms like:
- Clinical protocols you've implemented
- Specific assessments you regularly perform
- Quality improvement initiatives you've participated in
- Nursing frameworks you use (like SBAR communication)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using vague statements like "provided excellent patient care"
- Including irrelevant jobs from 15+ years ago
- Forgetting to update your license number or certification dates
- Using abbreviations that aren't universal (spell it out first time)
- Submitting without proofreading (medication errors are bad; resume errors are too!)
Before/After Example
Before: "Responsible for patient care and medication administration on busy floor."
After: "Managed complete care for 5-6 post-surgical patients per shift, maintaining 100% on-time medication administration while reducing call light response time by 37% through hourly rounding."
Your resume is your first chance to show that you're detail-oriented and thorough - exactly the qualities needed in nursing. Take the time to get it right, and you'll see the difference in your interview requests. Good luck!
Related Resume Examples
Soft skills for your RN resume
- Clear communication during high-stress situations (able to translate complex medical info for patients and families)
- Team coordination across shifts – developed reputation for thorough handoffs that reduced medication errors by 17% on our unit
- Emotional intelligence when working with difficult patients or family members in crisis
- Time management while juggling 6-8 patients with competing priorities
- Conflict resolution between healthcare team members, particularly during understaffed shifts
- Mentoring newer nurses (formally guided 4 new hires through orientation while maintaining full patient load)
Hard skills for your RN resume
- Venipuncture & IV Cannulation
- 12-Lead ECG Interpretation
- Epic EHR Documentation
- PICC Line Management
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Trauma Care & Triage (ESI)
- Central Line & Port Access
- Medication Administration via PCA Pumps
- Wound VAC Therapy