Updated on October 7, 2022
When looking for a new job, one of the first things we tend to think about is our resume. Does it need to be updated? Is it missing something? Should I just go ahead and write a new resume altogether? These are just some of the questions we ask ourselves in this situation.
As part of this process, we sometimes forget the most important variable that determines what our resume is supposed to look like, which is the actual job! That's why the resume of a science teacher looks vastly different than the resume of a nurse. And on that note, in this article, we will provide you with our best recommendations for writing an ideal resume for a registered nurse job.
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Writing a resume for an RN job can be nerve-wracking for some, especially for people who can’t find their way with words. The thought of summarizing one’s entire career on one sheet of paper and being judged for it by recruiters who can make or break your career is enough to make anyone nervous. However, there are certain best practices anyone can apply to turn a resume writing session into a successful experience that actually helps them get an interview and eventually land a job. Complete Guide On How To Find Your First Job As A New Grad
In the case of nurses, whose job involves many physical and technical duties and responsibilities, but little writing (except for patient charts, of course), these are some helpful recommendations to write a winning resume for a registered nurse job.
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These are the most frequently asked questions we've encountered about resumes for registered nurses:
Objective statements are the best way to let recruiters know what your goals are and what you bring to the table in a simple but powerful short paragraph. That's why when writing one, it is important to include the type of positions you are looking for and what sets you apart from others in your field.
A good objective example for a registered nurse's resume could be:
Seeking a Registered Nurse role that allows me to advance in my career and develop new skills, while I focus on providing quality health care to patients and supporting their families.
Just like your RN resume, your cover letter should be customized for each nursing job. Also, it should not read as generic so try to avoid greetings like "To whom it may concern" or "Dear hiring manager" and replace them with the actual name of the hiring manager or something like "Dear Company Name Team". The body of the letter should include solid references to your expertise, relevant skills, a clear statement of why you're interested in the position, and a good closing paragraph encouraging the recruiter to get in touch with you.
A perfect nursing summary should be purposeful, concise, and easy to read. To achieve this, make sure to include some of the keywords the recruiter is looking for, ensure it is brief, and consider using bullets to help the reader review the essential information faster. You could also write the summary in paragraph form, but this only works if you keep it very short. For longer summaries, bullet points work best.
Listing your nursing license on your resume is essential for a successful nursing job hunt, but you need to do it the right way. Under your Licences and Certifications section, include the license type, licensing organization, license name and number, and expiration date. For certifications, however, you should start with the name, followed by the organization, expiration, and certification number, if applicable.
Travel nursing experience is very valuable in a nursing resume, especially if you're looking for this type of work. under your Experience section, include the dates when you worked on your latest assignment, the number of people you cared for, and the patient-nurse ratio of the assignment, and indicate that you have references available who can speak on your behalf. Also, make sure to indicate your current availability dates for your next assignment.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped many healthcare workers develop new skills. Nurses had the chance to improve their time management and workload management abilities, as well as learn to remain focused through longer and understaffed shifts. In terms of clinical skills, many nurses learned to care for intensive care patients who were receiving treatment on a COVID-19 unit or were on ventilators, and adapted to new safety protocols paired. All of these experiences can be listed on your nursing resume under the Experience section. You can use bullet points to list the skills, new abilities and duties you had during the toughest years of the pandemic.
All recruiters and hiring managers in healthcare know what a charge nurse does. However, if you've ever been in this position, there's nothing wrong with listing your duties and responsibilities for them to review. You can indicate that charge nurses are in charge of providing certain guidance to the staff guidance, supporting them in challenging situations and implementing strategies to maintain the quality of care. On top of that, charge nurses have to carry out regular nursing tasks, which can be listed as usual.
Looking for an entry-level full-time job in nursing? Maybe you're looking for nursing jobs in the GTA, or for nursing jobs in Ottawa, or anywhere else in Ontario. Whatever the case, we understand that you may not have tons of experience or none at all. In that case, you need to write your resume in a way that your skills and your career objective speak for you. Another point you should focus on is any internship or practicum you may have done. These should be included in your Experience section like regular jobs.
Yes, there is!
Let’s face it, in the last few years, the hiring process has been completely transformed to become more online-based, which has also changed the way the entire labour market functions. This transformation progressed even more due to the pandemic. Today recruiters rely on smart platforms such as our very own Caring Support to find and recruit candidates, being able to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. Likewise, candidates should use platforms like ours with our Resume Builder, to write the best resumes that will catch the eye of recruiters.
Another recommendation for candidates that want to make the most of this shift in the recruitment culture and continue developing their careers, is to understand that traditional resumes are a thing of the past and to embrace other alternatives like profiles and video resumes, which offer multiple benefits for them as well. They allow candidates to showcase their skills, qualifications, experience, and even their vibrant personality to employers so they can make a bigger impression and get a highly desired first interview.
Furthermore, job seekers can rely on Caring Support’s Candidate Profiles, for instance, which are a great alternative to plain old resumes for a registered nurse job because they only have to fill them out once, no matter the number of jobs they want to apply to. So, instead of writing and rewriting resumes for every application, this simple process saves nurses time and effort in their job hunt.
The following video explains how to fill out a Caring Support profile. The best part about it is that candidates not only get to add relevant information like years of experience, availability, languages, education, and more; but they also get to upload their traditional resume in pdf format for those traditional employers that prefer it that way, plus a video resume where they can talk about their career, why they are passionate about it and what their biggest accomplishments are, all with their own words. Check it out.
What do you think about writing a resume for a registered nurse job now? Did you like our recommendations? We hope so! Make sure to leave us any questions or comments about this topic below. Thanks for reading.
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