How should a new grad nurse write a resume?

Lead with your license, degree and clinical rotations: unit, hospital and hours. Add your capstone or preceptorship and any healthcare job, like CNA or patient care tech.

Should I include my license number?

Usually not on the resume. List the license type and state; employers verify the number during hiring.

How long should a nursing resume be?

One page for most nurses; two pages is fine with 10+ years or many specialties and certifications.

Should I list clinical rotations once I'm experienced?

No. After a year or two of paid nursing work, remove rotations and let your unit experience fill the space. Keep a capstone or preceptorship only if it's in the specialty you're applying for.

Is there an RN resume template I can use?

Yes. This example uses the Classic template, a single-column layout that applicant tracking systems read well. Start from it, replace Emily's details with yours, and keep the order: license and specialty in the header, summary, nursing experience, education, then licenses and certifications.

What should a registered nurse resume include?

Your RN license and state, specialty and unit, patient ratio, the hospital or clinic setting, one or two quality results, your EHR system, certifications such as BLS, ACLS or PALS, and your nursing degree. Clinical rotations belong only on new graduate nursing resumes.

How do I change specialties, such as med-surg to ICU?

Lead with the skills that overlap: telemetry, titrating drips, rapid response calls or step-down patients. Add certifications and courses you've taken for the new specialty, and say in your summary which unit you're aiming for.

Nursing resume example: registered nurse (RN) resume

A strong nursing resume leads with what nurse managers scan for first: your license, your specialty, and your unit. After that, they look for patient load, the care you gave, and anything you improved, like falls, infections or satisfaction scores. This RN resume shows all of it on one page.

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Why this resume works

Every bullet starts with a verb and ends with a result, most with a number.
The skills a registered nurse job post asks for appear in the Skills section and again inside the bullets.
A single, standard layout (Classic) that applicant tracking systems read top to bottom.
Standard headings (Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills) so the ATS files each part correctly.

Emily Carter, RN

Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical

emily.carter@email.com • +1 919 555 0137 • Raleigh, NC • linkedin.com/in/emilycarterrn

Professional Summary

Registered nurse with 5 years of experience in medical-surgical and telemetry units at a 600-bed teaching hospital. Cares for 5-6 patients a shift with a focus on safety, clear handoffs and patient education. BLS and ACLS certified; charge nurse on nights.

Work Experience

Registered Nurse, Med-Surg/Telemetry

2022 – Present

Wake Regional Medical Center

Provide care for 5-6 adult patients per 12-hour shift on a 32-bed unit, including cardiac monitoring.
Serve as charge nurse 2 nights a week, assigning patients and supporting 8 nurses and 3 aides.
Led the unit's falls prevention project; patient falls dropped 38% in a year.
Precept new graduate nurses, training 6 through orientation.

Registered Nurse

2020 – 2022

Cedar Grove Community Hospital

Cared for post-surgical patients, managing pain, wound care, drains and early mobility.
Gave discharge teaching that helped the unit lower 30-day readmissions by 10%.
Documented care accurately in Epic, with a 99% audit compliance score.

Education

BSN, Nursing

2016 – 2020

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Skills

Clinical: Patient assessment, medication administration, IV therapy, telemetry monitoring, wound care, patient education, care planning

Systems: Epic, Cerner, Pyxis, infection control protocols

Certificates

Registered Nurse License (NCLEX-RN), North Carolina Board of Nursing

2020

Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association

2025

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association

2025

Example registered nurse resume · Classic template · made-up person

Registered Nurse resume summary examples

Two or three lines at the top: your years of experience, your strongest skills, and the result you are known for.

This example

New graduate

New graduate registered nurse (BSN) who passed the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt. Completed 500 clinical hours across med-surg, ICU and pediatrics, with a capstone on a cardiac step-down unit. BLS certified and eager to join a supportive unit.

Experienced

Nurse manager with 12 years of experience in critical care. Leads a 40-person ICU team, manages staffing and budget, and has raised patient satisfaction scores to the top 10% of the health system.

Write your own with the free summary generator →

Registered Nurse resume bullet points

Use them as a pattern, not a copy: swap in your own numbers. If you don't have a number, describe the before and after.

Provide care for 5-6 patients per 12-hour shift on a 32-bed med-surg and telemetry unit.
Led a falls prevention project that reduced patient falls by 38% in one year.
Serve as charge nurse 2 nights a week, supporting 8 nurses and 3 aides.
Precepted 6 new graduate nurses through orientation.
Gave discharge teaching that helped lower 30-day readmissions by 10%.
Maintained 99% compliance in documentation audits in Epic.
Responded to rapid response and code events as part of the unit's response team.
Joined the unit practice council and updated 4 nursing protocols to current guidelines.

Turn your own duties into bullets with the free bullet point generator →

Skills and ATS keywords for a registered nurse resume

Skills that often appear in registered nurse job posts. Add only the ones you really have, in the same words the post uses, and check every job post for its own.

Registered Nurse (RN)
BSN
NCLEX-RN
BLS
ACLS
Patient care
Patient assessment
Medication administration
IV therapy
Telemetry
Med-surg
Care planning
Patient education
Wound care
Infection control
Epic
Electronic health records
Charge nurse
Patient safety
Interdisciplinary team

Nurse cover letter example →See which keywords your resume is missing for a real job →

How to write a registered nurse resume

01
Put credentials in the header
"Emily Carter, RN" and your specialty in the title line. Add license and certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS) with expiry or renewal year.
02
Name the unit and the setting
Med-surg, ICU, ER, labor and delivery, a 600-bed teaching hospital or a rural clinic. Managers hire for similar settings.
03
Give your patient ratio
Patients per shift shows the pace you are used to and helps the manager picture you on their unit.
04
Show quality improvement
Falls, infections, readmissions, satisfaction scores. One bullet on a measurable improvement sets you apart from most nurse resumes.

Registered Nurse resume, section by section

Header with credentials

Emily writes "Emily Carter, RN" and a title that names her specialty: "Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical". Nurse managers often scan for the license and the unit before anything else, so put both at the top.

Summary

Her summary covers years, units (medical-surgical and telemetry), the hospital setting (a 600-bed teaching hospital), her patient load (5–6 a shift), her focus (safety, handoffs, education), certifications and her charge role. Each fact answers a question a nurse manager would ask.

Work experience

Her current role opens with ratio and unit size (5–6 patients on a 32-bed unit with cardiac monitoring), then her leadership (charge nurse 2 nights a week for 8 nurses and 3 aides), a quality result (falls down 38%) and teaching (6 new graduates precepted). Quality improvement results set nurses apart.

Earlier role

Her community hospital role shows post-surgical skills (pain, wounds, drains, mobility), patient education tied to a result (30-day readmissions down 10%) and documentation quality (99% audit compliance in Epic). Documentation accuracy matters to every unit.

Skills and systems

Clinical skills (assessment, medication administration, IV therapy, telemetry, wound care, education, care planning) and systems (Epic, Cerner, Pyxis). Name the EHR you've used, since it shortens your orientation.

Licenses, certifications and education

License with the state board, then BLS and ACLS with the issuing body. Keep certifications current and add expiry dates if the employer asks for them. Education is one line: BSN, school and year.

Entry-level to senior registered nurse resume bullet points

New grad RN (0–1 year)

Care for 4–5 patients a shift on a 28-bed medical unit after a 12-week nurse residency.
Complete head-to-toe assessments and document in Epic within shift deadlines.
Give medications, IV fluids and blood products following unit protocols.
Joined the unit's skin-care team, auditing 20 patients a month for pressure injuries.

Experienced RN (2–6 years)

Care for 2 critically ill patients a shift in a 20-bed medical ICU, including ventilators and vasoactive drips.
Rapid response team member, attending around 15 calls a month across the hospital.
Led sepsis education that raised 3-hour bundle compliance from 71% to 88%.
Hold CCRN certification and teach the unit's monthly skills review.

Nurse manager (7+ years)

Manage a 36-bed surgical unit with 60 staff and a $5M annual budget.
Cut nurse turnover from 24% to 13% with self-scheduling and a new-graduate mentorship program.
Raised the unit's nurse communication scores in patient surveys from the 45th to the 72nd percentile.
Led the unit through a Joint Commission survey with no findings.

Mistakes to avoid on a registered nurse resume

Duties every nurse does
"Administered medications and monitored vital signs" is true of every RN. Show your ratio, acuity, unit and a result you improved.
Hospital-only abbreviations
Unit names and acronyms used only at your hospital confuse other readers. Write "cardiac step-down unit", not your hospital's code for it.
Expired or missing certifications
An expired BLS or ACLS can stop an application. Check dates before you apply and list the ones the unit requires.
Patient details
Never include names, dates or stories that could identify a patient. Describe patient types and results in general terms.

Key takeaways

Put your license and specialty in the header.
Name the unit, the setting and your patient ratio.
Show quality results like falls, infections or readmissions.
Keep certifications current and listed with their issuers.

Questions about registered nurse resumes

How should a new grad nurse write a resume?: Lead with your license, degree and clinical rotations: unit, hospital and hours. Add your capstone or preceptorship and any healthcare job, like CNA or patient care tech.
Should I include my license number?: Usually not on the resume. List the license type and state; employers verify the number during hiring.
How long should a nursing resume be?: One page for most nurses; two pages is fine with 10+ years or many specialties and certifications.
Should I list clinical rotations once I'm experienced?: No. After a year or two of paid nursing work, remove rotations and let your unit experience fill the space. Keep a capstone or preceptorship only if it's in the specialty you're applying for.
Is there an RN resume template I can use?: Yes. This example uses the Classic template, a single-column layout that applicant tracking systems read well. Start from it, replace Emily's details with yours, and keep the order: license and specialty in the header, summary, nursing experience, education, then licenses and certifications.
What should a registered nurse resume include?: Your RN license and state, specialty and unit, patient ratio, the hospital or clinic setting, one or two quality results, your EHR system, certifications such as BLS, ACLS or PALS, and your nursing degree. Clinical rotations belong only on new graduate nursing resumes.
How do I change specialties, such as med-surg to ICU?: Lead with the skills that overlap: telemetry, titrating drips, rapid response calls or step-down patients. Add certifications and courses you've taken for the new specialty, and say in your summary which unit you're aiming for.

Sources

Duties, pay, education and job outlook for registered nurses in the US: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.

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