Registered Nurse resume example
Nursing resumes are read quickly by busy ward managers and often by screening software first. This example shows how to put your registration, clinical areas and measurable patient outcomes where they are seen in the first few seconds.
Called a CV in the UK, Ireland, India, Africa, Australia and many other places, and a resume in North America. The layout below works for both.
Maria Santos-Reyes
Registered Nurse | Acute Medical and Surgical Care | 6 Years' Experience
Manchester, United Kingdom maria.santosreyes@example.com
Summary
Registered nurse with six years of acute medical and surgical experience in the Philippines and the UK. Calm under pressure, confident with deteriorating patients and committed to safe, dignified care. Currently on a 28-bed medical ward and looking for a band 6 or senior staff nurse role.
Skills
- Patient assessment and care planning
- Early warning scores (NEWS2)
- IV therapy and cannulation
- Medication administration
- Wound care and tissue viability
- Discharge planning
- Electronic patient records
- Infection prevention and control
- Mentoring student nurses
- Family communication
Experience
Staff Nurse, Acute Medical Ward
Mar 2022 to Present
Northgate General Hospital, Manchester, UK
- Care for 6 to 8 patients per shift on a 28-bed ward with high dependency and frail elderly patients.
- Led a ward project on hourly comfort rounds that helped cut reported falls by 22% over 9 months.
- Mentored 11 student nurses through placement assessments, all passing first time.
- Act as nurse in charge on around 2 shifts a week, coordinating 5 staff and bed flow with the site team.
Staff Nurse, Surgical Unit
Jun 2019 to Feb 2022
St. Clara Medical Centre, Cebu, Philippines
- Provided pre- and post-operative care for up to 10 general surgery patients per shift.
- Introduced a simple wound-check log that reduced missed dressing changes to almost zero in audits.
- Trained 14 new nurses on the hospital's electronic records system during its rollout.
Education
Bachelor of Science in NursingCoral Coast College of Nursing, Cebu, Philippines
2019
Certifications
- NMC registered (UK), PIN available on request
- Immediate Life Support (ILS)
- IV therapy and cannulation competency
Languages
English (fluent) · Filipino (native) · Cebuano (native)
This example is fictional: the person, employers and figures are invented to show good structure. Use it as a guide and write your own, true details.
What makes this resume work
- 1The registration line is near the top. Recruiters for nursing roles check registration first, so do not hide it at the bottom.
- 2Clinical areas are named exactly (acute medical, general surgery), which matches the words used in nursing job adverts.
- 3Achievements show impact on patients and the team (falls reduced, students passed), not just a list of duties.
- 4Patient ratios and ward size give the reader a fast sense of workload and confidence level.
- 5International experience is listed clearly with country, which helps employers who recruit nurses from abroad.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Listing every clinical task you have ever done instead of the ones the job advert asks for.
- Leaving out your registration body or status, which can get you screened out early.
- Writing patient details or confidential information as examples. Keep stories anonymous and general.
Applying for a registered nurse job?
Pair your resume with a short, specific cover letter. See the registered nurse cover letter example, or draft your own with the cover letter generator.
Questions people ask
Should a nursing resume be one page or two?
Two pages is normal for experienced nurses. One page is fine if you are newly qualified. What matters more is that your registration, clinical areas and recent experience are on the first page.
Do I need to include my registration number?
Many nurses write "PIN available on request" or include it if the advert asks. Always state which body you are registered with and whether your registration is active.
Is a nursing CV different from a nursing resume?
In the UK, Ireland, Australia and much of Asia and Africa the word CV is used for what North Americans call a resume. The content in this example works for both.