Little help please!

[2014NewGradRN]

0Hi guys!

I've been working as an ICU RN for a little over 1.5 years (first job out of school) and want to start working on my resume. As a fairly new nurse, do you ever include work as a patient care tech (worked as one in another ICU for 2.5 years) or do you leave it out because it's not professional work? I'm just wondering how I should format my resume and what I should include. Thanks a bunch!

[Scottishtape]

I'd definitely add that. It may not be nursing experience, but it is parient care experience and it also gave you that much more ICU experience. It also shows a good track record with employment.

[JBudd, MSN]

My first few jobs I listed everything, not just health jobs. It shows how reliable you are (length of employment), and determination to work and support yourself.

[TriciaJ, RN]

If you're still fairly young or fairly new to nursing, it might be a good idea for your resume to go back to before you were a nurse. It lets an employer know a bit more about you, your work ethic, your background. If you're a bit older and have been a nurse for a decade or more, then the pre-nursing experience loses relevance and just takes up room on the resume.

The tech experience is still valuable in my opinion. It shows that you can see things from a nurse's perspective and from a tech's. You can highlight that you work well with others because you have personal knowledge of what their jobs entail.

[2014NewGradRN]

Thank you! How would I list it though? Separately from my professional experience?

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Early on, I listed my pre-nursing jobs. I'd been a CNA, a church organist (paid staff position), and I'd freelanced as a singer/organist/pianist for weddings. Once I was over 5 yrs in, I limited it to my nursing jobs

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Thank you! How would I list it though? Separately from my professional experience?

I put mine under "work history"

[2014NewGradRN]

Thank you!! Did you have a separate section for professional experience or you just lumped all of your work experience together??

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Thank you!! Did you have a separate section for professional experience or you just lumped all of your work experience together??

All under work history

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

In your case, use "work experience" instead of "professional experience" as others said, and use a reverse chronological format for your employment history.

[nellie272003]

All together under Work Experience. Do it chronologically.