Need help with my cover letter and resume please!

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 27, 2012

I think you need to make your objective more specific to the job you are applying for or leave the objective out all together.

Also, there are racist people out there, so you may want to leave out that you are fluent in Urdu, unless the hospital you are applying for has a high population of Urdu speakers. If you know English, there is no need to say you are fluent in it. I've heard of HR people discriminating against foreign sounding names (I have one), so if your name sounds foreign, you may want to put a nickname on your HR application. It's ok to do this as long as you tell them your given name for background checks etc. Also, dont forget your nursing license number and expiration date on the resume. The same for your CPR certification (also include AHA or Red Cross, whichever). Your cover letter is good, but you have to tell them how you can help the organization. Look on the hospital's website and find one of their goals or missions and give an example of how you can help them reach this goal.

Best of luck...

Lovanurse · Sep 27, 2012

I disagree. Being bi-lingual is a positive attribute on your resume... especially in a large hospital with a variety of patients. Some employers actually put names in a database if they need a translator immediately.

I would not put your license number on your resume. They will specifically ask for your original license before they hire you.

It's up to you but I would cut out the waitress experience on the cover unless specifically asked. I WOULD put it under work experience so that there won't be any gaps. But your nursing resume should be all about healthcare. I have a cosmetology license but I don't have that information on my CV as they do not care if I can do hair.

I agree with the above post regarding the objective. Until I turned my resume into a CV, my objective looked like this

Objective: Registered Nurse

RN12PTL · Oct 3, 2012

I have been told by recruiters that they want to know how many hours you spent in the rotations. For example in my ICU rotation I had 135 ICU hours, with an additonal 48 in the ER.. etc. I have also been told by numerous recruiter friends NOT to put any non-healthcare work experience on your resume. In the actual application will be places for you to put all of your work history. So on my resume, I have Work experience renamed as "Acute Care Work Experience". Or "Related Nursing Experience".

Hope this helps!!

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 3, 2012

You are an experienced RN. ...albeit 6 months. Therefore do not put clinical rotations on resume! Cover letter and resume needs major work--we can help with that

a. Cover letter talks about waitressing---would have no clue you have 6 months experience--no need to mention NCLEX as have license in hand. You want to present in coverletter as an EXPEREINCED RN, not new grad looking for first position. It should sell your current RN experience.

Dear Hiring Manager:
I am looking to acquire an RN position at your facility …

Examples:
a.

because I am impressed with it’s mission statement (list it).
b.

Due to your Magnet status.
c.

Due it’s community status for providing the best patient care.
d.

Due to the quality awards it has received.
e.

Since it is an academic teaching facility.
Working as a hospice continuous care nurse has given me the opportunity to provide excellent patient care. I have developed the skills of medication administration, patient education, collaboration with members of the health care team, and providing physical and emotional support in order to ensure the highest quality of life possible for both patients and families. I take great pride in establishing supportive and healthy relationships with patients, patients' families, and colleagues.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to learn more about open nursing positions and am available for an interview at your convenience. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

B. Resume:

Education:
Rutgers College of Nursing, New Brunswick, NJ
Bachelor of Science in Nursing granted 05/2011
GPA: 3.4 (Dean’s List)
Licensure and Certifications:
Registered Nurse: Texas active or (date to date)
CPR current
Work Experience:
FACILITY : Hospice Continuous Care: March 2012- Present
Houston, TX
Registered Nurse
Utilize assessment, observation, and intervention skills to provide care and maximize quality of life for patients and families
Provide education to patients and family members
Documentation and Care planning: goals, interventions, and results related to patient care
Administer medications, skin and wound care, suctioning, and assistance with ADLs
Communicate changes in patient's status or the need for adjustment in the plan of care with the case manager
Saltgrass Steakhouse: July 2011- May 2012
Pearland, TX
Server
Worked as a team with other servers to provide professional, fast-paced customer service anticipating guests’ needs
Organized server experienced in problem resolution and service recovery
Denny’s: September 2008-September 2010
East Brunswick, NJ
Server/Host
Engaged customers in friendly conversation while serving food and beverages
Experience with multi-ethnic clientele
East Meets West: August 2006-June 2008
East Brunswick, NJ
Sales Associate
Provided customer service and sales transactions
Displayed ability to assist and communicate with a variety of people
Skills:
Fluent in English. Fully understand spoken Urdu.
Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint

Re-read to make sure that work experience is written in same past tense.

Do you have experience with an electronic medical record? If so, list that under skills

eg. Computer documentation with Meditech EMR

Best wishes landing a hospital position.

PS: This website is heavily indexed by search engines. Have removed name of your current facility.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Oct 5, 2012

NRSKarenRN nailed it. Reading the original version, I saw that you were a waitress. I want to know that you ARE a nurse, and what experience and skills you have. You could have lost the manager with that first line, or by listing. You list according to relevance, not chronology.

Slylyfeignedchagrin · Oct 12, 2012

Thanks for your help everyone! I just felt like I should include the waitressing experience because I've only been working as a hospice continuous care nurse at patient's homes where I do not do much more than take vitals and administer medications. I haven't had any practice in skills such as drawing blood, IVs, and other skills that are needed to work in a hospital, so I still kind of feel like a new grad.