Need help with new grad resume

[RN0302]

Hi, I'm a new grad RN with extensive work experience in other fields. I'm curious how other people in this same situation adjusted their professional resume to incorporate their new RN info. I currently have the order of my resume to read Summary/Work Experience/Education. Is using a summary considered outdated? What else should I lead with?

Did you include your school clinical experience as actual nursing experience? I feel odd saying that since that experience is so limited and I don't consider myself experienced enough with anything to put it on a resume.

Thank you for your feedback.

[mdg0926]

Hey!

I am actually in the same boat as you and currently working on my resume. I did go to a workshop that covered new grad resumes though. They said to NOT include school clinical experiences, as that is something every new grad should have across the board and is just assumed. If you don't have work experience in a nursing related field, then they suggested to focus on education and your educational achievements. Below that you can list off work experience but try to tie it into nursing somehow ie customer service learned in retail is also a valuable skill to have as a nurse. Finally, they suggested going to the website of the place you are applying for and to look at their mission/vision statement. Take key works from that and place them strategically through your resume.

Hope this helps, at least a little bit!

[Damask]

I wonder if the expectations are regional. I went to a job fair in school to try out my resume. They actually wanted my clinical experiences up top and wanted details about which hospital and which floors...granted, I had no healthcare experience job wise. They also wanted my practicum to be made more obvious somehow (so I bolded it). The recruiters had different preferences, so I picked up on their average critiques, made the changes, and I still do minor changes to it depending on who the recipient will be. I've had some success with it! And each interview gets easier.

Perhaps the best thing to do is make the best resume you can and do a trial run at a job fair. It was very helpful.

[Female-intuition]

I didn't put my clinical experience on my resume (I stated where I did my clinicals, but didn't elaborate). I went to the career services and the counselors told me to elaborate on each clinical on my resume.. I'm so confused now!

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I DID include my clinical experiences and here is why. I was talking to an LPN today who is in the process of completing her RN degree online, totally online. I asked her about clinicals, you know the "hands on stuff" that a lot of nursing entails. She casually said "Oh, I have to go to XXX for one weekend to do IV's and that's it!" She's pretty impressed with her choice of routes. I guess I thought it was important to show that there was indeed MANY MANY hours of clinical experience included with my education, KWIM?

[pfalls]

mdg0926--are you in Tucson? I think I was at that same workshop with you (in Phx) as I remember alllllll those tips! Now, reading through what others are saying, I wonder if that is just regional? Maybe some employers like to see clinical experience. Curious to read what others say, as I am knee deep in this process too!