New Grad: Resume & Cover Letter Critique

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Hello everyone!! My name is Tamara and I am a new grad RPN from Canada who graduated last year in August 2014. Though it has only been a few months, it has been a constant struggle to find a job let alone get called in for an interview. I have posted both my resume and cover letter.I know its seems like a lot, but my resume is exactly 2 pages. It used to be 1 page, but I called and spoke with the HR department of a hospital and they told me to outline what I did in clinical so that it doesn't look like my personal experience. If you guys can please read over my cover letter and resume and let me know what should be added and or taken out, that would be much appreciated. Thanks!!

p.s. The formatting will be a little different from the original word document, so please bare through if anything seems a little off. i.e. the dates.

Tamara

________________

-Cover Letter-

TAMARA ANGELICA MARCANO, RPN

January 15th, 2015.

Dear Hiring Manager of [organization]:

I am applying for the available full-time/part-time/ temporary/and or casual position as Registered Practical Nurse within your organization.

I am a recent graduate from Northern College and throughout my academic and hands on clinical studies; I have gained the opportunity to develop skills that will prepare me for this challenging role at [organization]. With previous experience as a student working on units such as Medical, Surgical, Mental Health, Maternity, and also doing my preceptorship on both Complex Continuing Care and Rehab; I have developed excellent interpersonal and most importantly assessment skills that will greatly benefit the care of your patients. My ability to think critically, problem-solve and make decisions accordingly, establishes me as a first class candidate to work hand in hand with your interdisciplinary team and families of [organization].

As an outstanding communicator, I am able to build rapport with patients, staff and people easily. Please note that I am flexible for any shifts and am recognized for punctuality and reliability, and am willing to relocate to Kitchener. My attached résumé provides more details about my skills and accomplishments. I look forward to an opportunity to discuss my qualifications and how I would contribute to the continued success of [organization].

Sincerely,

Tamara Marcano, RPN

Encl. Resume

_____________________________

-Resume-

TAMARA A. MARCANO, RPN

PROFESSIONAL NURSING PROFILE

A competent and compassionate Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) graduate with practical experience working in multiple hospital units and nursing homes; Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills; Detail-oriented with strong multitasking skills; A resourceful, efficient team player, who works well in an interdisciplinary team; Proficient with using MS Office applications and familiar with the electronic medical records and documentation; Dedicated to providing the highest quality care which equates to patient satisfaction; Recognized for excellent communication, decision-making, patient assessment and advocacy skills.

EDUCATION, MEMBERSHIP AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Registered Practical Nurse Diploma Graduated August 2014

Northern College, Timmins, ON

College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) RPN Registration Number: AD078240

First Aid & CPR (Level HCP) with AED- St. John Ambulance

N95 Mask Fit Certification

WHMIS & Meditech Personal Care System Clinical Documentation

CLINICAL NURSING EXPERIENCE

Timmins & District Hospital, Timmins, ON

Rehabilitation & Complex Continuing Care – PRECEPTORSHIP June-August 2014

  1. Administered medication safely and effectively to patients on the unit; and initiated and monitored TPN
  2. Assessed and observed patients, charted using Meditech and reported patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medications or treatment and took the necessary action for intervention.
  3. Provided direct care and supervised the activities of patients to prevent complications and maintain functions such as the ability to move, eat or perform daily living tasks.
  4. Provided proper skin care measures to prevent skin breakdown and ensure patients are properly positioned to prevent joints from becoming immobile.
  5. Provided health- teaching to patients on how to self-manage respiratory, bowel or bladder function while preserving patients' dignity and independence.
  6. Provided basic patient care and treatments, including hygiene care, wound care, enemas and catheterizations while preserving patients' dignity and independence.
  7. Successfully able to provided nursing care for five patients with additional assistance provided to other nurses on the unit.

Mental Health Unit February-March 2014

  1. Completed Mental Status Assessments on patients.
  2. Familiar with criteria pertaining to Mental Health Forms 1, 2 & 3.
  3. Assessed safety of patients by completing suicide assessments.
  4. Provided crisis rehabilitation techniques when needed and therapeutic interventions in a recovery-focused model of care.
  5. Maintained strong supervision with patients by completing hourly checks.

Maternity Unit January-February 2014

  1. Completed head to toe assessments on mother and infant.
  2. Provided health teaching regarding breastfeeding, nutrition, rest and development.
  3. Utilized client-centered care principles and focused on health teaching, such as signs of post-partum depression.
  4. Completed thorough assessments of patient needs.

Medical Unit November-December 2013

  1. Administered medication safely and effectively to patients on the unit.
  2. Monitored intravenous therapies and drainage tubes.
  3. Communicated with critically ill patients and families and provided reassurance and support.
  4. Provided appropriate nursing assessments and care for patients with patient controlled analgesia, enteral and parental nutrition and peripheral intravenous therapies.
  5. Exceptional memory and excellent organizational skills.

Surgical Unit October- November 2013

  1. Administered prescribed medications, including intravenous medications, monitored intravenous fluids, blood transfusions and NG tube output, evaluated the effectiveness of analgesics and narcotics and documented the outcomes.
  2. Assessed and observed patients, charted using Meditech and reported patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medications or treatment and took the necessary action for intervention.
  3. Utilized critical thinking skills in monitoring post-op patients and interpreting lab values.
  4. Prepared patients for examinations, tests, treatments and surgery and provided explanations for the procedures; provided pre and post OP procedure care.
  5. Provided health teaching to patients and their families regarding risk factor reduction and post-op care upon discharge.

Complex Continuing Care/ Palliative February- April 2013

  1. Assessed and monitored pain scale for Palliative care clients and responded to questions and concerns, while supporting family members.
  2. Provided basic patient care and treatments, including hygiene care, wound care, enemas and catheterizations while preserving patients' dignity and independence.

Golden Manor Home for the Aged, Timmins, ON

3rd Floor East January-February 2013

  1. Interacted with patients to develop trust and make them comfortable.
  2. Provided basic patient care and treatments, including hygiene care and wound care while preserving patients' dignity and independence.
  3. Advocated for patients needs and shared these needs with the health care team.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Live-In Caregiver August-September 2013-Present

Homecare Assistance, Vaughan, ON

  1. Assisted with bedside and personal care daily.
  2. Performed housekeeping duties related to clients including cooking, cleaning and laundry.
  3. Promoted independence by supervising (assistance if needed) transfers to and from bed with walker and routine toileting.

PSW July- September 2013

ASupreme Nursing Agency, Toronto, ON

  1. Administered bedside and personal care, assisting with ambulation and personal hygiene.
  2. Worked in a team base approach for optimal health care delivery by communicating with supervisors on daily assignments reporting any changes in clients' condition.

Blind Camp Guide June 2008

Camp Frenda, Muskoka, ON

  1. Prepared meals for all visually and impaired campers.
  2. Acted as a guide to the blind and assisted the campers in physical and fun activities daily.

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You should remove your address and phone number from this public forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ooops!! Thanks for the heads up schnookimz!! =)

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Your resume needs to be concise. Indicate how many hours and dates you spent in each clinical, the size of the unit, how many patients you cared for, the focus of your learning plans. Delete all those other bullets because it's just fluff. Many of the skills you've listed are expected of every new grad.

Delete ALL personal information as the previous OP says.

Delete your professional nursing profile. That information is taking up space and it's not telling HR anything significant. They read hundreds of resumes each week.

Your cover letter needs to be concise as well. Indicate the position you're applying for. The next paragraphs should be brief. How does the mission and/ or values of the organization you're applying to relate to your career goals?

In other words, what can you offer the organization that someone else can't? Highlight your leadership in the cover letter.

I hope that helps.

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Thanks joanna73 I will make the changes! !

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I agree, way too wordy and fluffy. Think of it this way- HR looks at your resume for about 5 seconds, and determines whether or not it gets more time in that quick scan. How will you make it stand out?? Overly wordy resumes waste their time, and they won't see a single word of it.

Do you have other work experience? Any job you've held for a couple of years? It's good to include something that shows longevity.

Additionally, I'd highly recommend changing your screen name to something more anonymous, and change your pic to something anonymous as well. You never know who might come across your info on here, and it's important to protect yourself.

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Have you found work yet? I am in my second year of RPN in timmins and am wondering what the job market is like for RPN's in Timmins

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