New grad resume

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 26, 2010

I have hired lots of new grads over the course of my 30+ years in nursing. I read lots of resumes.

I used to be strongly in the camp that said, "Don't include your school experiences" -- because historically, almost all nursing students had similar school experiences and the person reading the resume already knew what a typical nursing student did. I urged people to only list those experiences that were in some way "special" or "different from" the typical nursing school experiences.

However, I have changed my mind about that. There are many nursing schools today that provide very little direct experience with actual patients -- and it can no longer be assumed that all new grads have had similar school experiences. I therefore recommend including a summary of your school clinicals. But, be very careful how you list them.

Too many students/new grads list their school experiences in ways that look too much like work experience -- and it looks like they are trying to make those school experiences seem more important than they are. They list them as "Clinical Experiences" or something similar that could be misunderstood.

I suggest listing them on a separate piece of paper to avoid confusion. That way, they are available for anyone who wants to read them, but they don't clutter up your basic resume -- and they are clearly separate from the standard things that would be found on your resume.

casi, ASN, RN · Mar 26, 2010

I haven't gotten a job yet, but I have a tab on my resume that is "clinical experience" then under that I have I have "experience"

Clinical Experience

Clinical practicum consisting of adult medical-surgical nursing. Clinical units consisted of long term acute care, orthopedics, respiratory, ventilator weaning, and general medical-surgical.

Eighty hour preceptorship on a ventilator weaning unit at XXX Hospital taking care of up to 5 patients.