New Nurse Graduate: How do we make a resume?

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I don't have a long history as far as work goes and I just graduated nursing school and passed the boards. I'm going to be applying aggressively for LPN positions. I wanted to know if there is a resume format that we should follow. I can't think of very much I should/could put on my resume other than the basics (Education, Work History, Address,etc). I have a CPR certificate and was on the Dean's List in Nursing school. I never did extra curricular or had hobbies, to be honest. I'm not bilingual. I'm here in NYC and I am worried my resume will not even be given a chance. Tips?

OP probably all your questions can be answered if you do a little reading on Allnurses. Search at top right.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Many threads discussing this but this thread may be useful https://allnurses.com/nursing-career-advice/wondering-why-you-84387.html

Here's the problem..at my clinical rotations, we never did anything more than take vitals, help people move around, clean up, run around like maids, and read glucose/give insulin injections. I have never even done a tube feeding or wound care or anything. My program was a joke :(

Specializes in Critical Care.

You gain those experiences when you get a job. There are plenty of skills you may or may not see in school. I had been a nurse for almost 6 months when I first gave an enema or suppository. But during school I had the opportunity to do plenty of sterile dressing changes and IV starts which many of my classmates never got to do. Clinical experiences are the luck of the draw.

As for you resume, if you don't have much of a work history, try doing a curriculum vitae instead of a resume.

I found this helpful when making my resume. It's geared more towards RNs I think, but hopefully you can pick up some useful things.

Be sure you're following up with HR after you submit your application. I think that really helped me get my job. Good luck!

Here's the problem..at my clinical rotations, we never did anything more than take vitals, help people move around, clean up, run around like maids, and read glucose/give insulin injections. I have never even done a tube feeding or wound care or anything. My program was a joke :(

That's what I didn't like about some programs. You could be moving along nicely in your program and getting straight A's without a hitch. You have to keep in mind that your program is there for one thing, to prep you for the state boards.

The program could be a walk in the park, but "passing" the program doesn't get you a license.

Sometimes you have to take the initiative and ask, or put yourself in a position to learn. Even if it's not being presented.

During school, I would go ahead and read chapters that weren't asigned. Why? Because I wanted to learn.

You can't settle for the bare minimum.

Specializes in Pre-Op, Med-Surg, Oncology.
That's what I didn't like about some programs. You could be moving along nicely in your program and getting straight A's without a hitch. You have to keep in mind that your program is there for one thing, to prep you for the state boards.

The program could be a walk in the park, but "passing" the program doesn't get you a license.

Sometimes you have to take the initiative and ask, or put yourself in a position to learn. Even if it's not being presented.

During school, I would go ahead and read chapters that weren't asigned. Why? Because I wanted to learn.

You can't settle for the bare minimum.

I don't think the OP is saying that he/she is 'settling' nor that they have no desire to learn. I think the situation is more of a lack in experience that the OP is worried about. I was in basically the exact same position when I came out of school. I passed boards in 30 minutes with 75 questions and got a job within a week. Did I know what I was doing on my first day? Hell no. What do you do when you're going to check on your patient only to find them standing at their door, nothing on but their socks, pushing a chair out in to the hall because they think it is a grocery cart? What do you do when you have that first, huge pressure ulcer dressing change with packing to be performed and you never got the chance in school to even see a wound? What about the first time you notice someone having a stroke but the attending MD refuses to even allow you to order a CT of the pt's head?

These things have/do/will happen. They have all happened to me. And I got through all of it with one word: Help! Learn that word, because you will need it. I had an excellent, patient mentor throughout my beginning and I can only hope that you will too. I'm finishing up my second year as an RN and I feel much more confident. I'm the youngest charge nurse within the hospital. I do a good job. But I still need help basically every shift that I work. It won't be easy, but I wish you the best. Good luck!

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

see our thread chock full of advice:

wondering why you can't get hired or promoted: resume + interview hints!

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