drewroarkcprw

Sangrita RN, Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds as if you've been reading resume-related articles online. As helpful as those articles can be, they aren't always applicable to all industries. ROAR and other results-oriented strategies typically apply to non-healthcare related jobs, such as sales, marketing, etc. As a hands-on medical professional, your results and achievements are considerably harder to quantify in comparison to a Sales Representative. I recommend including a lot of detail on your resume (number of beds/patients in your unit, list some specific/advanced procedures you perform, anything unique that sets you apart, etc.) if you can. Try to avoid repetition and focus on your strongest, most relevant skills in relation to the job you are applying for.

JamieD8, There are thousands of nursing resume templates available for free online, but I recommend using them solely for inspiration and creating your own instead. Keep in mind that if you found the template online, so did thousands of other people, and your resume will look identical (in design) to several others. I know that the content of your resume is equally/more important than the design, but using a template that looks like your competitors makes you blend into the crowd. Just a thought. Secondly, page length should be decided by how much experience you have. If you are new or have limited experience, try to stick to one page. For experienced nurses, two pages is certainly acceptable. Avoid going over two pages, though. Additionally, decide if you want to use a reverse-chronological or functional resume, then you can decide if you should include your responsibilities. Good luck!

SticU, Your post didn't specifically clarify - are you quitting your current job and updating your resume to find a new job closer to home? If so, it depends on your other employment in 2013. If you had another job in 2013 (prior to the 1-month job now), you can write 2011-2013 (or whatever the year you were hired was, 2011 is my example) on your resume and leave off the months. This will hide the 1-month job. If this is your first job of 2013, you should probably include your current job to avoid showing a large employment gap. Unfortunately, answering questions like this is somewhat difficult without knowing your entire employment background. If you provide more information I can answer the question more accurately :)

futuresctRN, You are welcome! I hope my advice was helpful. Sorry for the delayed response - I didn't receive a notification that you responded. Good luck!

nikihuff, I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and I write nursing resumes on a daily basis. Here is my feedback: 1) I agree with schnookimz, remove the information about your children. 2) Your "objective" should be a "summary of qualifications" instead. Show the organization what skills you have to offer rather than telling them what you want out of them ("YOU want a challenging role, YOU want an organization that focuses on..." etc. - it's currently all about you). 3) Remove generic information. Employers want to see your real-world skills, not your "soft" skills. Every resume since the beginning of time mentions multitasking, being calm in stressful situations, organization, etc. If you want to include your soft skills, make it brief. 4) Your resume presently has pronouns (I, my, etc.). Pronouns are not formal verbiage, and thus should not be used in the resume. 5) There should not be any mention of references on the resume. If they want them, they will ask. In addition, "reference's" has an unnecessary apostrophe on your existing resume. Hopefully some of this helps. I know some of it is echoing the sentiments of what others already said, but I agree with them.

rvd4now, In addition to CP2013's advice, I recommend rewriting your work history into complete sentences rather than sentence fragments. It will read more professionally, "flow" better, and potentially use less space vertically which will allow you to fit more information on the page. For instance..."Oversaw a staff of six rehabilitation assistants and provided exemplary care to patients by administering medications, assisting with daily living activities, etc." That's just a quick example but it sounds more professional than fragments.

futuresctRN, I found your post on Google and figured I would register and respond. I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and I write nursing resumes on a daily basis. Although your clinical experiences and CNA experience will be adequate for an entry-level nursing resume, additional relevant experience will certainly help, such as volunteering in a healthcare setting. Aside from relevant experience, rely heavily on your education. Your GPA (if respectable), list of coursework, and any extracurricular activities will also help strengthen your resume. Hope this helps!