Resume advice for experienced RN

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Hello,

I've been on my unit for 2 years now (Pediatric gen med) and now hoping to switch from my unit to the pediatric ER. I was wondering if you have any general advice on what/what not to put on my resume & cover letter as an internal applicant.

1) Should I have an objective? I didn't use one when I applied for my position 2 yrs ago.

2) Should I include my 2 previous CNA jobs (2013-2016) or just my current RN job?

3) For my current job description should I focus on general RN responsbilities (eg. assessed & admited patients) or more focused RN ones (eg. cared for vented patients, newborns to young adults)

4) Should I include achievements+Dean's list from nursing school or only my BSN degree (2014-2016)?

5) Should I include my certifications (PEARS, RN, nursing association membership) even though all nurses on the hospital are expected to have them

Thanks, the help would be much appreciated

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1 and 2: no. 6: yes.

4: Focused. Take a look at what the job posting says and try to mirror it. What skills do you have that transfer to the ED? Why you and not the next guy?

5: Most people say that GPA and that stuff is irrelevant after your first job. If you did really well (GPA 3.5+), I don't see the harm in leaving it on. I don't think it matters much either way.

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Specializes in Pedi.

1) Should I have an objective? I didn't use one when I applied for my position 2 yrs ago.

IMO, no. I think objective statements are stupid and just take up unnecessary space. Everyone knows your objective is to get a job.

2) Should I include my 2 previous CNA jobs (2013-2016) or just my current RN job?

When I'd only had 1 RN job, I did leave previous jobs (CNA, substitute teaching, etc) on my resume just to show my experience with children. After I'd had more than 1 RN job, I eliminated every non-RN job from my resume.

3) For my current job description should I focus on general RN responsbilities (eg. assessed & admited patients) or more focused RN ones (eg. cared for vented patients, newborns to young adults)

I don't think you ever need to include things that are routine. All acute care RNs, for example, assess and admit patients. You should highlight things that make you stand out.

4) Should I include achievements+Dean's list from nursing school or only my BSN degree (2014-2016)?

I personally wouldn't but, as you've only been out of school for 2 years, I don't necessarily think it would be wrong to either.

5) Should I include my certifications (PEARS, RN, nursing association membership) even though all nurses on the hospital are expected to have them

Yes.

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