Should I put Single Parent on my resume?

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Nurse Beth,

I'm in my final semester of my ADN program and will graduate in May. I am dual-enrolled with a university to continue to achieve my BSN at the end of the year. I've been working full-time throughout nursing school and am also a single parent. I actually have two questions regarding my job search, as I want to start ASAP:

1. Should I begin searching now or wait until my BSN is secured?
2. Should I list being a single parent and working full-time throughout nursing school on my resume (I think it shows I'm organized, capable of prioritizing appropriately, and work well under pressure)?

Dear Final Semester,

CONGRATS on being close to graduation, and yes, start now, especially if hospitals in your area hire ADNs. If you wait until after your BSN, you will be 9 months out from having passed the NCLEX. Some hospitals have eligibility guidelines for their residencies that define new grads as having graduated no more than 12 months ago.

As far as listing being a single parent on your resume, some employers see work and parenting as competing interests and many recommend leaving that information until later in the process, such as in your interview.

I consulted with a colleague of mine who is a highly experienced nursing talent acquisition recruiter and she advises not to include that you're a single parent on your resume for the following reasons:

  • Including personal information is always a risk because you don't know the personal experiences and biases of the interviewers. It could go either way- for you or against you. If a nurse manager on the hiring panel has an employee who is a single parent and is frequently late or late- it could work against you.
  • It can be viewed as inappropriate information on a resume (too much information, too personal), and your judgement could be called into question.

What you can do is say that you are hard-working and highly organized in your cover letter, or personal statement. When asked about this during an interview, you can mention that being a single parent has taught you to manage stress well. Be sure and "read" the interviewers in the room before volunteering personal information. In an interview situation, you have the advantage of being face-to-face, and can be more personal, whereas your resume is an impersonal document.

As far as working full-time, it will be captured in your work history.

Best wishes ?

Start your job search today!

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Be sure to check out Nurses Beth's book, Your Last Nursing Class - How to Land Your First Job..and Your Next!. It is full of great tips for the new grad.

Good luck!!

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that it's illegal for a prospective employer to ask about marriage & children during an interview.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
10 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that it's illegal for a prospective employer to ask about marriage & children during an interview.

It is, you're right. But the applicant can volunteer information.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

TY. I've been out of the interviewing race for a while.

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