Stunning New Grad Nursing Resume Examples for This Year

Updated August 24, 2022874

Individuals who have just graduated from nursing college may need extra help creating a great resume. Here are a few pointers you can use to write a better one.

New Grad Nursing Resume Examples

If you’re applying as a nurse and just graduated from nursing school, you know it can be complicated to prove yourself to a hiring manager. Here are a few tips to help you build your new graduate nursing resume more effectively.

What To Highlight in a New Grad Nursing Resume

A recruiter will understand that a new nursing graduate won’t have much work experience. However, that doesn’t mean you can just put your RN license number on a resume and assume it’ll be enough to catch a hiring manager’s eye. You should show that you know how to perform general nursing care, even if you are a recent graduate.

Structure of a New Grad Nursing Resume

The best resume format for a new grad is the functional resume format. This format highlights your skills and knowledge rather than trying to highlight your experience. Find a nurse resume template in the functional format, then use the following resume sections to outline your information and history. Even though the best format for a grad is functional, you should also check out the chronological format and the combination format, depending on how much work you have done interning, learning under a doctor or volunteering.

Header

Your header needs to include all your contact information, name, email address, phone number and professional social media links, like your LinkedIn profile.

Resume summary or objective

At the top of your resume, you need a two- to three-sentence paragraph introducing you to the recruiter. Rather than a resume summary, which is better for people with more experience, a new graduate should look at the resume objective, which concentrates on showcasing your skills, talent and your career goals.

Skills

Nursing skills should include soft skills, which are generalized skills that you’ve developed for all your jobs, and hard skills, which are specific skills you’ve trained in to be a better nurse. Here are some bullet points to consider adding to your skills section:

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS)
Ability to manage clinical rotations
Patient care
Recording vital signs
Time management
General health care processes

Look back through your coursework and see what skills you’ve built, then look at the job posting and see what skills they’re requesting. Doing this will help you with grad resume writing.

Work history

If you’re a brand-new registered nurse, you might not think you have enough experience to fill out your work experience section. However, you can include plenty of experience even if this is your first new grad nursing job such as volunteer work, relevant coursework from your classes and clinical experience you may have received while in school. The experience that allowed you to become a CNA is also relevant to you. Remember to list it in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent jobs first.

Education

Your certifications should be the first items you include in your education section. Add your license number with the board of nursing and any memberships you hold with professional organizations. Specific nursing education information can help improve a professional resume.

Do’s and Don’ts for a New Grad Nursing Resume

Keep these tips in mind when writing your new grad nursing resume:

Do:
- Add graduation honors to your resume. For example, if you graduated cum laude or received dean's list honors, you can include these on your resume.
- Read the job description fully before you start writing your resume. This is the best way to know exactly what the hiring manager is looking for.
- Look at nurse resume examples at ResumeNerd. When you look at existing resumes, it can help you guide you to write a better resume.
Don’t:
- Include your high school information on your resume. A hiring manager will assume you completed high school if you went to nursing school.
- Add your GPA to your resume. Instead of adding GPA to your resume, focus on other awards, like cum laude honors.
- Bypass the work history section. Even though you’re a new graduate, you should still include something in your work experience that indicates a track record.

FAQ: New Grad Nursing Resumes

Do I need to include a cover letter for a new grad nursing application?

You should always include a cover letter on your job application. A cover letter is a great way to explain where you’re coming from and what you’re good at. Plus, when you’re a new graduate, you can use a cover letter to explain more about why a hiring manager should choose you instead of someone who might have more experience. The ResumeNerd cover letter builder is a great starting point.

How can I write a new grad nursing resume without a lot of experience?

As a new graduate, you probably worry that you don’t have much experience to list on your resume. However, just by going through nursing school, you have some relevant experience. Include experience you had to go through while pursuing a nursing career, such as volunteer experience, experience as a nursing student and internships.

How do I change my new grad nursing resume to apply to different jobs?

Resume keywords are the key to creating a new grad nursing resume for a specific job. If you’re looking for the perfect resume while going through your job search, read through the description and include the skills and key terms in your resume that the hiring manager wants for the job.

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About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.