How to write a nurse resume
A strong nurse resume leads with your active RN license and certifications (BLS, ACLS, specialty certs), then describes each role with the unit, patient acuity, and ratios you worked (e.g. "Charge nurse, 32-bed med-surg unit, 1:5 ratio"). Quantify clinical and safety outcomes where you can — reduced fall rates, improved HCAHPS scores, lower readmissions — and keep certifications scannable for the ATS.
What recruiters and ATS look for in a nurse resume
Nurse resumes are filtered hard on credentials: license type and state, and certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS, specialty). List those first and exactly, because ATS systems in healthcare search for them as literal terms. Then make the clinical context concrete — unit type, bed count, patient ratios, EHR system (Epic, Cerner) — and quantify safety or quality outcomes.
Section order: Licenses & Certifications → Summary → Experience (with unit/ratios) → Skills → Education.
ATS keywords for a nurse resume
These are the keywords most nurse job descriptions use as ATS-filter inputs. Include the ones you genuinely have evidence for in your Skills section.
Starter Skills section
A starting point for your Skills section — prune to what you genuinely have evidence for.
Best action verbs for nurse bullets
Lead every bullet with a strong, specific verb. For this role, the strongest openers are:
Example bullet points (before → after)
Three rewrites following the action-verb / quantified-outcome pattern. Replace the specifics with your own — never invent numbers.
Nurse resume FAQ
At the top, right after your name and contact info, or in their own clearly-labeled section. Healthcare ATS systems filter on RN license, state, BLS, ACLS, and specialty certs as literal terms, so they must be easy to find.
Use clinical and safety metrics: patient ratios, fall or infection rates reduced, medication-error rates, HCAHPS or patient-satisfaction scores, and readmission reductions. Name the unit type and bed count to give the numbers context.
Yes — name Epic, Cerner, or Meditech in your Skills section. EHR proficiency is a common requirement and a frequent ATS filter term in nursing job descriptions.
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