Which nursing student skills for resume writing are most important? You’ll need to list a mix of hard and soft skills. Hard skills for a nursing student resume include patient assessments, medication management, and IV placement, while soft skills include communication, problem-solving and compassion.
One of the most exciting parts of nursing school is graduation and compiling your first student nurse resume. At last, you can put what you’ve been taught into practice as a licensed registered nurse after passing the NCLEX-RN.
Making a good first impression is vital, and the key is highlighting the skills employers seek in new nurses. Here, we’ll look at the top nursing student skills for resume writing and some important resume do’s and don’ts.
At Northeastern University, we are committed to supporting our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students so they can excel in their nursing careers. After earning your BSN, you’ll have the core knowledge and skills to make an outstanding first impression when you head into the workforce.
Why Boston? Check out the top advantages of choosing an accelerated nursing program near Boston.
Why You Should List Hard and Soft Skills for a Nursing Student Resume
During your nursing education, you gained valuable hard skills like administering medications, as well as soft skills like staying calm under pressure. You should highlight both on your resume because they show that you have practical knowledge like starting IVs, as well as compassion, problem-solving skills and communication ability.
6 Hard Nursing Student Skills for a Resume
When applying for a nursing job, what types of hard nursing student skills for resume writing matter? Your prospective employer wants to know you have gleaned all the necessary patient care skills taught in online coursework, simulation labs and clinical rotations during nursing school. They want to know they can trust you to care for patients independently.
In the skills section of your resume or within the descriptions of your experiences, address these key skills you have learned in accelerated nursing school at Northeastern. Six top hard skills for a nurse include:
Curious about becoming a nurse at Northeastern? Learn how our ABSN program develops skills for nurses.
1. Patient Assessment
Prospective employers want to know whether you’ve mastered evaluating and assessing a patient’s condition and symptoms. Can you accurately take a history, check vitals, assess the severity of a patient’s illness and prioritize the most imminent concerns?
2. CPR and BLS Skills
Nurses are often the first person in the room if a patient codes or has a dangerous heart rhythm. Healthcare organizations want to know that you can maintain a level head, alert the response team, check pulse and breathing and begin CPR appropriately.
3. Medication Management
Medications are one of the key responsibilities of nurses, so you should note your experience with administering and charting medications.
4. IV Line Placement and Infusions
IVs are another one of the basic skills of qualified nurses, so reassure employers that you are comfortable placing IV catheters and starting and managing infusions.
5. Patient Safety and Infection Control
Patient and co-worker safety is paramount. Note on your resume that you understand fall risk protocols, infection prevention and proper safety measures.
6. Charting on the Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
As a nurse, you must document all the care you provide your patients. You must also use the EMR to reference patient information and care plans. In accelerated nursing school at Northeastern, you will learn to use various EMR systems, so note on your resume your experience level with EMRs and which EMRs you have used.
6 Soft Skills for a Nursing Student Resume
Hard skills are important for keeping patients safe, but possessing soft skills is also vital for comforting and caring for them. Including soft skills on your resume will give healthcare employers an idea of what kind of nurse you are, how you treat your patients and coworkers and which values guide your actions.
1. Communication
As a nurse, effective communication is key, whether with patients, families, doctors, nurses, nursing aides or managers. On your resume, mention your verbal communication skills and especially note your patient interaction skills.
2. Teamwork
You will continually work in teams to accomplish patient goals in the healthcare environment. Hospitals seek nurses who understand each team member’s role, for together, the team will improve patient outcomes.
Nurses need a special blend of technical and soft skills. Explore these top 10 nursing characteristics & skills.
3. Compassion
Because nurses spend the most time with their patients, healthcare employers want to make sure they hire nurses who care, listen and empathize with patients. On your nursing resume, show employers how you connect with and care for patients.
4. Problem-Solving Skills
Nurses deal with challenging situations regularly, and it is beneficial if they can think on their feet and solve problems. In nursing school, did some of your clinical rotations help you refine these skills? When you apply for nursing jobs, comment on your ability to work through problems and challenging scenarios successfully.
5. Integrity
Nurses have patients’ lives in their hands, so healthcare organizations need to know they can trust you to be honest. Integrity means documenting accurately in the EMR, addressing mistakes right away and using hospital resources appropriately.
6. Pursuit of Learning
Healthcare is always changing and developing as research and new information emerge. Employers want to know you will take the advice of veteran nurses, ask questions and participate in professional development.
Tips for Writing Your Student Nurse Resume
When you start writing your student nurse resume, there are some common resume do’s and don’ts to implement for the best results.
Do:
- Break your resume into sections: Summary, Education, Skills, Experiences, Volunteer Work and Certifications/Awards.
- Include your contact information at the top.
- Add both your first bachelor’s degree and your BSN degree.
- Add the facilities and units where you completed your clinical rotations.
- Talk about patient care experience (i.e., CNA, LPN, surgery tech).
- Show your leadership roles.
- Include community involvement and volunteer experiences.
- Use a resume template or generator, so it has a professional look.
- Choose engaging verbs: managed, initiated, launched, led, promoted, handled, etc.
- Use bulleted lists instead of paragraphs.
- Update your resume to align with the job description for which you are applying and include a tailored cover letter.
Don’t:
- Make your resume longer than one to two 8.5x11 pages.
- Minimize your experiences.
- Include any experiences before college.
- Have an unformatted resume.
- Write in long-form paragraphs.
- Give too much information about each experience.
- Say “I.” Resumes are written in a modified third person and avoid pronouns if possible.
- Yes: Started and managed IVs independently
- No: I started and managed IVs independently
- Choose stale verbs: did, was, had, went, assisted, etc.
- Forget to edit for spelling and grammar.
What to Know About Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)
Although it’s important to include these top nursing student skills for resume writing, you should understand how Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) works. ATS refers to computer software that many employers use to sort through resumes.
ATS software is configured to notice certain keywords a position describes, such as a specific skill or certification. One pitfall of ATS is that it sometimes cannot tell the difference between acronyms and their proper titles spelled out.
To ensure your nursing resume will pass the automated screening, it’s essential to:
- Proofread carefully to avoid spelling errors.
- Spell out all words, followed by the acronym or abbreviation, such as “basic life support (BLS)”.
What’s the Difference Between a Nursing Resume and a CV?
When scanning job ads for nurses, you may notice some recruiters request resumes while others ask for a curriculum vitae, or CV. Nurses should have both documents on hand. What’s the difference?
A resume is a shorter document that provides an overview of your academic credentials, work experience and licensure and certification information. Typically, a nursing resume won’t be longer than two pages.
Meanwhile, a CV is generally used for academic positions, offers far more details and can be longer. In addition to explaining your education, work experience and licensure/certifications, a CV may include information on awards and grants, publications, conference presentations, etc.
Putting It All Together
Taking the time now to create a professional resume will facilitate a successful job hunt. When prospective employers see you are a well-rounded, educated, compassionate and level-headed nurse, they will notice you.
Reach Out to Learn How to Earn Your BSN
Not quite ready to follow these nursing resume tips yet? If you are interested in starting your nursing career, an accelerated nursing program is a great way to begin. Students who have a prior non-nursing bachelor’s degree or transfer college credits can enroll in the Northeastern ABSN program in Burlington, Charlotte or Fall River and earn their BSN in as few as 16 months.
Contact an admissions counselor to learn more.
