Nursing student resume examples
What makes this a great nursing student resume sample
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Begins with a career objective
For candidates with no work experience, a resume objective is perfect because it focuses on goals rather than summarizing the career you’re yet to begin.
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Highlights transferable skills
This candidate focuses on the skills they honed in the classroom and with on-hands experience. These are transferable skills they can bring into a workplace.
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Skills sections are substantial
Again, without professional experience, you can do what this applicant did — build out one or two skills sections and call attention to the range of your experiences.
What makes this a great nursing student resume sample
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Emphasizes work experience
When you have work experience, show it! This candidate put together a succinct, easy-to-scan history of his professional accomplishments.
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Uses quantifiable metrics wisely
This applicant uses numbers throughout his work history section, such as mentioning the exact number of patients served during his tenure.
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Includes a mix of skills
As a nurse, you must bring hard and soft skills to the job. This resume features plenty of skills from both of these categories.
Looking for a specific job title? Check out more resume examples related to your career field:
Choose the right resume format for your nursing student resume
When you’re trying to land your first job or internship, there’s one goal — you want to look good. You can put your best face forward by selecting an appropriate resume format.
The most popular type is the chronological resume format, which draws attention to work experience and career progression.
But that doesn’t work for everyone. Students — and others lacking a professional history — should try one of the alternatives. The combination and functional formats both place a greater emphasis on skills and capabilities.
For more information on how formatting your resume correctly can put your qualifications in the best light, check out our resume formatting guide.
Select an appropriate nursing student resume template
On paper, resume templates sound like they’d be identical. After all, they all include the basic resume sections, from your professional summary and skills to your work history and education. But the reality is templates come in dramatically different styles, and choosing one that supports your career is a big step in the job search.
Since nursing is part of the medical field, consider choosing a simple resume template, a plain design that just communicates the facts. If you want to be bold, you can give creative templates or modern resumes a try.
Also, you can download our resume templates for Word or use Google Doc resume templates if that’s what you’re using to make your perfect resume.
How to write a nursing student resume in 5 simple steps
Despite the growing need for nurses, nursing students still face competition for coveted internships and entry-level positions.
What’s the key to standing out among other candidates? Making a customized resume for every application. Now we’ll tell you exactly how to do this.
STEP 1
Read the job description closely
The most effective resumes for nursing students are tailored specifically for each role.
That’s why you should pay close attention to job advertisements — you want to understand what a potential employer seeks. What specific skills or qualities are they highlighting in the job description? What are the stated requirements?
Nursing students who strategically incorporate these keywords into their resumes — highlighting relevant coursework, clinical rotations or specific patient-care skills — will likely have a competitive edge. The more you align your nursing education with the employer’s needs, the better your chances of getting invited to an interview.
STEP 2
Write a professional summary or resume objective
Your resume’s introduction is important — it’s your first chance to make a positive impression. There are two types of introductions, each serving a different job seeker.
The first type is a resume objective. Candidates with less experience, such as nursing students or recent graduates, might find an objective perfectly meets their needs. This approach stresses your aspirations and transferable skills.
On the other hand, once you have nursing experience in your rearview mirror, write a professional summary. Summaries highlight skills and experiences, providing a platform to spotlight your most noteworthy achievements.
Here are some strong examples for your nursing student resume:
Nursing student professional summary example:
Dedicated and compassionate nursing student with an excellent academic record and valuable experience from clinical placements. Possesses strong knowledge in patient care, infection control and medical terminology acquired through rigorous coursework and hands-on training. Proven ability to adapt to challenging situations with a focus on continuous learning and professional development. Seeking to leverage these skills to transition into a full-time professional nursing role.
Example of an objective for a nursing student resume:
Empathetic and detail-oriented nursing student seeking a challenging position to utilize and further develop nursing skills and knowledge. Brings a strong commitment to patient-centered care, an exceptional academic background and practical experience from clinical rotations. Focused on gaining more hands-on experience while providing high-quality health care and achieving professional growth in the nursing field. Excited to contribute meaningfully to a dynamic health care team while continuing to learn and adapt in this rewarding profession.
STEP 3
Highlight your most relevant nursing skills
Regardless of where you stand in your nursing journey, skills are the backbone of your resume. If your resume were a patient, the skills would be their vital signs. While every resume has a skills section, skills actually go everywhere on the document — from your professional summary (or resume objective) to your clinical experiences and your education section.
When selecting skills to highlight, offer a mix of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the foundation — the technical, quantifiable abilities typically honed in the classroom or during your clinical rotations.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are the extra benefits that make you a standout candidate. Sure, they might be trickier to measure, but these personality traits make you a joy to work with. See our article on why hard skills and soft skills go hand in hand.
Hard and soft skills for a nursing student resume
Pro Tip
Every candidate needs both hard and soft skills. Yes, you need to know the technical aspects of nursing, but without interpersonal skills like communication and leadership, you won’t get very far.
STEP 4
Write a strong nursing student experience section
While each nursing student has unique academic challenges and a different set of clinical rotations, all great student nurse resumes share one key feature: the clinical experience section.
This section highlights your hands-on nursing practice and illustrates how you can apply theoretical knowledge from coursework, bring value to a health care team and positively impact patient outcomes.
Here is an example of a great nursing student clinical experience entry:
Student Nurse Intern, General Hospital – Minneapolis, MN
June – August 2019
- Completed a 10-week intensive internship program in the hospital’s outpatient department.
- Documented patient information to update the electronic health records system.
- Assisted registered nurses with patient care, including vital signs monitoring and medication administration under supervision.
- Developed excellent bedside manners and communicated effectively with patients, leading to positive reviews from family members.
- Collaborated with an interdisciplinary care team to ensure patients received comprehensive care.
Pro Tip
Give your nursing student resume an edge by using powerful action words to catch the hiring manager’s attention.
STEP 5
Showcase your education and training on your nursing student resume
Nursing students preparing to enter the professional health care arena must ensure they’ve completed the right educational journey and training.
First, you’ll have to earn a nursing degree, then pass the NCLEX-RN examination to secure your license for practicing in your chosen state.
Now, if you’re still in school and looking for an internship, you can represent your in-progress education by adding the expected completion date next to your diploma.
Also, when detailing your education section in your resume, there’s no need to mention high school education if you’ve progressed to a higher degree level.
How to list your nursing student education:
Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Nevada State College, Henderson, NV
Current GPA: 3.8/4.0
Capstone Project: “Impact of Patient Education on Diabetes Management”
Certifications
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), State Board of Nursing
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
Pro Tip
For nursing students, additional professional certifications or completed training programs can take your resume to the next level. These can be incorporated into your education section or placed in a distinct section solely dedicated to showcasing your acquired certifications.
Optional sections for your nursing student resume
Awards and Certifications
For nursing students, adding honors and awards to your resume is a powerful way to underscore your skills, achievements and qualifications. This not only sets you apart from other nursing students but also shows your dedication to becoming a great nurse.
The academic honors or awards you’ve received reflect your exceptional performance in pursuing a nursing education. They boost your chances of landing a desirable internship or entry-level nursing role and establish your practical competencies in specific areas of nursing.
How to list awards on your nursing student resume:
2023 Outstanding Nursing Student Award – Illinois State University
2022 Illinois State University Health Innovation Challenge
Led a team that designed an innovative patient care model to improve recovery outcomes, earning first place in a university-wide competition.
Projects
As a nursing student at the beginning of your career journey, you want to show employers you have the practical experiences employers value — adding projects and extracurricular activities to your resume is a great way to do that.
Projects can serve as a testament to your diverse skill set, demonstrating everything from critical thinking to communication and time management skills. They also emphasize your ability to set and achieve goals, which health care recruiters highly appreciate.
How to list projects on your nursing student resume:
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Collaboration
Worked with a team of nursing students to design and implement a public health awareness campaign promoting healthy lifestyles among fellow students. -
Patient care
Participated in a research project reviewing the efficacy of different patient care techniques in postoperative recovery. -
Research
Conducted a comprehensive literature review on diabetes management to help develop a patient education program.
Languages
Nursing students with multilingual skills on their resumes have a distinct advantage. These skills suggest you have cognitive agility, determination and cultural awareness. Language skills can enhance your interactions with a wider range of patients and their families as well.
Plus, proficiency in multiple languages could open doors to opportunities in multicultural or international health care settings. So, when comparing nursing students with similar qualifications, the ability to speak more than one language just might tip the scales in your favor.
How to list languages on your nursing student resume:
- English: Fluent
- Spanish: Fluent
- French: Proficient
Interests and Hobbies
For nursing students, your resume is also where you can show you are a dynamic individual with interests outside of the classroom. Include relevant hobbies or interests on your resume to enhance your overall appeal, particularly when they align with the role you’re applying for.
Why should you add personal pursuits? They can help an organization understand whether you fit its culture well. More than showcasing you as a student, they represent you as a well-rounded person, which could help you stand out from the mountain of resumes.
How to list interests and hobbies on your nursing student resume:
- Volunteer at a local health clinic twice a month.
- Regularly lead meditation workshops at the community center.
- Subscribe to several medical journals to stay up to date in my field.
Add a cover letter
Nurses are in high demand, but the field is also very competitive.
You know what could set you apart from the others? Writing a top-notch cover letter.
Cover letters are perfect for touching on skills or projects that didn’t fit in your resume; explaining issues that appear on your resume (like the absence of any work experience); and showcasing a bit of your personality.
If you aren’t sure how to write a cover letter — you aren’t alone! Check out our cover letter examples to see what’s mentioned in a great cover letter, and our cover letter formatting to ensure your document looks professional.
If you’re short on time, consider using our Cover Letter Builder. You’ll get auto-generated text based on your previous jobs to help you overcome fears of the blank page.
Don is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than 10 years’ experience creating digital content, including four years helping job seekers develop their careers. He holds an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.
