Registered Nurse (RN) Resume: Examples & Guide (2026)

Nursing resumes are screened first by hospital applicant tracking systems that look for the right license, certifications, and clinical keywords — then by a busy nurse manager. Getting your credentials and specialties up top is what gets you shortlisted.

Here is how to structure an RN resume that clears both gates.

What employers screen for first

• An active RN license and the state(s) it covers (or compact/multistate status).
• Required certifications: BLS, ACLS, PALS, and any unit-specific ones.
• Specialty and setting: ICU, ER, med-surg, telemetry, OR, oncology.
• Years of experience and patient population (adult, pediatric, neonatal).

How to structure an RN resume

• Header: name, credentials (e.g. "Jane Doe, BSN, RN"), phone, email, location.
• Licenses & certifications: list early, with license numbers and expiry.
• Summary: specialty, years of experience, and a standout strength.
• Clinical experience: facility, unit, dates, and outcome-focused bullets.
• Education and clinical rotations (rotations matter for new grads).
• Skills: EHR systems, procedures, and clinical competencies.

Skills and keywords to include

Match the unit and the posting. An ICU role wants different keywords than a clinic role — use the ones that apply to you.

• Certifications: BLS, ACLS, PALS, CCRN, TNCC, NIHSS.
• Systems: Epic, Cerner, Meditech.
• Clinical: medication administration, IV therapy, wound care, triage, patient assessment.
• Soft skills employers actually screen for: patient education, interdisciplinary collaboration, charting accuracy.

Resume bullet examples

Weak: "Cared for patients in a busy ICU."

Strong: "Managed care for up to 3 critically ill patients per shift in a 24-bed ICU, maintaining a 0 central-line infection rate over 14 months."

Weak: "Helped reduce patient falls."

Strong: "Led a hourly-rounding initiative that cut unit fall rates 30% across two quarters."

Common mistakes to avoid

• Burying your license and certifications at the bottom of the page.
• Listing duties every RN performs without showing patient outcomes.
• Omitting patient ratios, unit size, or acuity — managers want context.
• Letting certifications show as expired; note renewal dates clearly.

Quick checklist

• Credentials in your name line and a dedicated certifications section.
• Specialty and years of experience visible immediately.
• Bullets show patient outcomes and unit context.
• EHR system and clinical keywords match the posting.
• Contact info in the body of the document, not the header.

Ready to build yours? Start from a free Applygrid resume template, keep it ATS-friendly, and pair it with a tailored letter from our AI cover letter generator.