Your nursing curriculum vitae should offer a concise but also engaging summary of your clinical skills, medical credentials and professional nursing experience. Recruiters might see dozens of CVs a day, and unless yours demonstrates your understanding of the type of facility you want to work in or the type of patient you want to care for, they might quickly move on to the next candidate.

Basics

Begin your resume with your name and contact information, noting degrees and earned designations immediately after your name. List these designations by their official abbreviations. If you have a registered nurse license in addition to a bachelor of science in nursing and certification in critical care nursing, headline your resume “Jane Smith, RN, CCRN, BSN.” List your name the same way it’s listed on your official academic transcripts and other credentials so employers can verify this information. Also list where you obtained your nursing degree, noting the university name, city and state and your graduation date. In addition, highlight honors such as graduating magna cum laude or valedictorian.

Professional Profile

If you can capture a recruiter’s attention with the first few lines of your CV, she’s more likely to read the entire document in-depth. Highlight qualifications relevant to the position for which you’re applying. If you’re seeking a position as an emergency department charge nurse, for example, note that you have 10 years of experience in emergency medicine and held leadership positions for the last three of those. Also point out certifications or other credentials in management or in applicable nursing specialties.

Work History

Your professional nursing experience should make up the bulk of your CV. If you graduated three years ago or less, include the clinical rotations you completed as part of your degree. List the department, facility, location and dates. If you earned high grades on all of your rotations, include those as well. Follow a similar format for your professional experience, also listing your job title and describing your day-to-day responsibilities. Also, briefly describe the type of facility. For example, note the number of beds; whether it was a public, private or teaching hospital; or if it was a specialized facility such as a cancer treatment center or children’s hospital.

Other Qualifications

In addition to your work history, note anything that demonstrates your expertise and professionalism. Create a section for continuing education and include any training completed within the last three years. Note the title of the course, seminar or workshop along with the credits earned and where you completed the training. Also, discuss conferences you’ve attended or presented at, professional associations you belong to, volunteer work and awards and other honors. In addition, describe your computer skills. At many facilities, nurses update patient records via computer or use handheld devices to enter patient data, making technological savvy a strong selling point.