Resume example · Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered Nurse (RN) resume example.

A strong registered nurse resume puts the two hard ATS filters up top: your active RN license with the state, and your BLS and ACLS certifications. From there it names the unit you work (med-surg, ICU, ER), the patient ratio you carry, and the EHR you chart in, then proves outcomes in numbers a nurse manager trusts. The example below shows how to lead with credentials and turn day-to-day patient care into quantified results.

// example resume

A worked example for a fictional candidate. Copy the structure, not the details. Swap in your own real experience.

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Alyssa Carter
Registered Nurse | BSN, RN | Medical-Surgical and ICU
[email protected] · (555) 812-9594 · Phoenix, AZ · linkedin.com/in/alyssa-carter
Summary

Registered Nurse with 5 years of acute-care experience across medical-surgical and intensive care, holding an active Arizona RN license plus BLS and ACLS. Carries a 4 to 5 patient assignment, charts in Epic, and is trusted with high-acuity admissions and rapid responses. Known for catching early deterioration and keeping HCAHPS communication scores high.

Experience
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit2023 to Present
Valley Medical Center
  • Manage a 2:1 ICU assignment of ventilated and post-surgical patients, titrating vasoactive drips and documenting hourly assessments in Epic.
  • Serve on the rapid response team, leading initial assessment and ACLS interventions until the provider arrives, contributing to a unit code-survival rate above the hospital benchmark.
  • Precept new graduate nurses through a 12-week orientation, with all four assigned preceptees passing their 90-day competency review.
  • Cut central-line infections on the unit to zero across 14 consecutive months by auditing dressing changes and reinforcing the CLABSI bundle.
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit2021 to 2023
St. Gabriel Regional Hospital
  • Delivered direct care to a 5-patient assignment on a 32-bed med-surg floor, completing head-to-toe assessments, medication administration, and discharge teaching.
  • Administered IV therapy and managed wound care for post-operative patients, using barcode medication administration to keep med-error reports at zero for the year.
  • Coordinated discharges with case management and pharmacy, reducing 30-day readmissions on the unit by 11 percent through clearer medication reconciliation.
  • Documented care in Cerner and updated care plans each shift, flagging changes in patient status to providers an average of one shift earlier.
Skills

Patient assessment and head-to-toe exams · Medication administration and IV therapy · Wound care and post-operative care · Telemetry and EKG interpretation · Care planning and patient education · EHR charting (Epic, Cerner) · Barcode medication administration (BCMA) · Rapid response and code participation (BLS, ACLS)

Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Arizona State University
Certifications
  • Registered Nurse (RN), Arizona State Board of Nursing (NCLEX-RN, active)
  • Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association
  • Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), AACN
Tailor this to a real jobCheck your resume against a posting

Keywords ATS systems scan for

Use the ones that are genuinely true for you, in your own words. Mirror the exact phrasing from the job posting where it matches.

Registered NurseRNBSNpatient assessmentmedication administrationIV therapywound careEpic EHRBLS / ACLStelemetrycare planningmed-surg / ICU

How to make this resume stronger

Specific to registered nurse (rn) roles, not generic advice.

  • Put your license and BLS/ACLS at the very top

    Active RN license with the state and your AHA certifications are hard ATS filters, not nice-to-haves. List your license (and state), BLS, and ACLS in your headline or a credentials line near your name. If your license is multistate (Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, eNLC), say so, since it widens the roles you match.

  • Name your unit, acuity, and patient ratio

    Med-surg, ICU, ER, and L&D are different jobs, and managers screen for the one they are hiring. State the unit, the patient ratio you carried (for example 5:1 on med-surg or 2:1 in ICU), and the bed count. It tells a nurse manager exactly what you can handle on day one.

  • Mirror the EHR named in the posting

    If the listing says Epic, write Epic, not just EHR or EMR. If it says Cerner or Meditech, use that exact word. EHR proficiency is one of the strongest signals for this role, and ATS keyword matching is literal, so name the system you actually charted in.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Leaving your RN license number, state, or expiration off the resume, or omitting BLS and ACLS, which are often hard ATS filters.
  • Writing "responsible for patient care" instead of the specific skills you performed: assessments, drips titrated, wound care, IV therapy.
  • Listing "EHR" generically when the posting names Epic, Cerner, or Meditech, a system you have actually used.
  • Giving zero numbers, so a manager cannot tell your patient ratio, acuity, or whether your care improved outcomes like readmissions or infection rates.

Registered Nurse (RN) resume FAQ

What certifications should a registered nurse list on a resume?

Start with your active RN license and the state that issued it (earned by passing the NCLEX-RN through your state board of nursing). Then list BLS and ACLS, both issued by the American Heart Association, since most acute-care roles require them. Add specialty certifications relevant to your unit, such as CCRN from the AACN for critical care, PALS from the American Heart Association for pediatrics, or TNCC from the Emergency Nurses Association for trauma. Put them near the top, since the ATS and the nurse manager both scan for credentials first.

What skills should a nursing resume include?

A mix of clinical skills and the systems you use. Clinical: patient assessment, medication administration, IV therapy, wound care, telemetry, and care planning. Technical: the specific EHR you charted in (Epic, Cerner, or Meditech) and barcode medication administration. Name your unit experience too (med-surg, ICU, ER), and mirror the exact terms from the job posting, since the ATS matches them literally.

How long should a registered nurse resume be?

One page for most nurses, and two only if you have many years and several specialties to document. Keep a clear credentials section with your license and certifications, a skills list, and three to four quantified bullets per role covering patient ratio, acuity, and outcomes. A single, well-organized page parses cleanly through an ATS and reads fast for a busy nurse manager.

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Last reviewed June 14, 2026.