Registered Nurse Resume Example and Writing Guide (2026)

How to write a registered nurse resume that highlights your credentials, clinical skills, and patient outcomes — and passes hospital ATS screening.

Nursing resumes are unique: licensure and certifications are non-negotiable screening criteria, and large healthcare systems lean heavily on applicant tracking software. A strong RN resume puts your credentials front and center, then proves your clinical competence with specifics. Here is how to build one.

The structure that works

• Header: name, credentials (RN, BSN), email, phone, and city.
• Licensure and certifications: license number/state, BLS, ACLS, PALS, and specialty certs — placed high.
• Summary: your specialty, years of experience, and care setting.
• Clinical experience: roles with unit type, patient population, and responsibilities.
• Education: nursing degree and school.
• Skills: clinical procedures, EHR systems, and specialties.

Lead with credentials

Recruiters and ATS filters screen for required licenses and certifications first. List them clearly near the top — including state, status, and expiration where relevant — so you are never filtered out for a credential you actually hold.

Make clinical experience specific

Generic duties ("provided patient care") tell a recruiter nothing. Specify the unit, patient load, acuity, and outcomes.

Weak: "Cared for patients on a busy floor." Strong: "Managed care for up to 6 acute med-surg patients per shift, maintaining a 98% medication-administration accuracy rate and contributing to a 15% reduction in unit fall incidents."

Skills and systems to include

• Clinical: IV therapy, wound care, telemetry, patient assessment, medication administration.
• EHR systems: Epic, Cerner, Meditech.
• Specialties: ICU, ER, med-surg, pediatrics, oncology — whatever applies.
• Compliance: HIPAA, infection control, patient safety protocols.

Match the unit and certifications named in the job posting, keep formatting clean and single-column for ATS parsing, and confirm every credential is current before you apply.