Nursing CV Example

If you’re applying for a nursing job in the UK in 2023, you’ll have plenty of options because of ongoing nursing shortages. But you need to write an effective CV to get hired for the specific position you want.

To find a good nursing job in a hospital or GP’s surgery, give your nursing CV the same detailed care you give your patients. Here’s how:

1. Make your most relevant nursing skills stand out

Nursing recruiters will only interview you if you show that you have the skills needed for their open job. To emphasise your job-specific nursing skills on your CV:

• assess the job advert
• use hard numbers and examples
• make a targeted key skills section

Assess the job advert

As a nurse, you carefully read patients vital signs to identify symptoms. Apply that ability to assessing job adverts for the nursing hard skills and soft skills that the employer is seeking.

Below are examples of common hard and soft skills that recruiters look for in nursing applicants:

Nursing CV hard skills

• Medical equipment & procedures: injections, IV insertion, and reading vital signs
• Hospital software: telecare systems, health information systems (HIS), and electronic medical records (EMR)
• Patient advocacy
• Language skills
• Maths proficiency

Soft skills for nursing CVs

• Empathy
• Stamina
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Decision making

Use data and examples

You’re not the only applicant who has professional nursing skills. So differentiate and showcase your skills by including hard numbers and specific examples whenever possible.

Read the following CV work experience bullet points — first without data and then with numbers and examples added — and note the difference:

Nurse CV skills without data or examples

• Encourage patients to get COVID-19 vaccinations
• Cared for patients, delivering attentive support from admittance to discharge

Nurse CV skills with data and examples

• Encourage patients to get COVID-19 vaccinations, contributing to Greater London’s 80%+ fully vaccinated and boosted rate
• Cared for 20+ patients ranging from 18 to 100+ years old per shift, delivering attentive support from admittance to discharge

Adding examples and data makes your skills more engaging to read, and they show employers how you can help them reach their health care goals.

Make a key skills section

You may think your key skills section is unimportant because it’s typically tacked on at the end of your CV. But think again:

Hospitals and GP surgeries use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to determine which applications they review based on how many keywords from the job advert appear on CVs and in cover letters. To avoid having your application binned by an ATS, put keywords from the job description that you didn’t include in the other sections of your CV in your key skills section.

2. Use professional nursing CV formatting

Your nursing CV should be two full pages and include sections for your:

• name and contact information
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (MNC) registration number
• personal statement
• work experience
• education
• key skills
• hobbies and interests

How you order your CV sections depends on your level of experience. For example, if you’re applying for a nursing assistant apprenticeship programme and don’t have any medical work history, write a skills-based CV that prioritises your education and skills sections.

But if you do have relevant nursing experience, place it on the first page of your CV. Even if you’re a newly qualified nurse, you can list your placements in your work history section above your education and skills sections to show the employer that you’ve got hands-on nursing experience.

3. Write an attention-grabbing personal statement

Including skills from the job advert on your CV is essential, but where you include them is equally important. Instead of hiding your most relevant selling points near the bottom of your CV, highlight them in a 2–3 sentence or 4–5 bullet-point personal statement under your name and contact details.

Placing the information that makes you stand out at the top of your CV encourages the recruiter to read your complete application. An attention-grabbing personal statement:

•  starts with your nursing specialism and years of experience

•  includes nurse skills–related keywords from the job advert

•  states your target nursing position so employers know which of their open jobs you want

Here’s an example of a well-written nursing CV personal statement:

Registered adult nurse with 4+ years’ experience providing comprehensive care for patients in general practice surgery and National Health Service settings. Successfully advocate on behalf of patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds to ensure inclusive health care, and self-study to stay current with NHS Plan standards. Eager to continue following a passion for patient care as a Senior Adult Nurse at North Leeds Medical Practice.

Remember to write a cover letter that explains your nurse CV in greater detail to maximize your chances of finding a fulfilling nursing job.