Nursing CV Examples

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 still need to write an effective CV to land the specific position you want.

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

1. Use professional nursing CV formatting

To present your qualifications professionally, use a simple CV design that’s well-organised and free of distracting graphics. Your CV should be two full pages and include sections for your:

• name and contact information, and 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 you can apply in a new role.

2. 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 2–4 sentence or 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 healthcare, 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.

3. Emphasise your nursing experience with data

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

Here are two examples of good CV work experience bullet points quantified with data:

Nurse CV skills with quantified examples

• Reduced the number of patient calls from 65+ to 30 per day by educating patients on appropriate call procedures
• Aided senior nurses with administering medication and carrying out daily procedures with a 100% accuracy rate, while maintaining a clean and hygienic patient environment

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.

Use exact numbers on your CV if you’re listing the:

• number of patients you treated
• amount of time you saved on a procedure or task
• percentages related to your daily duties
• type of medical procedures you performed
• satisfaction rating in patient surveys
• error rate in patient record-keeping
• number of interdisciplinary team meetings you participated in
• resulting improvements in patient outcomes and staff satisfaction

4. Highlight your nursing qualifications

Employers need to verify that you have the education required to work for them as a nurse. So make your nursing qualifications easy to find by putting them in an education section that includes your:

• nursing degree title and the name and location of the university you got it from
• any modules relevant to the job you’re applying for
• secondary school name and location
• A-Levels and GCSEs

And this is what a well-structured nurse CV education section looks like:

5. Make your most relevant nursing skills stand out

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:

Essential hard skills for your nursing CV in 2023

• Medical equipment & procedures: Knowing how to accurately and confidently administer injections, insert IVs, and read vital signs is critical to providing safe and effective patient care.
• Clinical documentation: List your ability to document patient details, including keeping accurate medical records, writing reports, and communicating with other health care professionals.
• Experience with hospital software: Being comfortable with using telecare systems, health information systems (HIS), and electronic medical records (EMRs) shows employers you can quickly adapt to new workplaces and can keep medical records up to date.
• Stamina: Nursing can be a physically demanding job, so list your ability to work long hours and perform physically demanding tasks when necessary.
• Language skills: Nursing is a diverse field, and being able to communicate effectively with patients in their preferred language can help build trust and ensure that patients are receiving the best possible care.
• Maths proficiency: Maths is an important aspect of nursing, particularly when it comes to calculating medication dosages and interpreting lab results, so list examples of times you performed these calculations accurately.

Key nursing CV soft skills in the UK

• Patient advocacy: Advocacy is an important aspect of nursing. Examples of patient advocacy involve having empathy, speaking up on behalf of patients who can’t advocate for themselves, ensuring patients are receiving appropriate care, and providing emotional support to them and their families.
• Interpersonal skills: Nursing is a team-based profession, so prove you can work well with colleagues, patients, and their families by listing times you collaborated with other staff or dealt with patients in positive ways.
• Ability to work under pressure: Knowing how to be calm in stressful situations is a highly sought-after skill for nurses, so give examples of times you handled high-pressure challenges or worked under a tight deadline.
• Decision making: Nurses are often called upon to make important decisions that change their patients’ lives. Therefore, you should ensure you demonstrate your ability to make informed decisions quickly and confidently.
• Communication: Effective communication is a great skill to discuss in your CV as it shows you know how to build trust with patients and staff, provide clear explanations of medical procedures, and adjust your communication style to suit individual patients’ needs.