One challenge nurse externs face is adequately conveying their hands-on experience and clinical skills acquired through externship on a resume without extensive professional work history. Our guide can assist by providing tailored tips on structuring the resume to highlight clinical competencies and by offering examples of powerful action verbs and phrases that reflect their practical nursing experience.
- Sample industry-leading examples to learn how to write your best resume yet.
- Improve the experience, education, and achievements section of your resume with insights from resume-writing professionals.
- Curate your technical expertise and personality to stand out amongst the pool of candidates.
- Succinctly focus on your unique skill set all through your nurse extern resume.
Formatting the layout of your nurse extern resume: design, length, and more
When it comes to the format of your nurse extern resume , you've plenty of opportunities to get creative. But, as a general rule of thumb, there are four simple steps you could integrate into your resume layout.
- If you have plenty of experience, you'd like to showcase, invest in the reverse-chronological resume format . This format focuses on your latest experience items and skills you've learned during your relevant (and recent) jobs.
- Don't go over the two-page limit, when creating your professional nurse extern resume. Curate within it mainly experience and skills that are relevant to the job.
- Make sure your nurse extern resume header includes all of your valid contact information. You could also opt to display your professional portfolio or LinkedIn profile.
- Submit or send out your nurse extern resume as a PDF, so you won't lose its layout and design.
Be mindful of regional differences in resume formats – a Canadian layout, for instance, might vary.
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Align dates in a clear, consistent manner to create a readable timeline
Ensure your nurse extern resume stands out with these mandatory sections:
- Header - the section recruiters look to find your contact details, portfolio, and potentially, your current role
- Summary or objective - where your achievements could meet your career goals
- Experience - showcasing you have the technical (and personal) know-how for the role
- Skills - further highlighting capabilities that matter most to the nurse extern advert and your application
- Certifications/ Education - staying up-to-date with industry trends
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Clinical skills and competencies relevant to the nursing extern role, demonstrating hands-on experience with patient care and medical procedures.
- Academic achievements in nursing school, including GPA, scholarships, and any awards that showcase commitment and excellence in the field.
- Any completed clinical rotations or externships with descriptions of duties and any special projects or initiatives taken.
- Communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within interprofessional healthcare teams, including examples of team projects or experiences.
- Evidence of a commitment to personal and professional development, such as certifications, attendance at workshops, or additional healthcare-related training.
Nurse extern resume without experience: a walk-through guide
If you don't happen to have any relevant experience yet, you can substitute this with:
- Short-term gigs and stunts - like month-long internships, that you have done during your university days
- Contract work - be specific about the relevance and outcomes of each role you include
- Resume format that prioritizes your skills - the functional-skill-based format or hybrid format could work
- Research roles - feature those especially prominently if you've participated in a noteworthy project or your role was of utmost importance to the project's success.
How to quantify impact on your resume
- Include the number of patients you assisted on a daily/weekly basis to demonstrate your capability of handling workload effectively.
- State the patient satisfaction scores from units you were involved with to showcase your contribution to patient care quality.
- Mention the percentage of time spent on various duties to give a clear picture of your skills and time management.
- List any cost-saving measures you contributed to, quantifying the savings, to show your understanding of financial stewardship.
- Specify the number of procedures or clinical tasks you are proficient in to highlight your versatility and technical skills.
- Record the number of hours spent on professional development or training to illustrate your commitment to continual learning.
- Cite any improvements in process or efficiency that you have been a part of, including percentages, to show results-driven competency.
- Detail the number of team members you collaborated with or projects led to emphasize leadership and teamwork abilities.
Action verbs for your nurse extern resume
PRO TIP
When creating your resume, select a template that is functional and features plenty of space for you to reflect upon your unique nurse extern expertise.
nurse extern skills and achievements section: must-have hard and soft skills
A key principle for your nurse extern resume is to prominently feature your hard skills, or the technologies you excel in, within the skills section. Aim to list up to ten hard skills that are in line with the job's requirements.
This strategy not only showcases your technical proficiency to recruiters but also helps you satisfy Applicant Tracking System (ATS) criteria.
When it comes to soft skills, like interpersonal communication abilities and talents, they're trickier to quantify.
Claiming to be a good communicator is one thing, but how can you substantiate this claim?
Consider creating a dedicated "Strengths" or "Achievements" section. Here, you can describe how specific soft skills (such as leadership, negotiation, problem-solving) have led to concrete achievements.
Your nurse extern resume should reflect a balanced combination of both hard and soft skills, just as job requirements often do.
It's crucial, however, to ensure the exact phrasing of skills listed on your resume matches that of the job requirements to pass the ATS successfully.
Top skills for your nurse extern resume:
Basic Life Support (BLS)
Cardiac Monitoring
Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Medication Administration
Patient Assessment Tools
Infection Control Procedures
Vital Signs Monitoring
IV Therapy
Wound Care Management
Medical Terminology
Communication
Empathy
Teamwork
Time Management
Adaptability
Critical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Problem-Solving
Interpersonal Skills
Stress Management
The top 5 certifications for your nurse extern resume:
- Basic Life Support (BLS) - American Heart Association (AHA)
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) - American Heart Association (AHA)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) - American Heart Association (AHA)
- Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) - State Board of Nursing
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) - National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)
PRO TIP
When creating your resume, select a template that is functional and features plenty of space for you to reflect upon your unique nurse extern expertise.
Your academic background: should you include your education and certifications on your nurse extern resume?
Adding relevant education and certifications to your nurse extern resume is beneficial, whether you're an experienced candidate or just starting in the field.
Featuring your higher education degree that aligns with the role demonstrates your commitment to the industry. On your nurse extern resume, include the start and graduation dates, followed by the name of the institution that awarded your degree.
Regarding certifications, it's wise to list those most relevant to the role or that have contributed to your array of crucial technical or personal traits. Be sure to include the name of the certificate and the awarding institution.
If uncertain about which certifications to feature prominently on your nurse extern resume, refer to our compiled list of the most in-demand ones for guidance.
PRO TIP
Align dates in a clear, consistent manner to create a readable timeline
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Integrate various design elements, like icons and charts, if you deem this would enhance the readability of your resume and also help it stand out.
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The nurse extern resume summary or objective: integrating keywords, achievements, and more
Deciding whether to include a resume summary or an objective in your nurse extern resume is crucial. Both serve as key introductory elements at the top of your resume, encapsulating your profile in up to five sentences and incorporating relevant keywords from the job advert.
Here are the key differences between the two:
- The resume summary focuses on aligning your achievements and experience with the job requirements. It provides recruiters with a snapshot of your expertise, helping you stand out as an ideal candidate for the role.
- The resume objective, on the other hand, centers on your career goals and aspirations, detailing how the role aligns with your career progression. It's particularly suitable for candidates with less professional experience or those new to the job market.
Below are examples demonstrating best practices in utilizing the resume summary and/or objective to make a strong first impression with your nurse extern resume.
Resume summaries for a nurse extern job
- Seeking to leverage extensive knowledge in patient care and advanced clinical skills acquired through nursing education at ABC Nursing School to effectively contribute to the medical team at St. John's Health Center, enhancing patient experiences and outcomes.
- Ambitious nursing student aiming to apply robust understanding of emergency care procedures and patient assessment techniques to assist the dedicated staff at General Hospital in providing top-tier medical assistance and support.
- Aspiring to join the pediatric team at Children's Medical City, deploying a strong foundation in neonatal and pediatric health, to nurture young patients' journeys towards recovery with compassion and clinical expertise.
- Passionate about elder care, ready to apply core competencies in geriatric patient management and therapeutic communication to aid the vibrant community of seniors at Sunset Retirement Home, ensuring optimal health and wellbeing.
- To enrich the oncology department at City Health Institute with my dedication to patient-centered care and a solid grasp of oncological treatment protocols, while continuing to grow professionally under the mentorship of esteemed healthcare professionals.
- Eager to bring my rigorous training in cardiovascular health and evidence-based nursing practices to the dynamic team at Heartbeat Hospital, contributing to the high standards of cardiac patient care and rehabilitation services.
Extra sections to include in your nurse extern resume
What should you do if you happen to have some space left on your resume, and want to highlight other aspects of your profile that you deem are relevant to the role? Add to your nurse extern resume some of these personal and professional sections:
- Passions/Interests - to detail how you spend both your personal and professional time, invested in various hobbies;
- Awards - to present those niche accolades that make your experience unique;
- Publications - an excellent choice for professionals, who have just graduated from university or are used to a more academic setting;
- Volunteering - your footprint within your local (or national/ international) community.
Key takeaways
- Pay special attention to the tiny details that make up your nurse extern resume formatting: the more tailored your application to the role is, the better your chances at success would be;
- Select the sections you include (summary or objective, etc.) and formatting (reverse-chronological, hybrid, etc.) based on your experience level;
- Select experience items and, consequently, achievements that showcase you in the best light and are relevant to the job;
- Your profile will be assessed both based on your technical capabilities and personality skills - curate those through your resume;
- Certifications and education showcase your dedication to the particular industry.
