INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nursing positions are at a 9% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 3,080,100 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 276,800 to 3,356,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Nursing jobs was $75,330 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $53,410, and the highest 10% more than $116,230.
Our conclusion? The Nursing job market is wide open for candidates.
Top perioperative nurse sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a perioperative nurse resume experience section
Perioperative nurse resume's job experience checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Perioperative Nurse resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- OR nurse expert and responsible for the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
- A proven record of accomplishment in general surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery, hepato-biliary surgery, pancreatic, gynecology, urology and vascular surgeries.
- Expert in Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).
- Successfully participate in unit-based Quality Assurance and the JCI Accreditation program.
- Improved patient satisfaction scores by 25% through the implementation of individualized pre-operative education and post-operative follow-up calls.
- Decreased the incidence of surgical site infections by 20% by developing and implementing evidence-based infection prevention strategies.
- Achieved a 90% compliance rate with surgical time-out procedures by providing ongoing education to perioperative team members.
- Assisted in the development and implementation of a comprehensive pain management protocol that resulted in a 50% reduction in the use of opioids for post-operative pain control.
- Served as a preceptor to new perioperative nurses, resulting in 100% retention rate of new hires.
- Maintained current knowledge of best practices in perioperative nursing through regular attendance at conferences and seminars.
- Designed and facilitated a competency-based orientation program for new perioperative nurses that reduced orientation time by 30%.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team to develop and implement a mock code program for the perioperative unit, resulting in a 50% improvement in response times to emergency situations.
- Developed and implemented a perioperative nursing residency program that resulted in a 75% retention rate of new graduates.
- Conducted regular in-service education sessions on evidence-based perioperative nursing practices, resulting in a 20% improvement in compliance with hospital policies and procedures.
- Assisted in the development and implementation of a clinical ladder program for perioperative nurses, resulting in increased job satisfaction and professional growth opportunities.
- Participated in the development of a perioperative nursing research committee, resulting in increased staff engagement in research activities and improved patient outcomes.
- Implemented and evaluated nursing care plans, resulting in a 20% decrease in post-operative complications
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team to develop and implement evidence-based practices for perioperative care
- Facilitated patient and family education, resulting in a 25% increase in patient satisfaction scores
- Maintained patient safety and confidentiality through meticulous documentation and adherence to HIPAA regulations
- Acted as a resource and mentor to new perioperative nurses, resulting in a 30% decrease in orientation time
- Monitored and documented patient vital signs and neurological status, resulting in timely identification and intervention of adverse events
- Administered medications and provided interventions to manage pain, nausea, and other post-operative symptoms, resulting in improved patient comfort and satisfaction
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team to develop and implement evidence-based discharge criteria, resulting in a 15% decrease in PACU length of stay
- Provided emotional support to patients and families during the post-operative phase, resulting in a 25% increase in patient satisfaction scores
- Maintained compliance with regulatory standards, resulting in zero citations during annual Joint Commission surveys
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action verbs for your perioperative nurse resume
Recommended reads:
Perioperative Nurse Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume skills section checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top skills for your perioperative nurse resume
Excel
CPR
Bilingual
Cannulation
BSL
Scout/Scrub
Patient care
ACLS
Customer service
Communication
Compassion
Patience
Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
Honesty
Team-player
Strong work ethic
Time management
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Recommended reads:
Perioperative nurse resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your perioperative nurse resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Perioperative Nurse resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Perioperative nurse resume summary best practices
Checklist: what to include in your perioperative nurse resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
Recommended reads:
Listing your education, certifications and courses
Resume education section checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top certifications for your perioperative nurse resume
Home Health Aide, Nurse Aide, Caregiver Certification Course
Become A Certified Home Health Aide, Personal Care Aide, Nurse Aide/ Caregiver At The End Of This Course. Enroll Now!!
Maths For Nurses
Pass your drug calculations test with ease
Nursing Professionals Get Motivated! Motivation For Nurses
A Month Of Encouragement For Nurses and Those In Nursing School Taking Nursing Courses
OET Preparation for Nurses: Writing
Improve your score in the OET Nursing Writing Sub-test
OET Writing for Nurses
The Ultimate Guide to Passing the OET Writing Sub Skill
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Perioperative Nurse. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
How to write a perioperative nurse resume
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Perioperative Nurse resume:
Perioperative nurse resume: How to make yours more creative & stand out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Perioperative Nurse resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What makes a great perioperative nurse resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
