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A standout nurse CV showcases your qualifications, such as a BSc (Hons) in nursing, alongside your experience in patient care. It highlights any specialisms, like intensive or cardiac care, and demonstrates your ability to lead teams and focus on patient outcomes.
To help you create a strong application, we’ve put together expert tips on creating a persuasive personal statement and outlining your qualifications. We’ll guide you on what to include and how to format your nursing CV correctly.
We also recommend exploring our nurse CV examples for extra guidance.
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Nurse CV sample
Freda Jones
39 Church Street
Manchester M3 7J7
07912 345 678
freda.jones@example.co.uk
Professional summary
Caring Nurse with 5+ years of experience with demonstrated success in emergency patient care. Agile and responsive to dynamic patient needs and environmental conditions. Team-oriented and reliable with expert healthcare knowledge, clear verbal and written communication skills and sound clinical judgment.
Work history
January 2022 – Current
South Manchester Community Hospital – Manchester
Nurse
- Worked closely with fellow nurses, doctors and clinicians for consistent communication and continued best care practices.
- Assisted with routine medical tests and evaluations, documenting findings to aid care planning.
- Generated detailed and comprehensive patient care plans in collaboration with clinical teams.
February 2018 – December 2021
Manchester Royal Infirmary – Manchester
Nurse
- Established positive rapport with patients and families through active listening and compassionate care.
- Conferred with engineers to understand and incorporate recommendations and required changes during update process.
- Monitored and recorded patient condition, carrying out and reporting regular observations.
- Delivered life support with updated first aid and CPR training.
Skills
- Complex medical care
- Adult acute and critical care
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Outstanding communication
- Caseload management
- Ethical decision-making
- Patient-centred care
- Medication storage and disposal
- Data confidentiality
Education
2015
Manchester University Manchester
Bachelor of Science Adult Nursing
CV format for nurses
When creating your nurse CV, the CV format is just as important as the content. The right structure ensures your CV catches the eye of hiring managers. The best approach is to use a clear, customisable template.
There are two key formats to consider for nursing roles:
- Reverse-chronological CV: This format lists your work experience in reverse order, starting with your most recent role. It’s ideal if you have previous nursing experience to highlight.
- Skill-based CV: Perfect for entry-level roles, this format focuses on your transferable skills. It’s great if you’re new to nursing or changing specialities, as it showcases your qualifications and core skills.
Choose the format based on your experience. If you’re starting out, a skills-based CV is a strong option. If you have a nursing background, consider a reverse-chronological approach.
Additional tips for your nursing CV:
- Keep your CV to one or two pages.
- Use a clean, professional font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial.
- Break up large blocks of text with headings and bullet points.
- Tailor your CV to the job description.
- Always save and send your CV as a Word or PDF file.
How to write a nursing CV
Once you’ve selected the best template for you, it’s time to get into the content of your CV. In the sections that follow, we’re going to give you a total overview of how to write a CV for a nurse, including:
Here’s what’s coming up:
- Adding contact details to your nurse CV
- Nurse CV personal statement
- Adding work experience to a nursing CV
- Nurse CV skills
- Get education right on your nursing CV
Adding contact details to your nurse CV
Hiring managers will need to be able to reach you, so it’s important to add all your contact details early. It’s best to highlight this information near the header of your document. Choose a bold font that makes it easy to read.
The things you’ll need to include are:
- Your full name – leave out your middle name
- Location – so your employer knows where you’re based
- Phone number – a mobile is best
- Email address – make sure to use a professional email
Example of contact section for nurse CV
Edward Wright
32 Low Street
Cardiff
07123654987
e.wright@examplel.com
Nurse CV personal statement
Creating an effective personal statement is a good way for you to get noticed. Your personal statement will act as a quick intro to you as a candidate. It will outline your qualifications, character traits, skills, and achievements. You will only have three to four sentences to make an impression, so it can be tricky to write! Let’s make this process simple for you.
The first sentence is all about engaging the reader. Give them some snappy insight into your previous experience and career. The second sentence is all about explaining what you have achieved, using real-world examples. Sentences three and four are where you should outline any special skills or experience that you may have.
So, what do we mean by ‘real world examples?’ These are facts, figures, or stats that show you have made an impact in previous positions. Perhaps you’ve looked after a number of patients throughout your career with special health problems – this would be a great thing to mention! You need to ensure your employer knows you are an effective nurse.
You should also consider the following for your personal statement:
- Keep it at or under 100 words
- Keep the tone friendly and formal.
- Tweak your personal statement so it matches the job advertisement
- Always write in the third person as this is standard CV practice
Example of personal statement for Nurse CV
Dedicated and compassionate nurse with a mission to provide excellent care to patients. 8 years of practical experience, including a 98% patient satisfaction rate, and working on various wards. Particular skills in communication, clinical assessment, and effective treatment implementation.
OR
Empathetic newly qualified nurse searching to get practical experience working on a ward. Solid educational background and a mission to provide high-quality care to patients, achieving first-class honours in a nursing degree. Specialises in creating meaningful connections between patients and assisting them no matter their ailment.
Adding work experience to a nursing CV
The work history section of your CV is what will take up most of the space, and is one of the first things employers will look at. This section is all about outlining any relevant work experience you have so your employer knows you’re up to the job. It’s important to format the information you include so that it fits with the job advertisement you’re applying for.
What’s the best way to do this? Begin with your most recent or current role, then list up to six responsibilities for each. Make sure to highlight any transferable skills that the job role has given you.
You’ll want to include:
- Job title
- Employment start and end dates
- Company name
- Company location
- List of key responsibilities
- Relevant achievements
You should add in specific, real-world evidence here too whenever you can. This will catch the reader’s eye. Instead of writing “assisted patients,” you could write “assisted over two hundred patients.” This gives more detail and will allow you to impress your employer.
You also want to make sure that you don’t include any repetitive, or irrelevant tasks. These include daily things that everyone might do while working as a nurse. For example – answering emails or liaising with colleagues.
It’s also a good idea to use action verbs and positive adjectives throughout. Action verbs here are anything that you can replace “responsible for” with. Some of the best action verbs include “helped,” “assisted,” and “led.” Positive adjectives are ways to describe yourself, for example, “punctual,” “empathetic,” and “helpful.”
Example of work experience for nurse CV
Nurse 06/2021 – Current
South Manchester Community Hospital – Manchester, South Manchester
- Administered scheduled medications and therapies intravenously, rectally, orally, subcutaneously, and intramuscular injections while overseeing pain management plans.
- Designed new electronic charting, barcode scanning, and medication administration best practices at the facility.
- Designed strategies to resolve nursing and patient satisfaction issues, and improve response and patient care quality. Also proposed plans to enhance quality and initiatives hospital-wide. Increased average patient satisfaction score by 6% year on year.
Nurse 04/2018 to 05/2021
Manchester Royal Infirmary – Trafford, Greater Manchester
- Evaluated patient care needs, prioritised treatment, and maintained patient flow. Patient through-put increased by 12% in three years.
- Cared for patients with heart failure, end-stage renal disease, coronary artery disease (CAD) and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeds.
- Conducted invasive and non-invasive procedures, including insertion and management of central lines, arterial lines, PICC lines, and Foley catheters.
Nurse CV skills
The CV skills section of your CV holds a lot of weight for potential employers. It allows them to quickly figure out if you have the skills that they are looking for. You should also remember that some companies use ATS software to scan your CV for keywords, ensuring you meet any basic requirements they’ve set. Because of this, you’ll need to make sure that you have included a mixture of hard and soft skills.
Soft skills come from your personality. You can think of these as positive qualities that make up your experience. For example, you could be “punctual,” “empathetic,” or “conscientious.” Hard skills, by contrast, are skills that you have learned either through hands-on experience or education. For a nurse, these could include “assisting patients,” or “administering treatment.”
You’ll need to add some of both to ensure that your CV stands out from your competition. Think of it this way – you don’t want to be a candidate who lacks practical experience, and you also don’t want to be one who doesn’t have a good strength of character.
If you’re searching for some ideas, check out these lists:
Must-have skills for nursing:
- Administering medicines
- Medical knowledge
- Care plan development
- Interpersonal communication
- Leadership
Desirable aptitudes to set you apart
- Equipment operation
- Palliative care expertise
- Resource allocation
- Minor surgery assistance
- Compassion & empathy
Get education right on your nursing CV
You can consider your qualifications as the bedrock of your CV. This section is especially important if you are going for a competitive position, or if you are searching for an entry-level position and don’t have much hands-on experience. Your education section is the place to go into detail about your university, school, and any other college courses you’ve attended. Also add any certificates, professional training, or memberships you have to governing bodies.
It’s vital that you only include relevant qualifications. For example, it’s not worth highlighting your English Literature GCSE, if you have more relevant nursing qualifications to outline. You should also steer clear of any incomplete courses, or bad grades that you may have. Each qualification should strengthen your CV.
So, what are some of the basic requirements to become a nurse? You’ll find that most employers will require either a BSN (bachelor of Science in Nursing) or a diploma in nursing. This will allow you to get your foot in the door, so make sure you put whichever you have at the top of your education section.
Example of education for nursing CV
Edinburgh University | September 2019 – June 2022
BSN in Nursing: first class honours
Leith College | September 2017 – June 2019
A levels in Mathematics (A), Biology (B), and IT (A)
Top dos and don’ts for a nurse CV
Do
DO mention your specialisms
Nursing is an eclectic job role, so make sure you mention any areas of expertise that you have. This allows employers to quickly get an idea of your special skills and select you as a result! If you’ve worked with any specific illnesses, for example, then you should let this be known.
DO attach a cover letter
Your cover letter can be thought of as a more personal version of your initial statement. It’s the time to get into the details of your experience, career ambitions, and give the reader a sense of who you are as a person. It should be professionally written, no longer than a page, and it should be packed with interesting, relevant information. You should also tailor your cover letter to the job advertisement you’re applying for, this will make it feel more personal and professional.
Don't
DON’T forget to proofread
Errors can cost you, so make sure you double-check everything in your application. Go over your CV and cover letter and make sure that everything is perfect. This is a great way of communicating to your employer that you are a professional and that you mean business. A good way for you to edit your document is to send it to a friend or colleague who can provide a fresh pair of eyes.
DON’T send replica CVs
Tailoring your CV to each position you’re applying for can be tough, but it’s a great way for you to stand out. Make sure that each CV is unique and includes strengths that respond to the requirements of the job advertisement. By doing this, you will stand out as a person who has all the right skills for the position in question.
Your nurse CV questions answered
What should I include in a nurse CV UK format?
A nursing CV for the UK should include:
- Professional summary that introduces your qualifications.
- Educational background (e.g. BSc in Nursing, certifications).
- Relevant experience (clinical placements, previous nursing roles).
- Key skills (communication, clinical knowledge, etc.).
- NMC registration and any specialist training or certifications.
What is the best way to write a nurse CV?
The best way to write a nurse CV is to keep it concise, clear, and easy to read:
- Use a template that is best fitting to nursing
- Outline the nursing positions you’ve held, with bullet points setting out the nature of the duties in each.
- List your nursing skills as short, sharp bullet points.
- Use our professional CV builder to make it quick and easy.
How long should a nursing CV be?
Aim for 1–2 pages.
- One page if you’re newly qualified.
- Two pages if you have extensive work experience or multiple roles.
How do you write your nursing credentials after your name?
Including your nursing credentials will show employers that you have the qualifications the job demands:
- Start with the highest degree you have, such as a BSc.
- As a registered nurse, follow with your registration with a body like the Royal College of Nursing – RCN.
- Add accreditations such as Advanced Level Nursing Practice (ANLP).
- If you’ve qualified to specialise in an area like community mental health nursing, you can add letters such as SCMH.
How much does a nurse earn?
Pay for a nurse begins at around £23,000 per year and can go all the way up to £100,000 per year, depending on experience and where you are working. It’s worth noting that the highest estimates on this pay scale are subject to specialised skills, experience, and the specifics of the position in question.
Creating your nursing CV today!
Creating a CV for a nurse can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! With additional resources such as our CV examples and CV templates, you’ll have everything you need to land your perfect nursing job. Build an effective CV with our easy-to-use CV builder and find your next role today!
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