How to Build Your New Grad Nurse Resume
Starting your nursing career is EXCITING! ...but let’s be honest, writing your first resume can feel overwhelming.
As a nurse with 8 years of experience — who started in the ICU as a new grad and later served on peer Review and hiring committees — I’ve seen it all: from stellar resumes that immediately stood out to the ones that, well... didn’t make it past the first glance.
The good news? You don’t need decades of experience to build a kick-ass resume. You just need to tell your story clearly and show that you’re ready to learn, grow, and be part of a critical care team!
Before we dive in — you can click here to download my free New Grad Nurse Resume Template that walks you through each of these sections step-by-step.
1. Header / Contact Information
This is your professional introduction! It should be clean, organized, and easy to scan.
Include your full name with credentials (for example: Lauren Douglass, BSN, RN (Eligible) if you haven’t yet taken the NCLEX). Then list your city, state, a professional email, and a reliable phone number.
If you have a LinkedIn profile, include that too; especially if it’s updated with your clinical experience and certifications.
✅ Do:
- Use your school or professional email address
- Include your LinkedIn link if it reflects your career goals
- Keep your name and section headers bold and consistent
❌ Don’t:
- Include your full street address
- Add photos, birthdates, or novelty emails
- Use fancy fonts or colors that reduce readability
2. Objective Statement
Your objective statement is your 10-second elevator pitch. It tells the hiring manager who you are, what role you’re seeking, and what you bring to the table.
Example: “Motivated BSN graduate seeking to begin a career in critical care nursing. Passionate about delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care and eager to grow within a collaborative ICU team.”
✅ Do:
- Keep it concise (2–3 sentences)
- Tailor it to the specific unit or hospital
- Show your enthusiasm for learning and growth
❌ Don’t:
- Use vague buzzwords (“hardworking team player”)
- Write generic objectives that could apply to any job
- Repeat your entire cover letter here
3. Education
As a new grad, your education is one of your biggest assets — so highlight it proudly!
List your university name, degree, city/state, and expected graduation date. Include your GPA (if 3.5 or higher), along with honors or memberships such as Dean’s List or Sigma Theta Tau.
✅ Do:
- Keep the format clean and consistent
- Include honors, societies, or scholarships
- List your expected graduation date if still in school
❌ Don’t:
- Include high school information
- Overload the section with unrelated coursework
- Bury your education at the bottom of your resume (as a new grad, it belongs near the top!)
4. Certifications & Licensure
Even if you’re early in your career, this section can help you stand out.
At minimum, every nursing student should list BLS / First Aid / AED (American Heart Association). If you’ve completed others (such as NIH Stroke Scale, ACLS, Telemetry/ECG Interpretation, or Phlebotomy Training) include those here, too!
If you haven’t passed the NCLEX yet, write “RN License – Pending” or “Eligible.” Once you’re licensed, replace it with your state and license number.
✅ Do:
- List current certifications first
- Include relevant CEUs or hospital-based trainings
- Note “In Progress” certifications with expected completion dates
❌ Don’t:
- Include expired cards
- Add unrelated online certifications that don’t apply to nursing
- Overload this section — quality over quantity
5. Clinical & Work Experience
This is the heart of your resume where you show what you’ve done and how it’s prepared you for critical care (or whichever other unit you're applying to!)
List each clinical rotation with the hospital name, city, unit, and total hours. Use action verbs that highlight your skills: managed, collaborated, assessed, performed, supported.
Bonus: If you’ve worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), nurse extern, or research assistant, include those too! Alternatively, any other significant jobs outside of healthcare are okay to include here, too. Make sure to focus on transferrable skills/role within these positions that could be useful in the nursing field!
Example: “Partnered with an RN under UNC’s Partners in Practice model to provide care for 4–6 high-acuity patients, assisting with mobility, wound care, tracheostomy care, and Foley management.”
✅ Do:
- Focus on experiences relevant to the ICU
- Quantify your experience when possible (e.g., “4–6 patients”)
- Highlight collaboration and communication skills
❌ Don’t:
- Include non-clinical jobs unless you can connect them to transferable skills
- Write long paragraphs — 2–3 bullet points max per rotation
- List shadowing experiences that were only observational
6. Leadership & Extracurricular Experience
Nurse managers want to see that you’re a team player — not just in the classroom, but at your university and within your community!
Include any leadership or group involvement that demonstrates teamwork, discipline, or organization (like the Nursing Student Associations, committee roles, or team sports.)
Example(s):
“Four-year member of UNC Club Soccer, balancing academics with three weekly practices and weekend tournaments while developing leadership and resilience.”
“Active member of the Association of Nursing Students — helped organize alumni events, assist with campus tours, and foster community engagement within Carolina Nursing.”
✅ Do:
- Show commitment (long-term involvement looks great)
- Highlight transferable skills like time management and teamwork
- Be specific about your role or impact
❌ Don’t:
- List every club or one-time volunteer event
- Use this section for hobbies or interests unrelated to nursing
- Leave it blank — even one example is better than none
7. Volunteer Experience
Volunteer experience shows compassion, empathy, and initiative — all qualities that translate beautifully to bedside nursing :)
Example(s):
“Meals on the Move – Partnered with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to teach children about healthy eating and meal prep. Led hands-on cooking lessons using donated food so students could bring meals home for their families.”
Or:
“Special Olympics – Supported athletes during track and field events, provided hydration and encouragement, and ensured participant safety.”
✅ Do:
- Choose experiences that align with healthcare, education, or service
- Describe your role and the population you served
- Quantify your involvement when possible
❌ Don’t:
- List volunteer work without explaining what you did
- Include religious or political affiliations (keep it neutral)
- Overstate your role or title
Final Thoughts
Your resume doesn’t have to be long — it just has to be intentional!
Every section should highlight the skills and values that make you an excellent fit for the ICU: critical thinking, teamwork, adaptability, and compassion.
Before you hit “submit,” take a moment to ask yourself:
Does every line on my resume show that I’m ready to learn, grow, and contribute to a critical care team?
If yes — you’re already one step ahead.
You can click here to download my free New Grad Nurse Resume Template to help you build your own ICU-ready resume from scratch.