10 Travel Nurse Resume Examples for 2024

Creating an effective travel nurse resume is crucial for landing the best assignments. This article offers proven resume examples and strategic advice tailored for travel nurses. Learn how to highlight key skills, experience, and credentials to impress hiring managers. Get insights on what makes a strong travel nurse resume and tips to make yours stand out.

  Compiled and approved by Steve Grafton
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in the best travel nurse resumes.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: Details matter. Use metrics to show your impact. Examples are patient care hours, medication error reduction, emergency response time, and reduced patient recovery time.

  • Pick Relevant Skills: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are IV therapy, patient assessment, electronic health records (EHR), critical care, and ventilator management. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Highlight Certifications: For travel nurses, BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications are very important. Ensure they are clearly listed.

Get your resume scored

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Education section placement

As a hiring manager, you need to see a travel nurse's education details clearly. Put education near the top if you are new to the workforce or recently got more education. If you have been working as a nurse who travels for jobs and gained experience, place your work history first.

For this role, your degree and any special nursing training are key. Highlight your nursing degree, certifications, or courses on managing patient care during travel. This shows you are ready for the job. If you have advanced certifications or continued education in a specialized field of nursing, make sure these are easy to find on your resume.

Showcase adaptability

Being a travel nurse means working in various settings. Highlight your adaptability by listing different types of healthcare facilities you have worked in, such as hospitals, clinics, or emergency rooms.

Mention any experience with electronic health records (EHR) systems. This is valuable information for employers as it shows you can quickly adapt to different tech environments.

Ideal resume length

For travel nurses seeking employment, presenting a concise and focused resume is essential. You want to show your ability to prioritize and organize information effectively. As a hiring manager, I recommend a one-page resume for most travel nurses. This length is sufficient to list your relevant experiences, education, and skills in a way that is easy for managers to review.

If you have more than ten years of extensive nursing experience or hold senior positions, two pages can be appropriate. It is vital to use the first page to highlight your most recent and relevant experiences. Travel nurses should emphasize diverse clinical skills and adaptability to different working environments. Remember to keep margins and fonts readable. Your goal is to make your resume accessible and easy to skim while showcasing your best qualifications at the beginning.

Highlighting state licenses

Include a section for your state nursing licenses. List all the states you are licensed to work in. This is very important for travel nurse roles as it shows your flexibility.

Also, mention any special certifications, like PALS or ACLS, that are relevant to the job. These give you an edge in the hiring process.

Beat the resume screeners

When you apply for a travel nurse position, your resume might first be read by a computer program called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before a hiring manager sees it. It's important to make your resume ATS-friendly to improve your chances of getting an interview.

Here are ways to help your resume pass through these screeners:

  • Use standard job titles like 'travel nurse' and include specific details like 'pediatric' or 'emergency room' if that is your area of expertise. This helps the ATS recognize your relevant experience.
  • Include common healthcare certifications like BLS or ACLS and the states where you are licensed. Make sure these are easy to find and read on your resume to show you meet the job requirements.

Make your resume fit

To get the best travel nursing jobs, your resume should show that you are the right fit. You need to make it clear you have the skills and experience for this role. Do this by using words that match the job listing. Make your resume easy to read so hiring managers can see why you are a good choice.

  • Highlight your ability to adapt to new work environments, a key skill for travel nurses. Use phrases like quickly adapts to diverse healthcare settings.
  • Focus on your experience with different patient care scenarios. For example, list the various units or clinics you have worked in and the types of care you provided.
  • Show that you are a team player and can lead when needed. Use examples like collaborates with cross-functional medical teams or leads patient care coordination.

Essential skills for travel nurses

When you are crafting your resume, it's key to showcase the specific skills that relate to being a travel nurse. Here's a list of hard skills to consider:

  • Emergency care
  • Critical thinking
  • Acute care proficiency
  • Medical software knowledge
  • Life support certification
  • Patient assessment
  • Triage procedures
  • Medical terminology
  • Surgical assistance
  • Infection control

You don't need to include all these skills, but focus on the ones that best match your experience and the job you want. For example, if you specialize in pediatric care, emphasize your experience in that area. Place these skills in a dedicated section for easy reading and to help with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which scan for keywords related to the job.

Remember, a good resume shows you have the practical abilities to do the job well. If you have used certain medical software or equipment, list those to prove you can hit the ground running. It's not just about having skills; it's about showing how you've applied them. So, when listing your skills, think about how they connect to real work situations you've faced. This will help employers see your value right away.

Quantify your nursing impact

When you're updating your resume, showing your impact with clear numbers can help you stand out. You should include specific metrics that reflect your contributions as a nurse on the move. Think about times you've improved patient outcomes or made a process more efficient.

Consider these examples:

  • Number of patients you've cared for on each assignment - patient caseload.
  • Average number of shifts you've managed per week - shift frequency.
  • Improvements you've made, such as reducing patient wait times by percentage.
  • Any training sessions you've led, quantified by number of sessions or number of participants.
  • Amount you've reduced medication errors or incidents, shown in percentage decrease or incident reduction.
  • Percentage increase of patient satisfaction scores due to your care.
  • Cost savings you've achieved through effective supply management or time savings by streamlining administrative tasks.
  • The success rates of patient treatments or recovery you've contributed to, indicated by patient outcome improvements.

Even if you're not sure of the exact figures, you can estimate them based on your experiences. For instance, if you often helped to discharge patients more quickly, think about how much time you might have saved on average. Use these estimates to show how valuable you can be to potential employers.

Highlighting leadership in nursing

When you apply for a travel nurse position, it's vital to show that you have taken on leadership roles or have been promoted. This tells employers you are capable of handling responsibility and have grown in your field.

Think about times you have led a team or a project. Even if you were not in a formal leadership position, any time you were in charge of others counts. Here are some ways you can show this:

  • Managed a team of nurses during night shifts, ensuring high-quality patient care and efficient response to emergencies.
  • Trained new staff in hospital protocols, showcasing an ability to lead and mentor.

You should also list any promotions you've received. For example, if you started as a staff nurse and moved up to a charge nurse, make that clear. Use phrases like:

  • Promoted to charge nurse after one year, reflecting strong clinical skills and leadership.
  • Selected to lead a task force to improve patient care protocols, resulting in a 20% increase in patient satisfaction.
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