Writing A CV For Nursing Jobs
Around the world, aging populations are placing significant strains on medical systems and healthcare facilities as more patients are coming in than there are qualified professionals to assist them. In the United Kingdom, the need for healthcare is growing and the National Health Services has found that more nurses are needed to help meet staffing demands in facilities across the country.
According to a poll from the Royal College of Nursing, nearly three-quarters of nurses in the UK believe that nurse staffing levels are at times dangerously low in facilities around the country. If you are looking to break into the nursing field for the first time, or advance your career, you’ll need a strong CV to land a position within NHS or another private organisation.
So what information will you need to provide in your CV to help you land a nursing job? Following these tips, you will be able to create a CV that will stand apart from the rest of the pack when applying for nursing positions across the UK.
Insert a Value Proposition in the Qualifications Summary
Recruiters will skim most of your CV looking for buzzwords and keywords that apply to the position you are applying for, but at the beginning of your CV they are more likely to read a qualification summary carefully. Take advantage of this by leading off with a value proposition that provides a narrative on your past experience, training, and credentials that you believe make you an ideal candidate for a particular nursing position.
Include an Expertise Section
Applying for a nursing position is not like applying to your local big box retailer or restaurant. Nursing jobs are highly specialised and the NHS (and other medical services) is looking for individuals with expertise that qualifies individuals for specialised positions. Using bullet points, list the credentials and experience you’ve earned to date in your career.
For example, list your areas of expertise in nursing such as paediatrics or obstetrics along with skills including compliance, medication administration, or case management.
Highlight Additional Credentials and Licenses
As nurses advance through their career field, many will often obtain additional credentials or licenses that empower them to advance into highly specialised fields in healthcare. These credentials and licenses should be highlighted on your CV for hiring managers to see. Not only did you take the time to earn these, but many of them may be vital in this new position and letting managers know you have those skills can set your apart from other applicants.
Show off Top Performances
Succeeding in the nursing fields requires not just an ability to work with people, but the ability to recognise changing medical trends and needs. If you’ve served on a board or committee at your previous facility, trained new employees, or helped launch new services and/or standards at your previous facility these should all be highlighted on your CV.
Highlighting these accomplishments not only shows hiring managers you have the drive to succeed in the nursing field, but it also shows you have the ability to see those projects through to successful completion for the betterment of the healthcare field.
Photo: Nurse injects staff member against flu – NHS Employers (https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhse/)
