Nursing CV vs. Resume: Which Should You Use? [With Examples]
Perhaps you’re newly out of school and looking for your first job. Or maybe you’re a seasoned nurse with an advanced degree who’s ready to expand your career. If you’re applying for a nursing position, your potential employer will want to see a resume or CV (curriculum vitae — Latin for “course of (one's) life”).
This article examines the difference between a nursing CV and a nursing resume and how to write these important documents.
What’s the Difference Between a Nursing CV and a Nursing Resume?
A resume is a brief overview of your experience and education. It’s typically no longer than two pages, whereas a nursing CV is much more comprehensive.
Generally, a nursing resume should contain details of your:
- Education
- Experience
- Special skills
- Certifications
- Awards and other achievements
- Affiliations with professional organizations and/or volunteer and community organizations
- Presentations you may have completed and papers/articles that you've authored
>> Get Tips for Writing Your Resume
When to Use a CV vs. a Resume
Nurses should have both a resume and a CV. Depending on the position, employers may ask you to provide both documents — not just one or the other.
If the recruiter or job description doesn’t specify which one to send, use the following guidelines:
- For entry-level nursing jobs, send a resume. In this case, employers are looking for your educational background, work experience, and any special skills you’ve gained in clinical hours.
- For nurse educator positions or roles in higher education, send a CV.
How to Create a Nursing Resume (With Example)
Your nursing resume should be one to two pages and feature:
- Contact information (name; city, state, and ZIP code; telephone; email; and LinkedIn profile link, if available)
- Licenses
- A summary of your experience and the skills you can bring to the role, written specifically for a job posting (3–5 sentences; avoid personal pronouns such as I, me, and my)
- Education (degrees, awarding institutions, and dates)
- Professional experience (limit to the past 10 years unless your past work directly applies to the position you seek)
- Clinical experience (highlight your clinical skills if this is your first nursing job)
- Volunteer work (optional)
By necessity, new nurses will have a short resume unless they are second-career nurses. If you have a previous degree or career in another area, there’s value in highlighting it. In this case, it’s best to use a CV.
Example of a Nursing Resume
How to Create a Nursing CV (With Example)
There's no cap on how long your CV should be. It should be as many pages as you need to give a comprehensive overview of your education and experience.
A nursing CV should include:
- Contact information (name; city, state, and ZIP code; telephone; email; and LinkedIn profile link, if available)
- Education (degree(s), awarding institutions, and dates)
- Dissertation or thesis title(s), names of advisor and committee members (if applicable)
- Awards/grants
- Academic appointments
- Hospital-affiliated appointments (if applicable)
- Publications and conference presentations
- Teaching experience and interests
- Related experience (for example, administrative or editorial experience)
- Languages or other skills (including technology)
- Extracurricular activities/community service
- Service and membership in professional associations
- Certifications
Example of a Nursing CV
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