Charge Nurse Resume Example
Pursuing a career as a charge nurse provides opportunities for career progression and responsibilities involving managing medical records and coordinating patient care. A professional resume for charge nurse applications will showcase your relevant skills and career achievements, to help you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we'll explain how to write a winning resume for charge nurse applications that best showcases your skills and experience.
The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your charge nurse applications. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Continue reading to find expert tips and advice from Jobseeker that will help you with your charge nurse resume.
Core sections to include in a charge nurse resume
Although the content of a charge nurse resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.
If you're applying for an entry-level charge nurse role and have limited relevant experience, consider using a skills-based, or functional resume format. The layout emphasizes your skills and education above your work experience. Draw attention to your soft and transferable skills, as employers will value these highly for entry-level roles. You could also mention any internships, training or volunteer work that helps you showcase skills relevant to the position.
Work experience is typically the most important resume section for charge nurse applicants with some prior experience. As such, it's best to use a traditional, reverse-chronological resume format. Use your work experience section to highlight your career achievements and show how you meet the job description. Offer evidence of the impact you had on successful outcomes for the company.
If you're applying for senior charge nurse positions, you'll want to list career achievements and successes that emphasize your senior status. Use a reverse-chronological format and add extra sections to show key career highlights. Your senior resume will likely be more comprehensive than resumes for more junior roles. You can add extra details about your career, such as awards, publications presentations, professional memberships or certifications.
How you choose to present your resume is up to you. There are plenty of options for a professional resume layout and format, but every application should include the following:
Resume Header
A charge nurse resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.
Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.
Kennedy Castillo
kennedy.castillo@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
280 South Verde Street, Los Angeles, CA
linkedin․com/in/kennedy–castillo123
Resume Summary
Next, write a short paragraph to introduce yourself. You could also call this section 'resume summary' or 'personal profile'. In two or three sentences, explain your professional background, achievements and key skills. If you choose to write a resume summary, this focuses on your career experience to date. On the other hand, a resume objective addresses your future plans and career ambitions. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.
Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.
A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for charge nurse roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a charge nurse resume summary in the graphic below.
Good example:
Experienced Charge Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a proven background as a Clinical Nurse Manager. Demonstrates strong leadership skills, excels in team coordination, and ensures high standards of patient care. Proficient in managing clinical operations, staff training, and quality assurance to optimize healthcare delivery and foster a collaborative working environment
Bad example:
Nurse with some experience in healthcare and overseeing nursing tasks. Worked in roles where I helped coordinate teams and maintain care standards. Have been involved in managing operations and training staff. Focused on improving healthcare delivery and creating a supportive work environment
Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your charge nurse resume summary.
Work Experience
In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your charge nurse skills. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.
In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.
The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.
Good example:
Clinical Nurse Manager, January 2022 - Present
MedCare Coordination Services, Richmond
- Implemented a comprehensive patient care protocol, reducing hospital-acquired infections by 25% within one year
- Led a multi-disciplinary team to achieve a 90% patient satisfaction rate, consistently exceeding national benchmarks
- Spearheaded staff training programs, resulting in a 30% improvement in clinical skills competency and patient care delivery
Bad example:
Clinical Nurse Manager, January 2022 - Present
MedCare Coordination Services, Richmond
- Improved patient care processes to enhance overall hospital performance and team efficiency
- Led team initiatives to boost patient satisfaction and care quality
- Developed training programs to elevate staff skills and service delivery
Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. Poor examples of resume work experience sections tend to be vague and fail to quantify your achievements and the impact you've made in your career to date. They may also focus on responsibilities above relevant skills and how you've used them.
Education and Qualifications
Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for charge nurse roles.
A charge nurse role tends to require candidates to have a university or college degree, so make sure you list yours in your resume. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or similar is the most suitable for this job, but you could also include any other relevant qualifications that show your electronic health records or medication administration proficiency.
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.
Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), 2017 - 2020
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Skills
The skills section of a charge nurse resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include electronic health records, effective communication skills or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for charge nurse positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.
How to include hard skills on your charge nurse resume
Hard skills are the key technical skills required for charge nurse positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key charge nurse duties and responsibilities. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.
You'll make more impact with your resume hard skills list if you focus on technical skills that reflect your unique expertise and specialism, and that match the key requirements in the job description. See the graphic below for some tips on hard skills for a charge nurse resume.
- Clinical nursing expertise
- Patient care coordination
- Electronic health records
How to list soft skills on your charge nurse resume
Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a charge nurse position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. Indeed, without soft skills, you may struggle to adapt to charge nurse roles or meet the standards expected of you. So make sure you include several key soft skills on your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
An effective charge nurse resume soft skills section should be targeted to include skills that reflect your personality and unique characteristics, while also matching the job description. The graphic below includes some examples of good resume soft skills.
- Leadership and management
- Effective communication skills
- Critical thinking abilities
Certifications
Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.
Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a charge nurse resume:
- ACLS Certification, 2022
- BLS Certification, 2022
- PALS Certification, 2022
Resume tip:
Optional Information
As well as the main sections of a charge nurse resume, optional sections can help you prove your credentials to employers. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for charge nurse jobs.
Hobbies and Interests
Listing your hobbies and interests can reveal key qualities that some employers may value. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a charge nurse. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.
Volunteering
Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for charge nurse roles. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.
References
Standard charge nurse resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.
Please contact me for a list of references.
Best action words for your charge nurse resume
Using strong action verbs in your work experience bullet points can make a stronger impression on employers and show the value you added to your previous roles. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.
- Coordinate
- Supervise
- Manage
- Assess
- Implement
- Delegate
- Mentor
- Evaluate
- Facilitate
- Communicate
For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.
Sample charge nurse resume
The charge nurse resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:
280 South Verde Street, Los Angeles, CA
•
kennedy.castillo@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/kennedy–castillo123
Experienced Charge Nurse with a BSN and a proven track record as a Nurse Supervisor. Skilled in patient care management, staff coordination, and healthcare administration. Adept at maintaining high standards of patient care, implementing efficient workflow processes, and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations. Strong leadership abilities with a focus on team collaboration, professional development, and quality improvement initiatives
Nurse Supervisor
2020
-2022
Healthcare Horizons Ltd (Seattle)
- Successfully led a team of 50 nurses, improving patient satisfaction scores by 25% over two years
- Implemented a new electronic health record system, reducing documentation errors by 40%
- Spearheaded a staff training program, resulting in a 30% increase in nurse certification rates
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
2017
-2020
University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
Clinical nursing expertise
Patient care coordination
Electronic health records
Leadership and management
Effective communication skills
Critical thinking abilities
ACLS Certification
BLS Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Tips for charge nurse resumes
Tips for best resume practices
- Quantify your accomplishments by providing evidence that shows the impact you've made in your career.
- Choose a resume format that's clear, professional and makes your resume as readable as possible. Pay particular attention to the font, line spacing, heading and margins to make your document as easy-to-read as possible for employers.
- Keep your charge nurse resume concise, with a target length of one page for less experienced candidates, and two pages for senior positions.
- Mention key skills that show you're suited to the job throughout your resume, as well as in the dedicated skills section.
- Tailor your resume to make it as relevant as possible to the role you're applying for. Consult the job description and adapt your resume to reflect the required skills and experience.
Keep away from these common resume mistakes
- Don't use passive language - avoid phrases like 'I was tasked with' and use strong action verbs instead.
- Don't include any personal details, such as a photo, your age or marital status. These can create unwanted bias in the recruitment process.
- Don't fill your resume with unnecessary details. Focus everything on showing you're right for the job.
- Don't use complex formatting that makes your charge nurse resume harder to read or less scannable by software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Don't forget to keep your header up-to-date with every application, to make sure you don't include old contact information.
How to make your resume ATS compliant
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to manage their hiring process. They can handle some of the more time-consuming and resource-intensive jobs, such as initial screening of resumes. Employers often receive hundreds of applications per vacancy, and ATS software can quickly and accurately scan and rank resumes based on their likely suitability for any role. When drafting your charge nurse resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.
Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
- Using clear, simple headings makes it easier for an ATS application to scan your resume, as it can easily identify what's in each section of your document.
- Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
- Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.
If you need help creating a professional resume, take a look at our expert career articles and variety of resume examples created by careers experts.
FAQs for a charge nurse resume
As well as writing a professional charge nurse resume, you'll need a cover letter to introduce yourself and emphasize your credentials.
Firstly, think about whether you want to write a full, formal cover letter or whether a brief email to introduce yourself and draw attention to your resume will suffice.
For a full, traditional cover letter, follow formal letter-writing conventions with your header, address line and greetings. The main text of the letter tends to be split into three short paragraphs. Firstly, introduce yourself, confirm the role you're applying for and explain why you're applying for the charge nurse role. In the second paragraph, highlight your skills and experience that are most relevant to the job description. The third paragraph gives you the opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the role and your gratitude to the employer, while leaving a call to action which encourages them to make contact with you.
Jobseeker's HR-approved cover letter templates can help you produce a cover letter that really catches the eye of employers.
Even if you have little or no relevant work experience, it's still possible to write a charge nurse resume that makes a strong impression on employers. Select a resume format that emphasizes your skills and education over your work experience, such as a functional format. Use the additional information sections at the end of your resume as a showcase for relevant skills and achievements. These can be a particularly useful way of proving you have the skills necessary for the job.
If you want to create a strong first impression in your charge nurse application, a resume headline can help. Resume headlines are also helpful for the ATS stage of the recruitment process, as they can help you reference the job title and one or two keywords for the role. Write a few words to set the tone for your resume, including the job title, your experience or track record and one or two key skills that make you stand out.
See an example resume headline below:
- Junior Charge Nurse in Training
- Experienced Charge Nurse Leader
- Experienced Senior Charge Nurse Leader
The most suitable resume format for you depends on two crucial factors. Firstly, whether you have a body of relevant work experience. Secondly, the type of job and its seniority level. For roles where you're lacking experience, such as graduate jobs or career changes, you could use a functional or skills-based resume format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. If, however, you have relevant work experience in the industry, it's typically best to use a reverse chronological resume format. This highlights your achievements in work, which is probably the most important factor for hiring managers to consider.
Takeaways for your charge nurse resume
The best resumes focus on your skills and the value you've added to previous roles, rather than focusing on your duties and responsibilities. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in the job description.
HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.
Sources:
(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
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