Critical Care Nurse Resume Example
A career as a critical care nurse typically involves monitoring patient vitals and administering IV medications. To succeed in your applications for critical care nurse roles, you'll need a resume that reflects your relevant skills and experience. In this article, we'll showcase resume tips and examples that can help you create a professional critical care nurse resume that catches the eye of hiring managers.
This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a critical care nurse resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Read on to access expert insights from Jobseeker that will help you create a winning critical care nurse resume.
Main sections of a critical care nurse resume
Although the content of a critical care nurse resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.
If you're applying for junior, entry-level or graduate critical care nurse positions and you lack work experience, consider using a skills-based resume format to emphasize your skills and education. Soft and transferable skills are often more highly valued by employers for junior roles, so highlight these. Also add any internships, volunteer work or training courses you've undertaken.
When applying for mid-level critical care nurse positions, it's typically best to opt for a reverse-chronological resume format. This is because work experience tends to be the most important resume section for this level. 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.
For senior critical care nurse roles, you're likely to be competing against highly experienced candidates. Use a reverse-chronological resume format and focus on adding additional information that shows your credentials beyond your work experience. It's likely that your senior resume will be longer than a standard resume of one-to-two pages. This is because you'll be listing additional achievements beyond your work experience, such as awards, publications and professional memberships.
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
Your critical care nurse resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. 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 your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.
Thomas Anderson
thomas.anderson@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
123 Sesame Street, New York, NY
linkedin․com/in/thomas–anderson123
Resume Objective
Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for critical care nurse roles.
Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.
A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. See below for some great examples of how to approach your critical care nurse resume.
Good example:
Dedicated and compassionate Critical Care Nurse with a BSN and extensive experience in providing high-quality care in ICU settings. Proven expertise in managing critically ill patients, administering advanced life support, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Strong assessment, diagnostic, and therapeutic skills, with a commitment to patient safety and continuous professional development
Bad example:
Nurse with some experience in healthcare and working with patients in critical situations. Involved in roles where I helped care for patients and worked with others in the medical field. Have worked with very sick patients and used various medical techniques. Focused on keeping patients safe and learning more about nursing practices
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. The visual above includes some examples of what not to do with your critical care nurse resume summary
Work History
Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as a critical care nurse. For each entry, list the job title, the name of the employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Add each job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role.
Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to critical care nurse roles.
A good resume work experience section includes your most relevant previous jobs and highlights your key achievements in each role. To make the best possible impression on hiring managers, make sure each entry in your work experience section references skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you added value to each role with quantifiable evidence and outcomes. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.
Good example:
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse, January 2022 - Present
VitalCare Nursing Services, Charlotte
- Successfully reduced patient recovery times by 20% through implementation of evidence-based care protocols and continuous patient monitoring
- Trained and mentored 15 newly hired nurses, resulting in improved team efficiency and patient care quality
- Played a key role in a multidisciplinary team that achieved a 98% patient satisfaction rate in the ICU department
Bad example:
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse, January 2022 - Present
VitalCare Nursing Services, Charlotte
- Assisted in improving patient outcomes by enhancing care practices
- Contributed to team efforts in patient care initiatives
- Supported nursing staff in delivering quality healthcare services
See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with your resume work experience section. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.
Education
Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to critical care nurse roles.
Typically, working as a critical care nurse requires a university or college degree, which you'll need to list on your resume. If you're working in this sector, it's usually a good idea to highlight your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or other relevant qualifications. Focus on qualifications that showcase your advanced cardiac life or mechanical ventilation management.
Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.
If you were a member of any clubs or societies, or volunteered for any causes while studying, you could also mention these in your education section.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), 2017 - 2020
Columbia University, New York, NY
Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for critical care nurse jobs. These could be continuous renal replacement, problem-solving abilities or various other relevant skills. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for critical care nurse positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.
Listing hard skills on your critical care nurse resume
Hard skills are the key technical skills required for critical care nurse positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your critical care nurse job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the critical care nurse role. 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.
For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for a critical care nurse resume are listed below.
- Advanced cardiac life
- Mechanical ventilation management
- Hemodynamic monitoring proficiency
How to list soft skills on your critical care nurse resume
Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.
A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a critical care nurse resume.
- Effective communication skills
- Emotional resilience
- Critical thinking
Relevant Certifications and Licenses
Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional critical care nurse certifications, licenses or qualifications. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.
Below you can find several examples of certifications for a critical care nurse resume:
- CCRN Certification, 2022
- PCCN Certification, 2022
- CMC Certification, 2022
Additional Information
If you need to provide further evidence of your suitability for the job, optional sections can be useful for a critical care nurse resume. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Listing your hobbies and interests can reveal key qualities that some employers may value. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world critical care nurse experience. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.
Volunteering
If you're lacking relevant critical care nurse work experience, volunteer work can help to show you still have the relevant skills. Write your volunteer section in a similar format to your work experience, including your role, the organization name, relevant dates and the details of your contribution.
References
Although it's rare to include references on a critical care nurse resume, some employers may ask for it. Don't add references unless they're specifically mentioned by the employer in the job advert. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.
References are available upon request.
Best action words for your critical care nurse resume
Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.
- Assess
- Administer
- Monitor
- Prioritize
- Collaborate
- Advocate
- Educate
- Implement
- Evaluate
- Document
Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.
Sample resume for critical care nurse positions
The critical care nurse resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:
123 Sesame Street, New York, NY
•
thomas.anderson@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/thomas–anderson123
Dedicated and highly skilled Critical Care Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and extensive experience as a Registered Nurse - Critical Care Specialist. Proficient in advanced patient care, critical monitoring, and emergency response in high-stress environments. Demonstrates exceptional clinical expertise, strong communication skills, and a commitment to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care. Proven ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
Registered Nurse - Critical Care Specialist
2020
-2022
PulseGuard Critical Care Solutions (Tampa)
- Successfully managed care for critically ill patients, reducing ICU mortality rates by 15% over two years
- Led a multidisciplinary team in the implementation of a sepsis protocol, decreasing sepsis-related complications by 20%
- Trained and mentored over 50 nursing staff in advanced critical care techniques, improving overall unit competency and patient outcomes
Advanced cardiac life
Mechanical ventilation management
Hemodynamic monitoring proficiency
Effective communication skills
Emotional resilience
Critical thinking
CCRN Certification
PCCN Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Tips for critical care nurse resumes
Simple tips for creating a winning resume
- Read your resume carefully before sending it, to avoid errors that could prove costly to your chances.
- 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.
- Tailor your resume for each application you send. Review the job description and adapt the content to reflect the specific requirements, including key skills and experience.
- Add key skills throughout your resume that match the job description, along with a dedicated 'skills' section.
- Make your critical care nurse resume short and to-the-point. A length of one page is ideal for junior roles, while two is acceptable for senior applications.
Steer clear of these common resume writing errors
- Don't use passive language - steer away from phrases like 'I was asked to' and use action words instead.
- Don't include hobbies unless you're light on work experience and they help you prove a skill required for the job.
- Don't clutter your critical care nurse resume with too much information. Keep everything focused on showcasing your relevant skills and achievements.
- Don't use unnecessary jargon to try and impress the reader. It may have the opposite effect.
- Don't list work experience that has no relation to the role you're applying for. It wastes space and is unlikely to impress hiring managers.
How to make your resume ATS compliant
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When you're writing your critical care nurse resume, there are several things you can do to make sure your resume stands the best chance of passing the ATS stage.
Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:
- 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.
- Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
- Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
- Use design elements that help make your resume more readable. These might include white space, clear, professional fonts and subtle color accents to help certain elements stand out.
- Make sure your resume is as concise as possible, so ATS applications can easily scan and identify the required details.
For advice and guidance on creating the perfect resume, read our expert career blog and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions about a critical care nurse resume
Alongside your critical care nurse resume, it's important to produce a professional cover letter that creates a similar positive impact on the reader.
In some situations, a full, professional cover letter may not be necessary. Check the job advert and decide whether to write a formal cover letter, or if a brief email is more suitable.
A full, formal cover letter follows a traditional letter-writing structure and format. Add your header, the recipient's address an use professional greetings and sign-offs. In your first paragraph, introduce yourself and confirm the role you're applying for, along with your reasons for applying. Next, outline your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to the critical care nurse job description. Finish by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and adding a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to contact you for further information.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
Writing a critical care nurse resume with no experience needn't be a daunting task. There are still plenty of ways to impress hiring managers with your resume. Select a resume format that emphasizes your skills and education over your work experience, such as a functional format. Optional sections at the end of your resume can play a stronger role if you're lacking relevant work experience. Use certifications and training, hobbies and interests, volunteer roles and internships to show you've got the necessary skills for the job.
A resume headline can catch the attention of the reader and give them a strong first impression about your suitability for critical care nurse jobs. Resume headlines are also a powerful way of increasing your resume's chances of passing the ATS stage. They reference the job title and some of the keywords that match the job description. Write a short, snappy heading for your resume including the job title and a reference to your experience, your track record or one or two of your key skills.
You can use this example resume headline as a template for creating your own:
- Entry-Level Critical Care Nurse
- Expert in Intensive Patient Care
- Experienced Senior Critical Care Nurse
The best format for your resume depends on two key factors. Firstly, the amount of relevant work experience you have. Secondly, the type of role and its level of seniority. 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 experience in your chosen profession, a traditional, reverse chronological resume format might be the way to go. This showcases your relevant skills and achievements in your work experience section.
Takeaways for a winning critical care 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. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.
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. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.
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/
