How to write an emergency nurse resume

An emergency nurse resume is a document that provides a detailed summary of a nurse's education, qualifications, work experience, and skills related to the field of emergency nursing. This type of resume is typically used when applying for jobs in emergency departments, trauma centers, urgent care facilities, or any healthcare setting where immediate and critical patient care is required. An emergency nurse resume typically includes the following sections:

Contact Information: This section includes the nurse's name, address, phone number, and email address.
Summary or Objective Statement: A brief statement at the beginning of the resume that highlights the nurse's career goals and qualifications as they pertain to emergency nursing. This section is optional but can help employers quickly understand the candidate's objectives.
Education: Details about the nurse's educational background, including the nursing school attended, degree earned (e.g., Bachelor of Science in Nursing), graduation date, and any relevant certifications or licenses.
Work Experience: A comprehensive list of the nurse's work history, starting with the most recent position and working backward. Each entry should include the name and location of the healthcare facility, job title, employment dates, and a detailed description of responsibilities and accomplishments. In the case of an emergency nurse, this section would highlight experiences related to emergency and critical care.
Skills: A section that outlines the nurse's specific skills and competencies relevant to emergency nursing. This may include skills such as triage, trauma care, CPR and ACLS certification, IV insertion, patient stabilization, and the use of specific medical equipment.
Certifications and Licenses: A list of certifications, licenses, and credentials held by the nurse, including state nursing licenses and any specialized certifications such as CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse), BLS, ACLS, or PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support).
Professional Memberships: If applicable, mention of any professional organizations or associations the nurse belongs to, such as the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).
References: Typically, resumes include a statement indicating that references are available upon request. Candidates should be prepared to provide professional references if requested during the application process.

An emergency nurse resume should be well-organized, concise, and tailored to the specific job application. It should effectively communicate the nurse's qualifications and experiences in the field of emergency nursing to prospective employers.

Tips for writing an emergency nurse resume

Creating an effective emergency nurse resume is essential for landing a job in this high-demand field. Emergency nurses play a critical role in providing immediate care to patients during emergencies. Here are some tips for crafting a compelling emergency nurse resume:

Choose the Right Format

Use an easily readable format
Utilize a reverse-chronological format by mentioning the most recent experience first.

Start with a Professional Summary or Objective Statement

Begin your resume with a summary or objective statement that briefly highlights your qualifications and career goals.
Tailor this section to the specific job you're applying for, emphasizing your relevant skills and expertise.

Highlight Your Education

Mention your nursing degree and any additional certifications or advanced training you possess.
Include your school's name, location, graduation date, and GPA

Emphasize Relevant Work Experience

Detail your work experience, focusing on roles related to emergency nursing.
Include the name of the hospital or healthcare facility, your job title, employment dates, and a list of your primary responsibilities and achievements.
Use action verbs to describe your duties, such as "administered medications," "triaged patients," or "assisted with trauma resuscitations."

Showcase Emergency Nursing Skills

Highlight your skills and competencies that are essential in an emergency nursing role, including:

Triage and assessment
Emergency medical procedures
Critical thinking and decision-making
Patient stabilization and trauma care
CPR and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification
IV insertion and medication administration
EKG interpretation
Team collaboration and communication

Include Any Specializations

If you have specialized in areas like pediatric emergency nursing, trauma care, or geriatric emergency nursing, be sure to mention it.
Highlight any relevant certifications or training related to your specialization.

Mention Relevant Software Proficiency

If you are proficient in electronic health record (EHR) systems commonly used in healthcare settings, such as EPIC or Cerner, include this in your skills section.

Quantify Achievements

Whenever possible, use quantifiable data to demonstrate your accomplishments. For example, mention how many patients you typically handle in a shift or your success rate in performing certain procedures.

Address Gaps in Employment

If you have employment gaps in your nursing career, briefly explain them in your resume or cover letter.
Focus on any continuing education, volunteer work, or temporary positions you held during those gaps to show your commitment to the field.

Highlight Relevant Certifications and Licenses

Mention your nursing license number and the state where you are licensed.
Include any additional certifications, such as BLS (Basic Life Support) or PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), and their expiration dates.

List Professional Memberships

If you belong to nursing organizations like the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), include them in a dedicated section on your resume.

Optimize Your Resume

Tweak your resume for every role by matching your qualifications and experiences with the job specification.
Use keywords from the job description to increase the chances of passing through applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Proofread

Review your resume carefully for spelling and grammatical errors.
Ask a trusted friend, colleague, or career advisor to review your resume for feedback.

Keep it Concise

Try to limit the length of your resume to one or two pages. Be careful with every detail you provide and concentrate on the most essential aspects.

Remember that your emergency nurse resume is your first impression of potential employers. Make sure it effectively showcases your qualifications, experience, and commitment to providing exceptional emergency nursing care.

Do's and don't of writing an emergency nurse resume

Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each job application by emphasizing relevant skills and experiences.
Use Action Verbs: Begin bullet points with strong action verbs to convey your accomplishments effectively.
Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, include specific numbers or percentages to quantify your accomplishments.
Highlight Relevant Skills: Showcase skills like triage, CPR, ACLS, trauma care, and IV insertion, which are crucial in emergency nursing.
Include Certifications: Clearly mention your nursing license, BLS, ACLS, and any other relevant certifications.
Professional Summary: Start with a concise professional summary that captures your key qualifications and career objectives.
Education: List your nursing degree and any additional certifications or training.
Work Experience: Detail your relevant work experiences, focusing on emergency nursing roles and accomplishments.
Professional Memberships: Mention memberships in relevant nursing organizations, such as the ENA.
Achievements: Highlight any awards or honors you've received in the nursing field.
Use Keywords: Incorporate keywords from the job description to align with the employer's requirements.
Proofread: Carefully review your resume for spelling and grammatical errors.
Keep it Concise: Aim for a one- or two-page resume that is concise and well-organized.

DON'T

Don't Include Irrelevant Information: Avoid including non-essential details or experiences that are not related to emergency nursing.
Don't Use Personal Pronouns: Write in a professional tone and avoid using personal pronouns like "I" or "me."
Don't Overshare: While providing details is important, avoid overwhelming the resume with excessive information.
Don't Neglect Formatting: Maintain a clean and professional format, avoiding excessive fonts, colors, or graphics.
Don't Forget to Update: Ensure all information, including contact details and certifications, is up-to-date.
Don't List Unrelated Hobbies: Unless they are directly relevant to the nursing role, skip hobbies or personal interests.
Don't Neglect Keywords: Be mindful of keywords and phrases from the job description that may be relevant to your application.
Don't Include References: Avoid listing references on the resume; simply state that they are available upon request.
Don't Write a Generic Resume: Each application should receive a tailored resume that addresses the specific job's requirements.
Don't Skip Proofreading: Neglecting proofreading can lead to errors that diminish the professionalism of your resume.
Don't Overwhelm with Technical Jargon: While some medical terminology is necessary, avoid excessive jargon that may confuse non-medical readers.
Don't Exaggerate: Be truthful and accurate in describing your skills and experiences; avoid exaggeration.

Emergency Nurse Resume Sample

An Emergency Nurse plays a crucial role in providing critical medical care assistance within emergency rooms, supporting medical professionals and physicians. Their responsibilities encompass aiding doctors, preparing patients for surgical procedures, and conducting minor medical procedures. The Emergency Nurse Resume highlights additional essential tasks, including promptly assessing patient needs, addressing severe injuries, allergic reactions, and trauma, wound cleansing, blood drawing, upholding emergency room care standards, ensuring the smooth patient check-in process, and maintaining high nursing standards.

Hospitals seek candidates with specific skills, including strong organizational abilities, compassion, the capacity to respond effectively to patient injuries, the ability to maintain composure in high-pressure situations, adept decision-making skills, and meticulous attention to detail. Aspiring individuals pursuing this career path should possess a nursing degree, certification in BLS (Basic Life Support) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), and certification as an emergency nurse.

Emergency Nurse Resume Example I

EXAMPLE

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Emergency Nurse Resume Professional Summary

Dedicated and highly skilled Emergency Nurse with over [X] years of experience providing exceptional patient care in fast-paced emergency room (ER) environments. Possesses a strong foundation in critical care, trauma assessment, and life-saving procedures. Adept at triage, rapid patient evaluation, and collaborating seamlessly with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to deliver the highest standard of emergency medical care. Holds current BLS, ACLS, and CEN certifications, ensuring competence in managing critical situations. Demonstrates unwavering composure and adaptability under pressure. Passionate about making a meaningful impact in emergency healthcare and committed to upholding the highest nursing standards

Emergency Nurse Resume Skills

Pain management and medication administration
Pediatric and adult patient care
Multitasking and time management
Crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques
Infection control and prevention
HIPAA
Patient and family education
Team collaboration

Emergency Nurse Resume Job Description

Conducted ongoing assessments and formulated treatment goals and objectives based on assessment findings.
Implemented nursing interventions such as conducting laboratory tests, educating patients about medications and illnesses, administering medications, offering referrals, and monitoring patients' progress, side effects, and symptoms. Collaborated closely with the agency physician during physician visits.
Recorded nursing activities in the patient's records and ensured all documentation was kept current, following established policies and procedures.
Completed Prior Authorizations for medications prescribed by agency physicians or Nurse Practitioners as requested by the pharmacy to secure insurance coverage for the medications.
Cultivated relationships with primary care physicians and pediatricians within the community, keeping them informed about the services currently available and facilitating referrals back to primary care providers when necessary. Remained available to primary care providers for emergency requests.
Delivered community education and consultation services for all youth receiving medical services from doctors as needed.
Provided assistance and consultation to physicians regarding scheduling, orders, and the status of patients.

Emergency Nurse Resume II

EXAMPLE

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Emergency Nurse Resume Professional Summary

Highly skilled and seasoned Emergency Room Nurse with a strong background in delivering extensive medical assistance and patient care to individuals arriving at the emergency department. Proficient in handling healthcare requirements during critical and urgent scenarios requiring immediate and intensive care. Specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions such as heart attacks, severe burns, and strokes.

Emergency Nurse Resume Skills

Triage and patient assessment
Critical care and trauma management
Life-saving procedures and interventions
Rapid response to medical emergencies
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification
IV insertion and medication administration
Wound care and suturing

Emergency Nurse Resume Job Description

Led a team of nurses responsible for delivering high-intensity emergency care and medical assistance during critical situations.
Conducted patient assessments for individuals experiencing crises and physical traumas, delivering immediate first-response care and managing pain through medication.
Assisted medical practitioners, including surgeons, physicians, and various specialists, while formulating treatment and medication strategies to ensure the successful recovery of emergency room patients post-crisis or trauma.
Oversaw the preparation of emergency room facilities for patient admissions, including the sterilization of medical instruments and thorough sanitation of surfaces both before and after patient visits.
Maintained confidentiality while sharing reports with a range of medical professionals and treatment counselors to collaborate on recovery plans.
Managed and ensured the smooth flow of patients through the department, collaborating with supervisors to maintain appropriate patient-to-staff ratios.
Provided life-saving medical care in a dynamic emergency room environment.
Conducted patient evaluations, administered medications, and implemented interventions in a timely manner, tailored to the patient's condition.