What works in this example:
- Quantifies impact: "Cared for 500+ patients at the launch of a new pediatric hospital" gives hiring managers a clear idea of this candidate’s experience with patients and specialized knowledge of pediatric care.
- Evidence of success: "Trained 35 nurses in MedSupply inventory software that reduced errors by 15%" shows how this candidate has achieved success using tools that are relevant to the target role.
- Industry skills: "Assessed individual patient needs and referred families to specialists in newborn care" shows how this candidate has used their training on the job and what they will bring to their target company.
How to quantify impact on your resume
Unlike permanent staff who can speak to long-term projects or quality improvement initiatives, travel nurses may struggle to convey their impact in concrete terms.
Focus on achievements that highlight immediate impact and rapid adaptation skills. Show potential employers how you will impact success by providing measurable results.
Here are a few areas to consider while quantifying impact on your travel nurse resume:
- Include the number of states or countries where you've worked: This shows geographical flexibility and readiness to adapt to different cultures and institutions.
- Document the number of assignments you have completed: This provides an overview of your experience in different medical teams and settings.
- Specify the number of patients you managed daily or per shift: This demonstrates your ability to handle workload and stress.
- State how many procedures or treatments you've performed: This reflects your hands-on experience and competence.
- Specify the number of years or months in specialty areas: This highlights your expertise in particular fields.
- Mention any significant reduction in readmission rates under your care: This demonstrates your effectiveness and impact as a nurse.
- Highlight your quickest response time in emergency cases: This shows how efficient and quick-thinking you are in high-pressure situations.
- Specify your perfect attendance record, if any: A record of consistent attendance shows reliability and dedication to your role.
How do I write a travel nurse resume with no experience
If you’re making a career change or applying for your first job as a travel nurse, then you need to highlight experiences outside of work history.
The best approach is to write a functional resume that focuses on transferable skills rather than experience to show potential employers how you’ve prepared for the role.
Follow these steps to write an effective entry-level travel nurse’s resume:
- Choose a functional resume layout
- Focus on transferable skills
- Present credentials and licenses clearly
- Tailor every section to fit your target job
Don’t pad your experience section with irrelevant jobs just to fill space. Only include roles that are relevant to your target position and focus on transferable skills.
Being a travel nurse requires a dynamic set of skills so there is a wide range of jobs that show transferable skills.
Previous roles in healthcare can highlight medical training and clinical experience. Service jobs can demonstrate your ability to interact with people. Even consulting or management roles can highlight your experience traveling for short-term assignments.
How to list your hard and soft skills on your resume
travel nurses are skilled medical professionals. You also have the interpersonal skills to provide compassionate care to patients and the flexibility to relocate for weeks at a time.
Your travel nurse’s resume will present your skills in two major categories.
Hard skills are the technical knowledge and abilities needed to perform job duties, whereas soft skills are the interpersonal and communication skills needed to interact with others.
Hard skills tend to be straightforward and can appear in a simple list form. Here is an example of hard skills on a travel nurse’s resume.