Director of Nursing Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Director of Nursing resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Directors of nursing are responsible for overseeing all aspects of nursing in an organization. They set policies and procedures, hire and train new staff members, and monitor the quality of care being provided. Directors of nursing also work closely with other members of the healthcare team to identify gaps in patient care and develop solutions that will help all parties provide the best possible care to their patients.
Because directors of nursing oversee such a large scope of responsibilities, it’s important to have a resume that reflects your experience managing large teams of nurses and other healthcare professionals. Follow these tips and resume example to write a director of nursing resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Director of Nursing Resume
Here’s how to write a director of nursing resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing your bullet points, it can be tempting to simply list your responsibilities. But that’s not enough to make a strong impression. Instead, you should use your bullet points to demonstrate your value by using specific examples and metrics.
For example, rather than saying you “managed staff,” you could say you “increased staff satisfaction by 15% in six months by creating new training program and improving shift schedules.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific details about what you did and the results of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a Director of Nursing role, your resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This system will scan your resume for specific keywords related to the job opening. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
One way to make sure you have the right keywords on your resume is to read through the job posting and take note of the terms that are used most frequently. You can then use those same terms throughout your resume where they are most relevant.
- Nursing
- Healthcare
- Patient Safety
- Hospitals
- Nursing Education
- Medicine
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Care
- Patient Advocacy
- Acute Care
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Inpatient Care
- Healthcare Information Technology (HIT)
- Quality Patient Care
- Medication Administration
- Transition Care
- Advanced Life Support (ALS)
- Home Care
- Elder Care
- Clinical Research
- Research
- Public Health
- Community Outreach
- Nursing Education Leadership
- Leadership
- Quality Improvement
- Healthcare Leadership
- U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Nurses are increasingly using technology in their work, and many hospitals and clinics now require nurses to be proficient in electronic health records (EHR) systems. So if you have experience with any specific EHR systems, be sure to list them on your resume. You should also list any other technical skills that are relevant to your field, such as experience with patient monitoring systems or medical devices.
Hiring managers are also looking for nurses who are comfortable with technology and are willing to embrace new ways of working. For example, many hospitals are now using telehealth systems to provide care to patients in remote locations, so nurses who are familiar with telehealth technologies will have an advantage in the job market.