How to Write a New Grad Nursing Resume in 2026

Writing your first nursing resume as a new graduate can feel overwhelming. You might think: "I have no real work experience — what do I even put on here?" The truth is, your clinical rotations, skills, and education make you a stronger candidate than you realize.

This guide walks you through everything you need to create a professional new grad nursing resume that passes ATS systems and impresses hiring managers.

1. Choose the Right Resume Format

As a new grad, use a reverse-chronological format with your education and clinical rotations prominently featured. Keep it to one page — hiring managers spend an average of 7 seconds on an initial resume scan, so every line needs to earn its place.

The ideal new grad nursing resume structure:

• Contact information (name, phone, email, city/state, license)
• Professional summary (3-4 sentences)
• Clinical rotations (treated as experience)
• Education
• Certifications (BLS, ACLS, etc.)
• Skills

2. Write a Compelling Professional Summary

Your summary should be 2-3 sentences that highlight your degree, clinical hours, target specialty, and key strengths. Avoid generic phrases like "hardworking team player."

Bad example:

Hardworking new graduate nurse seeking a position where I can use my skills and grow professionally.

Good example:

Compassionate BSN-prepared new graduate nurse with 500+ hours of clinical experience across Med-Surg and Telemetry units. Skilled in patient assessment, medication administration, and ECG interpretation. Seeking a Med-Surg RN position at a Magnet-designated hospital.

3. Transform Clinical Rotations into Experience

This is the most important section for new grads. Each rotation should be formatted like a job entry with specific, quantified bullet points.

Format each rotation like this:

• Unit Type Clinical Rotation — Hospital Name, Hospital Type
• Total hours completed
• 3-5 bullet points starting with action verbs

Weak bullet: "Did patient assessments during Med-Surg rotation"

Strong bullet: "Completed 120-hour Medical-Surgical clinical rotation at UCLA Medical Center, performing head-to-toe assessments on 4-6 patients per shift and communicating findings using SBAR communication"

Key tips for rotation bullets:

• Start every bullet with an action verb (Completed, Administered, Monitored, Performed)
• Include specific numbers: hours, patient count, bed count
• Mention the hospital type (Teaching Hospital, Level I Trauma, Magnet)
• List specific procedures and skills you practiced

4. Highlight the Right Skills

Divide your skills into categories to make them scannable. Focus on nursing-specific skills, not generic ones.

Clinical Skills: Patient Assessment, Medication Administration, IV Therapy, Wound Care, ECG Interpretation, Telemetry Monitoring

Technical Skills: Epic Systems, Cerner, Pyxis MedStation, Alaris Infusion Pumps

Soft Skills: Communication, Critical Thinking, Team Collaboration, Time Management

5. Optimize for ATS

Most hospitals use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes before a human sees them. To pass ATS:

• Use standard section headers (Professional Summary, Experience, Education, Skills)
• Include keywords from the job posting
• Avoid tables, graphics, or unusual formatting
• Save as PDF or DOCX (check the job posting requirements)
• Spell out abbreviations at least once (e.g., "Basic Life Support (BLS)")

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Going over one page — As a new grad, you don't have enough experience to justify two pages
• Using an objective statement — A professional summary is more impactful
• Listing duties instead of achievements — Focus on what you accomplished, not just what you were responsible for
• Forgetting your license information — Include your RN license state and number

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need work experience to get a nursing job as a new grad?

No. Your clinical rotations count as experience. Most hiring managers for new grad positions expect to see clinical rotations rather than paid work experience. Focus on making your rotations shine with specific, quantified bullet points.

How long should a new grad nursing resume be?

One page. Always. Even if you had multiple clinical rotations and relevant non-nursing work experience, keep it to a single page. Be selective about what you include — quality over quantity.

Should I include non-nursing work experience?

Only if it's relevant. Experience as a CNA, medical assistant, or hospital volunteer is valuable. Retail or food service jobs can be included if you have very few clinical hours, but keep the bullets focused on transferable skills (communication, teamwork, handling stressful situations).