Nursing Student Resume Examples & Templates for 2025

You're ready to find your first nursing job after getting your fair share of experience during a nursing program. However, writing a nursing student resume might be trickier than a venipuncture. 

Stop needling yourself. I’ll make sure your student nurse resume gets you noticed by hiring managers—just follow my advice. This guide is a prescription for your future success.

This guide will show you:

• A nursing student resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a student nurse resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a nursing student resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a nursing student to get any job you want.

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Read about more specific nursing resumes here:

• Registered Nurse Resume
• New Nursing Graduates Resume
• CNA Resume
• Charge Nurse Resume
• Pediatric Nurse Resume
• OR Nurse Resume
• Labor and Delivery Nurse Resume
• Nurse Practitioner Resume
• Nursing Resume Examples
• Sample Resumes for 500+ Jobs

Let’s take a look at one of those legendary nursing student resume examples:

Nursing Student Resume Template

Now that’s just a healthy sample. Time to see how to write your nursing student resume that works just as great.

1. Select the Right Format for Your Nursing Student Resume

In a busy scenario, there’s not always a time for good preparation. But you know well how important it is to be prepared. That’s why, before I start telling you what to write, let’s figure out how to format a resume:

• Follow the reverse-chronological format of a resume, which shows your most recent achievements first.
• Choose a professional resume font, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and set its size to 11–12 points.
• Adjust the resume margins to 1 inch on each side of the page.
• Select a single-lined spacing in the entire text.
• Create a resume header with your name, job title (“Nursing Student”), contact information, and a LinkedIn profile.
• Add subheadings to make your resume more readable. Here’s how I’d name them:
• Summary
• Education
• Certificates
• Work Experience
• Skills

• Include some additional sections, such as volunteer experience, languages, hobbies, etc. We’ll get to that later in this guide.

• Stick to the right length of your resume. One page will be enough; however, if you have much to highlight, go for a two-page resume.

• Name your resume: “Your Name–Nursing Student–Resume”. Just change “your name” to your actual name!
• Save your resume as a PDF file, as it helps to keep the format intact. Do it always unless another type of file is required.

Pro Tip: Find a modern resume template to help you create your resume faster and easier.

2. Highlight Your Education on a Nursing Resume

Since you’re still a student, this part of your resume is still more significant than your work experience section—that’s why it goes up front.

Here’s what to include in the education section of your nursing student resume:

• Earned degree
• Minors and majors
• Your school’s location
• Expected graduation date

Here’s what you can also include:

• Appropriate coursework
• Extracurricular activities
• Relevant awards
• Academical achievements
• Impressive GPA (that’s 3.5 or higher)
• Honor societies
• Latin honors
• Studying abroad

Let’s see what it looks like in practice:

Nursing Student Resume: Examples of Education Section

The difference is as clear as an MRI result. The first candidate uses the education section to prove they’re skilled achievers passionate about medicine. The second one only shows the school they attended—not impressive at all.

You’re probably still studying, so go and visit our guide: How to Show an Ongoing Education on a Resume

3. Highlight Licenses and Certifications on a Student Nurse Resume

Did you know that nurses reported receiving ongoing training on several topics, including emergency preparedness and various care delivery models? Always show some extra training you’ve got on your nursing student resume, as this can be your winning point against competitors—especially if the training provides licenses and certifications.

You might have one of the following licenses:

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

Here’s how to show them on a resume:

1. Start with the full name of the certification or license.
2. Include the issuing organization or board.
3. Add the issue date or expiration date.

Let’s take a closer look at an example.

Student Nurse Resume Example—Certifications and Licenses

See? That’s easy.

Pro Tip: Many nursing students fear putting license numbers on a new grad nursing resume. They think it aids identity theft. However, most states publish nursing licenses publicly online.

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4. Describe Your Nursing Student Experience

Wonder Woman has a magic lasso and bracelets that deflect bullets. When it comes to student nurse resumes, you have a magic weapon, too. It's internships, clinical experience, and volunteer experience. All of these look great on a nursing student resume.

• List your most recent experience first.
• Then, add measurable achievements in 3–5 bullet points.

Use the nursing student resume examples below for inspiration:

Nursing Student Resume Examples—Experience

The HR manager just used her thumb to check her pulse. Your top-notch entry-level nursing resume just blew her mind. And it didn't take 7 pages!

No details. Like a SOAP Notes form that hasn't been filled out yet. You must add details to get that HR manager to notice you.

Ok, but that nurse had some experience. What if you have none whatsoever?

In the nursing world, there's no such thing as no experience. That's because nursing programs offer clinical components. However, all student nurse resumes show this clinical experience. So you must make yours stand out like a surgeon's signature on a pre-op body part.

I'll show you how in the two nursing student resumes below.

Two Nursing Student Resume Samples—No Experience

See how perfect the first example is? Now, take a look at the second one. It's as generic as a carton of atorvastatin. 

Pro Tip: Even a single semester of clinical experience can beef up your student nurse resume contents. Dig deep to find achievements in each position, e.g., how you instructed parents about administering medication.

5. Show the Required Skills on a Nursing Student Resume

You might have a great educational background and impressive achievements from your past work experiences. But you wouldn’t be where you are now if it wasn’t for your skills. So don’t think twice and show them on a resume—except, don’t just list all the skills you have. 

Instead, do as follows:

1. Find skills mentioned in the job posting.
2. Write down all the hard and soft skills you have.
3. See which skills fit those mentioned in the job posting.
4. Include up to 15 skills on your nursing student resume. 

Nursing Student Skills for a Resume

Now let’s see what these skills can look like on a resume:

Nursing Student Resume Example—Skills

What a great mixture of hard and soft skills. That’s exactly how to do it right, as long as you remember to use the ones mentioned in the job posting. This way, you’ll gain the advantage over other candidates, especially in the context of a large skills gap in the healthcare sector.

Still considering what skills to add to your resume? Visit our guide: Top Employability Skills

6. Add Other Sections for an Effective Student Nurse Resume

Jobs for nursing students are growing fast. But that doesn’t mean you should underestimate the competition. You need to create a stand-out resume that will distinguish you from other nurses who want to land the job you’re after. Do it with some additional resume sections.

Here are some information you can add to your nursing student resume:

• Memberships and Associations
• Awards and Honors
• Conventions
• Volunteer Work
• Hobbies and Interests
• Language Skills

Let's see how that can work in two nursing student resume examples:

Nursing Student Resume—Examples of Other Sections

Compare these two examples, and you'll see that the first is relevant and detailed, while the second is vague and unrelated. And that’s what the most important when thinking about these extra sections. To use them well, make them detailed and relevant.

Pro Tip: Consider joining the American Nurses Association. Not only does it look great on an entry-level nurse resume, but it also opens up dozens of great networking opportunities.

7. Write a Resume Objective for a Nursing Student

The first impression matters. My HR report proves recruiters only look at resumes for about 7 seconds. That’s why every candidate needs to include a good resume profile.

There are two types to choose from:

• A professional summary for candidates with some relevant experience to show.
• A resume objective for candidates with less relevant experience.

Here’s are two formulas on how to write each of them:

Nursing Student Resume Summary (Formula)

Nursing Student Resume Objective (Formula)

Now, let’s see some examples.

Nursing Student Resume Examples: Two Summaries

See how well the first example looks? That’s because it follows the formula above! The second one fails to do that and fails to impress.

Two Nursing Student Resume Objective Statements

Even though you might feel some passion from the second candidate here, it’s still not enough. Compare it with the right example, and you’ll see the difference.

Pro Tip: Your objective or summary is the finishing touch on your nursing student resume. Write it last once everything else is done.

8. Add a Cover Letter to Your Nursing Student Resume

Do you need a cover letter? Of course, you do. Always add it to your resume—it shows you're willing to go the extra mile, a trait every healthcare team values in a nursing professional.

Here’s how to write a cover letter for a nursing student:

1. Select the correct cover letter format and make it consistent with your resume.
2. Start your cover letter strongly by highlighting your biggest achievement.
3. Prove you're a great fit by listing more relevant skills and accomplishments.
4. End your cover letter by suggesting a time to meet and discuss how you can contribute.
5. Add a professional sign-off.
6. Mind the right cover letter length. Anything above one page is too long.

And that’s it. You’re ready to apply!

Pro Tip: After you send your student nurse resume and cover letter, follow up. A phone call or an email in a few days can put you on top of mind. Now that's a good impression!

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Now you know how to write a nursing student resume. But I won’t let you go without a quick recap:

• Format your nursing student resume properly to boost its readability.
• Focus on your education, highlighting degrees, coursework, and honors.
• List certifications and include licenses with issue and expiration dates.
• Show experience, and emphasize clinicals, internships, and measurable achievements.
• Highlight skills and tailor your hard and soft skills to the job description.
• Add extra sections, such as relevant volunteer work, languages, or hobbies.
• Write a strong resume profile to catch the attention of your readers.
• Always Include a cover letter.

Now you’re completely ready. Good luck. You’ve got this.

Do you have questions or tips about creating a professional nursing student resume? Please let me know in the comments section!

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Sources

• HRSA Healthcare Workforce: Nursing Education and Training: Data from the 2022 NSSRN
• Clear Company: Addressing Skill Gaps in the Healthcare Industry
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses
• Riia O'Donell, "Eye tracking study shows recruiters look at resumes for 7 seconds"