Registered Nurse (RN) Resume Scan — Honest ATS Score + Clinical Impact Signals

What Nurse Managers & ATS Look For First

The first pass is quick. Hiring teams check if your resume parses cleanly, whether your bullets reflect safe, effective care, and if your unit experience aligns to the posting. Our Honest ATS Scanner mirrors that check: it flags parser risks, weak headings, vague verbs, missing certifications, and unit-true keywords.

Role-True Nursing Keywords (Use Naturally)

Include the language that ATS and nurse managers expect—and tie it to outcomes:

• Units: ICU, ER/ED, Med-Surg, Telemetry, PACU, Step-Down, Pediatric, Oncology, OR
• Core: Assessment, Triage, Care Plans, Medication Administration, Patient Education
• Quality & Safety: HCAHPS, Falls Prevention, CLABSI/CAUTI reduction, Infection Control
• Systems: EHR (Epic, Cerner, Meditech), Barcode Med Admin, IV pumps, Monitors
• Certifications: RN (state), BLS, ACLS, PALS/NRP, TNCC, ONS (as relevant)
• Collaboration: Interdisciplinary Rounds, Discharge Planning, Precepting

Keywords help ATS; patient impact wins interviews. See our Outcome Bullet Guide and How WisGrowth Works.

Outcome-Driven Bullet Examples (Copy the Shape)

• Led falls-prevention huddles on Med-Surg; unit fall rate −28% in 3 months.
• Streamlined triage & meds reconciliation in ED; door-to-med time −14 minutes.
• Implemented hourly rounding with CNAs; HCAHPS nurse communication +9 pts.
• Educated CHF patients on discharge plan; 30-day readmissions −12%.
• Precepted 4 new RNs; orientation time −1 week while maintaining quality checks.

Lead with the result (safety, quality, service), then explain your actions and tools. If data is sensitive, use percentages or direction of change (↑/↓).

Common RN Resume Mistakes (We’ll Flag Them)

• Unit listed, impact missing: “ICU Nurse” with no metrics or quality wins.
• Unparseable templates: multi-column layouts or image text that breaks ATS.
• Certs buried: BLS/ACLS/PALS/TNCC not in a visible Certifications section.
• Vague patient volumes: no average patient load, ratios, or acuity context.
• Only tasks, no outcomes: no changes in falls, infection, wait-time, HCAHPS.

Parsing & Structure: Don’t Lose to the Template

Use one column, standard headings (Experience, Education, Certifications, Skills), consistent dates, readable fonts, and real text (no images). Our scan grades parseability, structure, and keywords, then gives clear edits so you can fix the top blockers first.

Show Clinical Judgment, Teamwork, and Patient Advocacy

Hiring teams want safe practice and collaboration. Mention high-acuity assignments, rapid response involvement, handoff quality, discharge education, and any practice-council work. Add at least one bullet per role that references safety, quality, or patient education.

7-Day Plan to Lift Your Nursing Signal

1. Run a free scan to baseline ATS and find your top three issues.
2. Rewrite three bullets with patient outcome → what you did → tool/standard used.
3. Pull unit metrics (falls, CLABSI, HCAHPS domain) where allowed; otherwise use relative %s.
4. Add a “Certifications” line in the header or near top; list active & expiry dates.
5. Mention EHR proficiency (Epic/Cerner/etc.) and common equipment you use confidently.
6. Apply to three aligned roles; ask a charge nurse/educator to review for safety language.
7. Optional: take the Clarity Quiz to choose ER vs. Med-Surg vs. ICU path.

New Grad vs. Experienced RN: What Changes

New grads: emphasize clinical rotations, preceptorships, patient ratios, EHR exposure, and any quality initiatives you observed or supported. Experienced RNs: show precepting, charge assignments, committee participation, rapid responses, and measurable improvements. Both should highlight safe care and clear communication.

Changing Units or Settings?

Translate experience to the target unit’s language. For example, shifting from Med-Surg to Telemetry? Emphasize cardiac monitoring, rhythm interpretation, and timely escalation. Moving to outpatient? Highlight care coordination, patient education, and access improvements. Align keywords via an ATS scan and adjust bullets to reflect quality and throughput.

Keep Going

When your resume shows safer care, better communication, and smoother throughput, interviews get easier. Improve one bullet, one section, and make one calibrated application each week. For fast direction, try the 60-sec Career Health Check, then read How WisGrowth Works.