RMA Employment Opportunities and Student Career Services

RMA Employment Opportunities

Practical Nursing Program Instructor (Lecturer)

Minimum Professional Requirements:

1. Completion of an approved registered nursing education program;

2. At least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse;

3. If the individual is a foreign-educated nurse graduate, the individual must have at least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse in the State of Ohio;

4. A baccalaureate degree in nursing; and

5. Current, valid licensure as a registered nurse in Ohio.

Practical Nursing Program Instructor (Clinical)

Minimum Professional Requirements:

1. Completion of an approved registered nursing education program;

2. At least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse;

3. If the individual is a foreign-educated nurse graduate, the individual must have at least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse in the State of Ohio;

4. A baccalaureate degree in nursing; and

5. Current, valid licensure as a registered nurse in Ohio.

Registered Nursing Program Instructor (Lecturer)

Minimum Professional Requirements:

1. Completion of an approved registered nursing education program;

2. At least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse;

3. If the individual is a foreign-educated nurse graduate, the individual must have at least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse in the State of Ohio;

4. A baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing; and

5. Current, valid licensure as a registered nurse in Ohio.

Registered Nursing Program Instructor (Clinical)

Minimum Professional Requirements:

1. Completion of an approved registered nursing education program;

2. At least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse;

3. If the individual is a foreign-educated nurse graduate, the individual must have at least two years of experience in the practice of nursing as a registered nurse in the State of Ohio;

4. A baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing; and

5. Current, valid licensure as a registered nurse in Ohio.

Student Career Services

Creating a Resume for the Nursing Profession

The following information is adapted from: https://novoresume.com/career-blog/nurse-resume-example-novoresume.

As a nurse, you know a lot about taking care of people and helping them be healthy. But when it comes to resume writing, maybe you could use your own a little help. Are there specific resume strategies that nurses should follow?

How detailed do you need to be when describing your medical skill set? And how do you highlight all those certifications you might have? We’re going to walk you through the entire process of creating a nurse resume step-by-step!

In this guide, we’re going to cover:

A nurse resume example that is proven to work
How to write a nurse resume that will get you invited to interviews
How to make your nurse resume stand out [with top tips & tricks]

How to Format a Nurse Resume

The first step to creating your nurse resume is to decide on a format.

Hiring managers want specific information to point out when reviewing resumes, like in any other career. So nurses need to make sure their resumes are appropriately formatted.

In 2022, the most common resume format remains the “reverse-chronological” format. So this is your best bet.

Of course, there are other resume formats you can try…

Functional Resume – This format is a lot more about your skills than professional experience. It’s good if you don’t have a lot of experience, transfer to a new industry, or have gaps in your employment history.
Combination Resume – As the name suggests, a combination resume is a mix between “Functional” and “Reverse-Chronological.” This means it focuses both on skills AND work experience. You can use a combination resume if you have a lot of work experience or changing industries.

Once you’ve decided on the format, you need to get your resume layout right.

Here’s what we recommend…

Margins – One-inch margins on all sides
Font – Pick a font that stands out, but not too much. Do Ubuntu, Roboto, etc. Don’t: Comic Sans.
Font Size – Use a font size of 11-12pt for standard text and 14-16pt for headers
Line Spacing – Use 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing
Resume Length – Don’t go over the 1-page limit. Have trouble fitting everything into one page? Check out these one-page resume templates.

Pro Tip:

As a nurse, you have probably earned some certifications in different areas of medicine. Create a dedicated section for your certificates, so these stand out in your resume.

What to Include in a Nurse Resume

The main sections in a nurse’s resume are:

Contact Information
Resume Summary
Work Experience
Education
Skills
Certificates
Awards & Recognitions

If you want your resume to stand out more, you can also try these optional sections:

Conferences & Courses
Professional Affiliations
Languages
Interests & Hobbies

Now, we will go through each of those sections and explain how to write them.

How to Get Your Contact Information Right

Maybe you’ve created the perfect resume with fantastic content on your skills and experience. But if you mess up the contact section, you won’t be getting a lot of interview invitations (mainly because they won’t be able to call your misspelled phone number).

For your contacts, include:

Name
Title – For nurses, your best bet is likely “Registered Nurse”.
Phone Number – Double-check, triple-check this. One typo can really mess up your chances of an employer contacting you.
Email Address – Use a professional email address (firstname.lastname@gmail.com), and avoid that email you created back in 5th grade (sirlaughsalot@gmail.com).
(Optional) Location – Applying for a job abroad? Mention your current location.

How to Write a Nurse Resume Summary or Objective

Fun fact – recruiters spend less than 6 seconds reviewing each resume. This isn’t that surprising, though. You can’t expect them to read the hundreds of resumes they receive from end to end.

So, if the recruiter doesn’t see that you’re relevant for the job in a single glance, your resume won’t even be read.

Now, the question is, what can you do to hook the recruiter the moment they look at your resume.

The answer is simple: use a resume summary or objective.

As a quick intro, both the resume summary and objective sections go on top of your resume, just under the contact information section.

The main difference between the two sections is that…

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence summary of your professional experiences and achievements.

Nurse Resume Summary Example

Trauma Certified Registered Nurse with more than five years of experience working in emergency care. A compassionate, ethical healthcare provider with a proven ability to stay calm during crises. Hold a Master’s of Science in Surgical Nursing.

On the other hand, a resume objective is a 2-4 sentence snapshot of your professional goals and aspirations.

Nurse Resume Objective Example

Patient-focused nursing student with two years of healthcare experience. Pursuing internships as part of my career goal to become Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse.

So, which one do you pick? A summary or an objective?

As you can see from the above examples, the critical difference between the two is that a Resume Objective is better suited to those new to a field (student, graduate, or switching careers). Always go for a Resume Summary if you have already established your career path.

How to Make Your Nurse Work Experience Stand Out

Work experience is the essential section of your resume.

Your medical skills are super necessary, but so is your professional experience. Here’s how to structure your work experience section…

Position name
Dates
Company Name
Responsibilities & Achievements

Here’s what it looks like in practice:

Nurse

Brooklyn Hospital

01/2015 – 06/2019

Obtained and recorded patients’ vital signs, intake and output, and blood glucose
Worked in the cardiatric and oncology wards of the hospital
Used EHR software to record patient information

If you want to stand out, you should focus on talking about your achievements instead of responsibilities.

Instead of saying:

“Screen patients upon arrival at the emergency ward.”

Go for:

“Administered emergency ward intake evaluations for up to 25 patients each hour by measuring vital signs and prioritizing cases accordingly.”

So, what’s the difference between the two?

The second one is more specific. You know precisely what the person did, and you can say that he/she can work efficiently.

The first example, on the other hand, is too generic. Screening patients could be as primary as checking whether they have health insurance and entering their personal information into the hospital system. There is also no mention of how many patients this person is used to handling.

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Maybe you’re a current student trying to land an internship or a recent graduate looking for your first full-time nursing job?

Fortunately, nursing students or graduates gain plenty of practical experience as they navigate their way through their studies. Only so much of the medical field can be taught in the classroom.

By the time you are in your second year of school, chances are high you’ve been in a healthcare facility helping evaluate and treat patients. You may not be a registered nurse at this point; you can include the skills and procedures you’ve learned in school on your resume.

Use Action Words to Make Your Nurse Resume SHINE!

“Responsible for”

“Created”

“Worked in”

These are the most common words you’ll find on ANY resume.

And since you want YOURS to stand out, we’d recommend avoiding them as much as possible.

Instead, use some of these power words to make your responsibilities and achievements stand out:

Administered
Measured
Devised
Refined
Analyzed
Led
Oversaw
Specialized
Treated

How to List Education Right

The next section in any Nurse’s resume is “Education.”

This one’s pretty straightforward. Simply list out your education entries, and you’re gold!

Degree Type & Major
University Name
Years Studied
GPA, Honors, Courses, and anything else you might want to add

Here’s a practical example:

MSc in Nursing

University of Southern California

2014-2018

Relevant Courses: Radiological Nursing, Advanced Surgical Procedures, Oncological Diagnostics
GPA: 3.6

Clear? Good!

Before we move on, here are some of the most frequent questions we get about education on a resume (and their answers!):

What if I haven’t finished college?

Whether you’re still a student or you dropped out, you should still mention your degree. All you have to do is include the years studied, and you’re good.

Do I list my high school education?

Only if you don’t have a higher education, no one cares about your high school education if you have a B.A.

What goes first, education or experience?

If you have any relevant work experience, then experiences go on top. If you don’t, though, then education.

Hard Skills for Nurse Resume:

Assisting in surgery
Administration of medication
Chemotherapy administration
Bedside monitoring
Bladder irrigation
Blood administration
Discharge
Emergency room care
Healthcare software
Infection control
Lab testing
Intramuscularly injections or IV therapy
Maternal care
Pain management
Physical assessments
Psychiatric care
Rehabilitation
Seizure precautions
Surgery preparation
Wound irrigation
Withdrawal of blood samples

Soft Skills for Nurse Resume:

Accuracy
Attention to detail
Communication (verbal & written)
Critical thinking
Empathy
Physical endurance (since you will work long hours and have to use sometimes heavy equipment or patients)
Observation (since you need to track subtle and small changes such as a change in the color or odor)
Teamwork

Pro-Tip

As a general rule, we’d recommend not to go overboard with “Soft Skills.” They are undoubtedly important in the medical field, but they are also harder to back up. Doctors need people with hard skills standing next to them, so give these priorities.

Certifications for a Nurse Resume

As we mentioned before, many nurses will attain special certifications as they progress. These should be highlighted in your resume. For example:

CPR certified through the American Heart Association
Family Nurse Practitioner
Advanced Holistic Nurse, Board Certified

Other Resume Sections You Can Include

At this point, you’re probably ready to wrap up your resume and call it a day.

After all, we’ve covered all the important sections, right?

Well, not exactly. See, the #1 goal of your resume is to stand out.

And if your resume looks the same as everyone else’s, that’s where you fail.

If you’re already a good match for the job in terms of skills and experiences, these sections could be the deciding factor that gets you hired (and makes you stand out from the rest).

Conferences & Courses

As part of their career development, many nurses will participate or even speak at nursing conferences. These are great to list on a resume because they highlight your dedication to the profession.

Meanwhile, nurses also participate in courses devoted to specialized topics in nursing or medicine. Perhaps these courses don’t involve formal certification in a specific area, but they do demonstrate particular career interests.

For example, after five years of working in nursing, you may decide to take a course in End-of-Life Care because it’s an area you may want to pursue future certification. Once you’ve taken the course, there’s no reason not to put it on your resume.

If you’ve got the space, try to include a Conferences & Courses section on your resume.

Languages

An extra language or two can always come in handy, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with the position you’re applying for. You never know when a foreign language might help save a life.

If you know any foreign language & have extra space in your resume, feel free to add a language section.

Make sure to split the languages by proficiency:

Native
Fluent
Proficient
Intermediate
Basic

Match Your Cover Letter with Your Resume

Yep, that’s right.

You might be thinking, “A cover letter?! Surely the nursing skills on my resume speak for themselves!”

Well, here’s the thing: cover letters are still essential.

They show the recruiter that you’re passionate about working for THIS position in THIS company, and you aren’t just sending your resume all over the place.

Having a solid cover letter with your resume can significantly boost your chances of getting the job.

Contact Details

Your personal contact information, including full name, profession, email, phone number, and location.

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information

Full name, position, location, email.

Opening Paragraph

Your introduction should be very strong. If you don’t manage to hook the hiring manager here, they’re not going to read the rest of it. So, mention:

Your name
The position you’re applying for
Your experience summary and top achievement

The Body

Once you’ve got the hiring manager hooked, you can go through the rest of your background. Some of the points you can mention here are:

Why do you want to work for this specific company?
Anything you know about the company’s culture.
What are your top skills, and how are they relevant for the job.
If you’ve worked in similar industries or positions.

Closing Paragraph

This is where you:

Wrap up any points you missed in the body paragraph
Thank the hiring manager for their time
End with a call to action. Something like, “I’d love to discuss further how my experience as an X can help the company with Y.”

Formal Salutations

Use a formal closing, such as “best regards” or “Sincerely.”

Need more inspiration? We get it – creating a cover letter is challenging work. But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with your step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter.

Applying for a different position in the medical field? Our related resume examples can come in handy:

Key Takeaways

Congrats!

You’re guaranteed to land the job if you follow everything we just taught you to the T.

Now, let’s go through everything we’ve learned real quick:

Get the correct formatting for your nurse’s resume. Use a reverse-chronological format, and follow the best practices we mentioned on getting the layout right.
Use a resume summary or objective to catch the hiring manager’s attention.
In your work experience section, try to talk more about your achievements than your responsibilities.
Emphasize hard skills more than soft skills (both are important, but hard skills save lives)
Match your nurse resume with a convincing cover letter.

Top 20 Nursing Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

By Sadie Glisson BSN, RN

December 8, 2021

(The following came from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/nursing-interview-questions)

Sadie Glisson, BSN, RN, has worked as a nurse in case management, clinical research, and oncology data abstraction. She is also the founder of “The Remote Nurse,” an online community and job board designed to connect nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to remote telehealth jobs.

During a nursing interview, your interviewer will ask you questions that allow you to demonstrate your abilities and knowledge related to interacting with and caring for others in a fast-paced environment. It is best to prepare responses that showcase your skills, training, and experience. In this article, we highlight questions you may encounter during a nursing interview and offer advice to help you prepare to demonstrate your qualifications for the job thoroughly.

Common nursing interview questions Use your responses to demonstrate your ability to maintain the best quality of care for your patients. In addition to practicing your answers, you can also prepare questions to ask your interviewer and update your resume.

Here are ten (10) common nursing interview questions to consider practicing:

Do you work well with other nurses, doctors, and staff?

Teamwork is a vital skill for anyone in the nursing field. It’s important to express that you recognize the value of working together with doctors, other nurses, and staff members. Collaborating with your co-workers can provide the best patient outcomes, ensure the effectiveness of safety procedures and increase your job satisfaction. When you answer this question, emphasize your interpersonal skills, such as teamwork, patience, and active listening.

Example: “During my clinical training at Northeast Hospital in the ER, I learned how important it is to communicate well with other nurses. One night, a patient approached me to say he had been waiting for his medication for 20 minutes. I was new to the hospital, so I checked in with his nurse before deciding to provide it myself. It turned out that the patient had Alzheimer’s disease, and his attending nurse had given him the medication already. This communication helped our team to ensure the patient’s safety.”

How would you handle a difficult patient?

As a nurse, it’s essential to have compassion and patience. Your patients are often facing difficult situations that can sometimes affect their attitudes. When you encounter a difficult patient, take steps to reassure them. Make sure you administer any medication properly according to schedule and provide extra resources that might help make the patient more comfortable. When asked this question, consider giving an example of a time when you encountered a difficult patient and helped to improve the patient’s outcome.

Example: “While working overnight as a pediatric nurse, I had a 15-year-old patient under my care who we were treating for infection. The patient called me into the room several times within an hour with various concerns. Even though I was falling behind in my scheduled care of other patients, I sat down with him to ask how he felt. It turned out that he was worried about his situation and not used to being away from home. I spent a few minutes asking about his pets at home and brought him an extra snack. After that, he went to sleep and no longer called repeatedly during the remainder of his treatment. I learned to look beyond patients’ attitudes for underlying concerns.”

3. How do you handle workplace stress?

It’s standard to experience fast-paced workflows and complex tasks in the medical field. Because of this, it’s important to have a clear explanation of how you handle the emotionally and physically demanding aspects of your job. Describe the techniques you’ve developed for stress relief to answer this question. You can discuss hobbies, support groups, exercise regimens, and other ways you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Example: “During my nurse training, I attended a seminar where the speaker encouraged nurses to develop and maintain habits that support our health. She recommended finding a physical activity or hobby to pursue to reduce stress. I took her advice and found a gym that offers a variety of classes, so there is always something new to try. I also volunteer at an animal shelter. I find that these two hobbies effectively relieve my stress.”

4. What do you do if your replacement does not arrive?

Nurses must stay at their posts until the next shift nurse arrives. This shift change ensures there are no lapses in the quality of service provided by the nursing staff. When a replacement doesn’t arrive on time, some solutions you can offer to this situation include contacting your replacement. At the same time, you stay for a few minutes beyond your shift or find someone else to cover the responsibilities before your co-worker arrives. You can talk to your supervisor if there is a problem or your replacement is late on more than one occasion.

Example: “In my last position in the ICU at City Hospital, I could not find my replacement one night. It was the end of my long shift, and I was ready to go home. I spoke to my supervisor, and we were able to make changes to fit his schedule better so I would not have to stay late after my shift was over.”

5. How would you handle a disagreement with a doctor?

When you answer this question, emphasize your interpersonal skills such as active listening, teamwork, flexibility to solve problems, and the ability to follow the chain of command when necessary. In your response, mention that you will first work directly with the doctor to resolve the discrepancy. If further assistance is needed, you may need to speak to your supervisor for assistance.

Example: “I had a situation while working in the ER at a small hospital. We were understaffed on certain nights, and everyone would be busy. One night, I looked over a patient’s chart, and the prescription did not look right. First, I called the doctor to resolve the discrepancy. The doctor confirmed the original prescription, but it still did not look right to me. At that point, I decided to discuss it with my supervisor. When the three of us reviewed the prescription together, the doctor eventually realized there was an error. We were able to correct the prescription and provide the patient with the right treatment.”

Describe how you manage a busy workload

When you respond to this question, highlight your dedication to attending to your patients during various conditions. In your response, you can provide an example of when you managed an increased number of tasks without compromising protocols or procedures.

Example: “There was an example where we were understaffed on the weekend during the holiday season and had more patients than usual. I worried that we would have long delays in attending to our patients because of staffing. I offered to stay a couple of hours longer that day, as did some of my co-workers, to cover the remaining shifts. Our team worked together and communicated with each other throughout the day if we needed help or a break. Ultimately, we were able to take care of all the tasks.”

Do you have any professional affiliations?

Your response to this question is an opportunity to emphasize that you seek opportunities to advance your skills. This is an excellent time to highlight any areas on your resume that list extra certifications you have gained through these organizations, ways you are involved in the organizations, and specific areas of nursing you are passionate about.

Example: “I am a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Assisted Living Nurses Association. I am passionate about geriatric care, and I make sure to keep my knowledge current in areas that will benefit the geriatric patients in my care. I completed a class in February through the American Association of Diabetes Educators that enabled me to improve the care I provided to a patient who was struggling with his dietary requirements. I was able to provide him with resources to develop a system he was happy with.”

How would you handle a crisis such as an outbreak?

Your response to this question should demonstrate your hard skills such as your knowledge of how to address specific medical situations and soft skills like teamwork and adaptability. For a strong answer, discuss your ability to collaborate, your in-depth knowledge of nursing procedures, and your attention to detail.

Example: “In my last role as a public health nurse at the city’s health department, I noticed an unusually high number of patients coming in with similar symptoms. I lead a team to collect and analyze the data. It turned out that there was a small outbreak in our city. Because of our team reporting, the staff in our facility detected the symptoms and followed standard infection control precautions. Authorities were able to alert the public for symptoms to watch out for. I feel our team did a great job observing our patients and reporting the incidents.”

How would you handle a patient who struggles with pain management?

Empathy is a vital skill for nurses to use when interacting with patients who may be dealing with pain. Express that you take your patient’s concerns seriously and provide an example that shows you can help them through empathy and problem-solving.

Example: “During my time with obstetrics and gynecology at City Hospital, I remember a patient who was experiencing pain during pregnancy. I suggested different sleeping positions and stretches, but they did not help her. In that case, I reported the information to her doctor who was able to recommend further treatment. The next time she came in, she was excited to report that the treatment was working and she rarely experienced any more pain. In other settings, I have been able to offer comfort measures to patients like extra pillows or help with the television while they wait for their doctor to arrive. I always take patients seriously when they tell me about discomfort.”

10. How do you respond when people ask for your diagnosis outside of the clinical setting?

As a medical professional, you may encounter friends who seek your advice on what to do about their medical concerns. It’s best to refer people to medical professionals who can provide a thorough exam, diagnosis, and treatment. To answer this question, briefly discuss how you tell these friends how important it is to seek medical advice in a clinical setting from medical professionals who have access to information from tests.

Example: “I have a family friend who would ask me about symptoms he was having and what I thought he should do. After I told him that I could not give him a diagnosis outside of the clinic where I worked, he finally made an appointment to see the doctor there. While it would have been convenient for him to get feedback from me, it’s always best to treat patients in a holistic, professional manner so we have all the right information to do what is best for them.”

RMA Employment Opportunities and Student Career Services

RMA Employment Opportunities

Practical Nursing Program Instructor (Lecturer)

Practical Nursing Program Instructor (Clinical)

Registered Nursing Program Instructor (Lecturer)

Registered Nursing Program Instructor (Clinical)

Student Career Services

Creating a Resume for the Nursing Profession

How to Format a Nurse Resume

What to Include in a Nurse Resume

How to Get Your Contact Information Right

How to Write a Nurse Resume Summary or Objective

How to Make Your Nurse Work Experience Stand Out

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Use Action Words to Make Your Nurse Resume SHINE!

How to List Education Right

Hard Skills for Nurse Resume:

Soft Skills for Nurse Resume:

Certifications for a Nurse Resume

Other Resume Sections You Can Include

Conferences & Courses

Languages

Match Your Cover Letter with Your Resume

Contact Details

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information

Opening Paragraph

The Body

Closing Paragraph

Formal Salutations

Key Takeaways

Top 20 Nursing Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

Do you work well with other nurses, doctors, and staff?

How would you handle a difficult patient?

3. How do you handle workplace stress?

4. What do you do if your replacement does not arrive?

5. How would you handle a disagreement with a doctor?

Describe how you manage a busy workload

Do you have any professional affiliations?

How would you handle a crisis such as an outbreak?

How would you handle a patient who struggles with pain management?

10. How do you respond when people ask for your diagnosis outside of the clinical setting?

More questions to anticipate in a nursing interview

Questions to ask the employer

How to prepare for your nursing interview