Nurse Manager Resume Writing Guide with Examples

Nurse managers embody the roles of both a nurse and an executive in managing the function of their unit. By coordinating all aspects of daily patient care, they aim to ensure effective care delivery and communication towards patients and their families.

Due to the anticipated shortage of nurses, there seem to be many opportunities for newly minted nurse managers. What comes to the first step here is having a strong nurse manager resume that fully showcases your skills, qualifications, and experience.

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) works as a filter, scanning your nurse case manager resume and forwarding only the qualified ones to the recruiter. About 75% of application documents are rejected by ATS because they're not formatted correctly or do not contain keywords.

Writing a resume can be a daunting task if you don’t have the right source of information to help you get prepared. Many CV experts and online resume builders like Cake provide a wide range of information and resume examples for any job you’re seeking. 

With professional nurse manager resume examples, you can learn how to compile and structure your resume effectively and efficiently.  

Hence, the best way to get noticed is to customize your RN case manager resume to the specific job you're targeting.

Employers have to sort through hundreds of resumes for a single job, meaning that they only take a glance and seek nurse manager resumes with the most relevant details. 

Metrics, data, and statistics can help hiring managers understand your job duties and performance better in previous roles, for example:

👍“Trained and supervised 35 staff, including nursing staff, phlebotomists, and medical assistants.”

The work experience section can make or break your RN case manager resume as the employers tend to spend the most time going through this part. 

As mentioned earlier, don't forget to list measurable accomplishments on your nurse manager resume and tailor every detail to the job opening.

A resume objective, also called a career objective, is one to two sentences that state your career goals - what you hope to achieve on the career path and what values you can contribute in the nurse manager position.

It is widely used by professionals who don’t have much experience in the field, although some argue that objectives are outdated and no longer necessary in a resume.

However, if written well, an objective statement that focuses on your competencies and strong motivation can beef up your nurse manager resume and convince employers better. 

A resume summary consists of 3-5 sentences that briefly demonstrate your professional experience and highlight your qualifications for the opening role. When written well, it can help label yourself impressively and win the competition.

Through the skills section in your nurse manager resume, employers can see if you meet the job requirements. 

The tables below help you identify nurse manager skills for resumes:

✅ Advice 1: Pick the right resume format.

A regular entry-level resume may be different from an entry-level nurse manager resume. For those seeking an entry-level manager position, you likely have gained vast work experience in the nursing field, just lacking management experience.

Thus, you may consider using a hybrid resume format that incorporates the best part of a chronological and functional resume. This allows you to highlight key skills for a nurse manager and showcase your employment history at the same time.

✅ Advice 2: Craft a strong career objective.

An objective statement can make or break your entry-level nurse manager resume. It will be a waste of space if you write something like this:

❌ “Looking to be a Nurse Manager in Spring Healthcare Services.”

Instead, craft an intriguing career objective to state who you’re looking to become and where you want to go on your career path:

👍 “To secure a Nurse Manager position in Spring Healthcare Services to maintain patient care consistent with professional, regulatory and governmental guidelines.”

✅ Advice 3: Highlight your education.

It's crucial to make the educational background a priority on your entry-level nurse manager resume. Start with the highest degree (e.g., Ph.D. and/or Master), followed by Bachelor and finally, Associate’s degree.

For example:

2011 - 2015 | B.S. in Nursing | Taipei Medical University, TaiwanGPA: 3.85/4

✅ Advice 4: Add certifications or licenses for a spotlight effect.

In most countries, nursing professionals must hold a license and additional certifications to practice. Keep that in mind to put your certifications and licenses in a separate section from education.

Examples of relevant certifications in Nursing Management: 

• Certificate in Clinical Trials
• Certified Nurse Manager and Leader Certification (CNML)
• Registered Nurse Board Certification (RN-BC)

✅ Advice 5: Draft a sincere cover letter for the nurse manager position.

To get your first management job, you probably need a nurse manager cover letter beside a resume. The main purpose is to introduce yourself to the hiring manager and aim to show them that you are qualified for the vacancy.

Your nurse manager cover letter should present your qualifications, experience, positive traits, and most importantly, the motivation to apply for the job. Walk the reader through your nursing experience and what led you to this position.