New Grad Nurse Resume Example & Guide (2026)
A new grad nursing resume answers a different question than an experienced one: not "what have you done," but "will you make it through our residency." That means your clinical rotations are the main event — unit type, facility, hours, and one concrete thing you did well — followed by your license status, BLS/ACLS, and any healthcare work like CNA or tech roles.
Recruiters reviewing residency cohorts read hundreds of nearly identical resumes. The ones that stand out name real skills practiced under supervision (foley insertion, trach care, med passes for full assignments), quantify rotation hours, and show reliability signals: attendance, preceptor feedback, GPA if strong. The example below uses Nurse Resume HQ's new-grad mode, which surfaces rotations above work experience — the order residency coordinators expect.
New grad nurse resume example
Rendered with the same engine that builds your PDF — fictional nurse, real structure.
Maya Castillo, BSN, RN
Professional Summary
BSN graduate with 700+ supervised clinical hours across med-surg, telemetry, and a critical care capstone. Licensed RN in Arizona (compact), BLS and ACLS certified, with two years of patient-facing experience as a CNA. Seeking a structured nurse residency to build toward medical-surgical excellence.
Licenses & Certifications
- RN License, AZ (Compact / multistate) — Exp. 06/2032
- BLS (American Heart Association) — Exp. 12/2031
- ACLS (American Heart Association) — Exp. 12/2031
Clinical Rotations
Clinical Experience
- Provide daily care for 10–12 residents per shift — ADLs, vitals, mobility assistance — while completing a full-time BSN program.
- Recognized twice for perfect attendance across 24 months; trusted to orient 4 new aides to unit routines.
Education
Skills
Clinical: Head-to-toe assessment, Medication administration, Foley insertion, Wound care, SBAR handoff, Patient & family education, Vital signs & I/O monitoring
Technical: Epic, PointClickCare, BD Alaris pumps
Additional
- Volunteer: Flu clinic volunteer, Pima County Health Department — 3 seasons
- Language: Spanish — professional working proficiency
New Grad skills & keywords ATS scans for
Applicant tracking systems match on exact terms. Use the ones you genuinely have — in your skills section and inside your bullets.
- Nurse residency
- Clinical rotations
- Capstone preceptorship
- BLS
- ACLS
- NCLEX-RN
- Med-Surg rotation
- Patient assessment
- Epic
- CNA experience
How to write a New Grad Nurse resume
- 01
Put clinical rotations above work experience — residency coordinators want your capstone and total hours, not your retail job, first.
- 02
For each rotation give specialty, facility, and hours, plus one highlight that shows progression ('managed 2-patient assignments independently by final week').
- 03
State your license plainly: 'RN, Colorado — license pending, NCLEX scheduled August 2026' beats leaving recruiters guessing.
- 04
Keep healthcare-adjacent jobs (CNA, tech, scribe, EMT) and cut the rest to one line each — reliability matters, detail doesn't.
- 05
List GPA only if it's 3.5+, and honors like Sigma Theta Tau — some residencies screen on them.
FAQ
What goes on a new grad nursing resume when I have no experience?
You have more than you think: clinical rotations with hours and highlights, your capstone preceptorship, skills practiced under supervision, certifications (BLS, ACLS if you have it), healthcare jobs like CNA or tech work, and academic honors. Structure it so rotations lead.
How do I list my license if I haven't taken the NCLEX yet?
Be explicit and honest: 'RN License, Colorado — pending, NCLEX scheduled August 2026' or 'Graduate Nurse, eligible for licensure.' Recruiters hire ahead of test dates constantly; ambiguity is what costs interviews.
Should my new grad resume be one page?
Almost always yes. With rotations, education, certifications, and one or two jobs, a tight single page reads as focused. Going to two pages is only justified if you had a substantial prior healthcare career.
Do residency programs actually read cover letters?
Many do, especially for competitive cohorts — it's where you explain why their unit and program specifically. Keep it to 250–350 words, name the program, and reference one rotation experience that maps to their specialty.