A Salute to Nurse Resumes for Veterans

By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

A version of this article was originally posted on The Nursing Beat Blog.

Organizations love hiring veterans, period! Your military experience shows that you have many transferable skill sets like being able to take direction or work in a team.

Military veterans, individuals who complete military service at home, deployed, abroad, in peacetime or in combat, have unique experiences and skill sets that should be highlighted on a nurse resume. By including transferable skills, training, and military work history, you can stand out from the applicant crowd! Here are my top recommendations for your veteran nurse resume:

‍Always share your military experience! 

Organizations love hiring veterans, period! Your military experience shows that you have many transferable skill sets like being able to take direction or work in a team. 

• Where to put it on your resume: Include your military experience in your “Professional Experience” section.

• Time: Put your total years of active service as the time frame.

• Position: Use your last or most recent title as the position name.

• Experience: Give highlights of your military experience over the years using bullet points to make it concise and easy to read. Include any special training, time abroad, and descriptions of your roles and responsibilities.

‍Highlight Special Trainings or Certifications

Often the military offers special training or certifications that civilians may not normally have access to receive. 

• Where to put it on your resume: Include under your “Certifications & Training” section.

• What to include: Any healthcare, disaster response, mental health support, crisis debriefing, communication, or other certifications or training that demonstrate transferable skill applicable to nursing.

• Descriptions: Military training and certifications sometimes have vague names that do not indicate what they cover. Avoid confusion by including a brief description of the content covered in the training or certification.

Show Off Military Recognitions 

There are a wide variety of recognitions for members of the military. If you have been recognized for excellence in the military, share it! It will help you convey the quality of your work to potential healthcare employers. 

• Where to put it on your resume: Under your “Recognitions” section or under your military service entry in your “Professional Experience” section

• What to include: The name of the recognition, the year it was received, and a short description of why you received it

Share What You Can

Some military experience is classified as top secret. If that is the case, share what you can on your resume without breaching any confidentiality rules. Do not get in trouble by leaking any secret information in your job applications. 

About the Authors:

Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life. 

Whether it’s a new school, new job or new idea,

New Thing Nurse wants to help with your new thing!