ICU Nurse Resume Examples & Templates
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Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses play an invaluable role in providing care to critically ill patients.
They must be well-versed in the latest medical advancements and treatments in order to make appropriate decisions and provide the best possible care.
Our ICU nurse resume examples and guide will help you learn how to write a resume that showcases your interpersonal skills and medical knowledge to stand out from the competition.
Start by editing this sample resume for an ICU nurse, or explore our library of professional resume templates to find one that matches your style.
ICU nurse resume sample (text version)
Hayden Crawford
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Professional Summary
Compassionate intensive care registered nurse (ICU) with 10 years of experience in large hospital environments. Service-oriented with organized and proactive nature. Proficient in handling emergency situations and managing clinical staff.
Skills
- Medication
- Therapy and treatment
- Procedural assistance
- Life support and IV administration
- HIPPA compliance
- Reporting and documentation
- Communication
- Adaptability
Work History
November 2019 – Current
Los Angeles Community Hospital – Los Angeles, CA
Lead Intensive Care Registered Nurse
- Give compassionate care to critical patients suffering from injuries or debilitating conditions.
- Assess an average of 40 patients per month and administer medications.
- Observe behavior and symptoms and report changes to on-call physicians.
- Educate families about patients’ conditions and provide support as needed, improving patients’ conditions by 75%.
- Frequently act as charge nurse and preceptor to 10 students per year.
September 2016 – October 2019
Cedars Sinai Medical Center – Los Angeles, CA
Intensive Care Registered Nurse
- Managed life support equipment and IV administration of fluids and medications.
- Provided basic patient care such as grooming and changing bedding.
- Updated patient charts with data such as condition and medications and kept 300 records current to support accurate treatments.
- Monitored telemetry and responded to codes.
- Stocked supplies and reported malfunctioning equipment.
June 2012 – August 2016
Southern California Hospital – Los Angeles, CA
Registered Nurse
- Collaborated with five physicians to quickly assess 200 patients per month and deliver appropriate treatment while managing rapidly changing conditions.
- Followed a treatment plan and medication schedule ordered by the doctor and assessed patient pain levels during the hospital stay.
- Implemented medication and IV administration, catheter insertion and airway management.
- Supported patient families and provided any needed assistance.
Education
- January 2016
University of California – Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
Master of Science Nursing - Nursing Administration
- June 2012
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Science Nursing
Certifications
- Critical Care Nurse Certification (CCRN), American Association of
- Critical Care Nurses (AACN) – (Updated 2022)
- Registered Nurse (RN) certification- (Updated 2021)
- ACLS and BLS Certification – (Updated 2021)
Important resume sections
Contact details
Add your contact information to the top of your resume; otherwise, hiring managers won’t know how to contact you for an interview. Display your contact information as follows: Your full name, followed by your city, state and ZIP code, followed by your phone number and professional email address. Add your LinkedIn profile and professional website (if you have them) last.
Professional summary
Your professional summary is where you introduce yourself to the hiring manager and highlight your top qualifications for the job in three to five sentences.
An ICU nurse resume should include a professional summary with one or two professional accomplishments and notable job-relevant skills. Here is an example:
“Highly skilled and dedicated ICU Nurse with over five years of experience in providing exceptional critical care to patients with complex medical conditions. Proficient in assessing patient conditions, administering medication and monitoring vital signs to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Strong knowledge of advanced life support techniques and protocols. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, adept at collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to deliver comprehensive patient care. Compassionate and patient-focused, committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for patients and their families.”
Review our intensive care nurse resume examples on this page for more samples of effective resume summaries.
Skills
It is important to let potential employers know what professional skills you bring to the table as an ICU nurse. Create a separate section and list your job-relevant skills using bullet points.
Here are a few ICU nurse skills for your resume:
- Patient assessment and monitoring
- Advanced life support
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
- Emergency response
- Patient advocacy
Include a balance of hard skills, such as medication administration and vital sign monitoring, and soft skills, such as communication and active listening.
Work history
Your ICU nurse resume must include an employment history section. In reverse-chronological order, list current and previous employers and provide business names, locations and the dates you worked for each.
Include three bullet points of measurable achievements for every job you list. If you’re applying for your first job as an intensive care nurse, it’s acceptable to highlight relevant extracurricular activities, coursework, presentations, volunteer experience and community service.
Your ICU nurse resume accomplishments might look like this:
- Developed and implemented patient-focused care plans for 50 critically ill patients in an intensive care unit.
- Administered medications and treatments to 40 patients in an intensive care unit, resulting in a 95% successful recovery rate.
- Implemented advanced nursing protocols for 20 patients in an intensive care unit, resulting in improved patient outcomes.
See how to write a resume for additional guidance and examples of effective work history sections.
Education
Hiring managers want to see your education credentials, so a resume for an intensive care nurse job must include an education section.
Add all the educational institutions you’ve attended after high school and display the names of the schools and the years that you graduated in reverse-chronological order using bullet points.
If you did not attend college, list your high school information and the classes you’ve taken since graduating. See how to list education on a resume for additional guidance from career advice experts.
In order to become an ICU nurse, you will need to have at least an associate degree in nursing. In addition, you will need a valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state where you plan to practice.
See why MyPerfectResume is a 5-star resume builder
Action words for your resume
Powerful action words strengthen resumes by reducing wordiness and conveying confidence. Use them with numbers to make a more substantial impact.
Here are a few effective action words to use in an ICU nurse resume:
- Evaluate
- Assess
- Counsel
- Motivate
- Plan
- Lead
- Manage
- Expedite
- Supervise
- Monitor
- Lead
- Educate
- Provide
- Administer
Our Resume Builder has all the tools you need to craft an ICU nurse resume in minutes! You can make edits as you go, download your finished resume and save it in multiple file formats.
Best skills for your resume
Review the ICU nurse job description for resume skills that employers want to see on your resume. Here are a few ICU nurse resume skills that you might choose to include:
- Critical care expertise
- Patient assessment
- Emergency response
- Medication management
- Patient advocacy
- Crisis management
- Empathy
- Compassion
- Motivation
- Leadership
- First Aid/CPR
- Friendliness
- Patience
- Communication
- Perception
- Adaptability
- Flexibility
- Mental agility
- Physical agility
- Respiratory maintenance
- Electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring
- Human anatomy
Want more inspiration? We have 800+ resume examples to help you create the perfect ICU nurse resume.
Certifications for your resume
To become an intensive care nurse, you must start as a practicing registered nurse and obtain any certifications required for the specific role or facility.
Here are a few examples of certifications for an ICU nurse resume:
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS)
- Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)
- Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC)
- Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN)
- Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
- Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)
- Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN)
- Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN)
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
FAQ
What should an ICU nurse resume look like?
An effective ICU nurse resume should be well-organized, clear and tailored to highlight your relevant skills, experiences and qualifications.
To make your intensive care nurse resume stand out, tailor your resume to the job description and add any of the following if they apply to you:
- Knowledge of evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives.
- Experience in administering medications, monitoring vital signs and providing patient assessments.
- Education in patient safety, infection control and advanced cardiac life support.
- Skills in critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.
Ensure that your resume is concise, error-free and visually appealing. Use a clean and professional layout with consistent formatting throughout.
See what a resume looks like for design tips from Certified Professional Resume Writers.
What skills should I include on my ICU nurse resume?
Your ICU nurse resume should include skills relevant to the job and reflect your true skill set. Review ICU nurse resume examples for ideas on how to display your skills.
These are some of the top skills employers will look for on your intensive care nurse resume:
- Knowledge of nursing protocols and standards of care.
- Ability to respond quickly and effectively in emergency situations.
- Proficiency in electronic health records (EHR) systems.
- Knowledge of advanced life support techniques.
- Ability to maintain patient confidentiality.
- Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
If you have limited professional experience, you can include transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving and multitasking.
How do you create a standout ICU nurse resume?
Not all resumes are created equal. Here are our top tips for crafting a perfect ICU nurse resume:
- Use the correct resume format for your experience and career goals.
- Add separate sections for extra training, certifications, licenses and awards.
- Keep your resume short and to the point. A one-page resume is best if you have less than 10 years of experience; if you have more than 10 years of experience, it’s acceptable to have no more than two pages.
- Ensure your resume is formatted correctly. Margins should be one inch on all sides, and line space should be single or 1.5 inches.
- Only use a professional font, like Times New Roman, Arial or Helvetica, in 11-12 points on the body and 14-16 points on headers.
- Proofread your resume more than once before sending it to potential employers.
Remember to showcase your experience working specifically in intensive care units. Describe the types of patients you’ve cared for (e.g., postoperative, trauma cardiac), the level of acuity you’ve managed and any specialized procedures you’ve performed.
How do you describe nursing skills on a resume?
When describing nursing skills on a resume, it’s essential to be clear, concise and specific. Here are a few tips on how to effectively describe nursing skills on an ICU nurse resume:
- Be specific: Provide concrete examples of how you’ve demonstrated each nursing skill in previous roles. For example, instead of saying, “Provided patient care,” you could say, “Provided comprehensive patient care to a caseload of 10-12 patients per shift, including medication administration, wound care and patient education.”
- Quantify achievements: Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments to demonstrate the impact of your nursing skills. For example, you could mention the number of patients you’ve cared for simultaneously, your success rate in achieving patient outcomes or any improvements you’ve made in patient satisfaction scores.
- Include technical and soft skills: In addition to clinical skills, include a mix of technical skills (e.g., proficiency with medical equipment and electronic health records) and soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, problem-solving) that are essential for nursing practice.
Before submitting your resume, proofread it carefully to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Attention to detail is crucial in nursing, and a polished resume reflects your professionalism and commitment to quality care.
How do you list ICU skills on a resume?
When listing ICU skills on a resume, it’s important to be specific and highlight your expertise in critical care nursing. Here’s how you can effectively list ICU skills on your resume:
- Create a dedicated “Skills” section: Begin your resume with a dedicated section specifically for listing your ICU skills. This allows hiring managers to quickly identify your qualifications.
- Prioritize relevant skills: Start with the most relevant ICU skills that align with the job description. Highlight skills such as patient assessment, critical care interventions and multidisciplinary collaboration.
- Update regularly: Keep your list of ICU skills up to date with any new certifications, training or experiences you acquire. This ensures that your resume accurately reflects your current qualifications.
See what to put on a resume for guidance on what to include in each section of your ICU nurse resume.
Best practices
- Use measurable achievements to describe your ICU nurse abilities and experience. For example, “Developed and implemented infection control protocols for 25 intensive care unit patients, resulting in a 90% decrease in hospital-acquired infections.”
- Use action words like “monitor,” “evaluate” and “carry out” to make an impact on your intensive care nurse resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target intensive care nurse job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your intensive care nurse resume.
- Format your intensive care nurse resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your intensive care nurse experience and skills.
- Boast that you’re the “best ICU nurse ever.” Instead, highlight previous work accomplishments like “Developed and maintained an electronic medical records system for patient care.”
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience that do not pertain to being an intensive care nurse.
- Forget to proofread. An ICU nurse’s resume with errors is unprofessional. Use our ATS resume checker to scan your resume for common errors.
Interview tips
Learn about the institution.
It’s vital to take the time to learn about the hospital’s history, goals, values and people before your job interview. Doing so conveys interest, passion and commitment — traits that can set you above the competition.
Plus, a glimpse of the company culture early on will help you know what to expect and can boost your confidence. Here are a few areas you might consider researching:
- ICU department: Learn about the specific ICU unit within the hospital. Find out how many beds it has, the types of patients typically admitted and any specialized services or equipment available.
- Patient population: Research the types of patients commonly treated in the ICU, such as post-operative, trauma, cardiac or neurological patients. Understand the common medical conditions and procedures relevant to the ICU setting.
- Policies and procedures: Review the hospital’s policies and procedures related to critical care nursing, patient safety, infection control and emergency response. Be prepared to discuss how you would adhere to these protocols in your role as an ICU nurse.
By thoroughly researching the hospital before your ICU nurse interview, you’ll demonstrate your preparedness, commitment and enthusiasm for the role. Explore ourjob interview guide for expert tips.
Practice at home.
Practice really does make perfect. To practice for your interview, start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- What Do You See Yourself Doing in 10 Years?
- What’s Your Proudest Accomplishment?
- Why Did You Choose This Career?
Possible behavioral questions include:
- Why Should We Hire You Over Other Candidates
- Tell me About a Time When You Were Forced to Think on your Feet
- Tell Me About a Time When You Had To Cope With a Stressful Situation
Also, ensure you are ready to answer intensive care nurse-specific questions, such as:
- What have been some of your most successful approaches to patient care?
- Describe your experience in caring for critically ill patients.
- What strategies do you use to ensure that you provide the best quality of care?
- How do you work in a team to ensure the safety of your patients?
- How do you stay up to date on new treatments and therapies for intensive care nursing?
Write down two or three possible answers as you review potential questions, then review them with a friend or a family member in a mock interview so you can get comfortable with the questions and memorize your answers.
Ask questions.
You should always have at least three questions ready to ask every job interview you encounter; those who do tend to get hired more often than those who don’t because they show motivation, keen interest and thoughtfulness.
Some questions you might ask for an intensive care nurse job are:
- What is the typical patient caseload for intensive care nurses?
- What type of collaboration and communication methods are used among the intensive care team?
- How is patient care managed in the intensive care unit?
- What strategies are in place to ensure patient safety?
- What technology and equipment are used in the intensive care unit?
- What policies and procedures are in place to ensure quality patient care?
Gather references.
You’ll need professional references quickly if the hiring manager offers you the job after the interview. Having them ready will save you stress and time, so prepare a list of two former colleagues and a former manager who are willing to speak to your abilities to perform the job of an intensive care nurse and who you know will give you a stellar review.
CV examples for the next step in your nursing career
- Caregiver Cover Letter
- Certified Nurse Assistant Cover Letter
- Charge Nurse Cover Letter
- Director Of Nursing
- ICU Nurse Cover Letter
- LPN Cover Letter
- LVN Cover Letter
- Operating Room Nurse Cover Letter
- Perioperative Nurse Cover Letter
- Student Nurse Cover Letter
- Neonatal Nurse CV
- Nurse Anesthetist CV
- Nurse Practitioner CV
- Registered Nurse
How we reviewed this article
Since 2012, we have helped more than 11 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process.
Sources
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Get Certified
- Nurse.org. Guide. Gaines, Kathleen. ICU Nurse
- Western Governors University. ICU Nurse Career. How to Become an ICU Nurse
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
More Articles by Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW