Perioperative Nurse Resume Examples & Templates for 2025

More Perioperative Nurse Resume Examples

Take a look at these perioperative nurse resume examples to learn how to highlight your patient care expertise, surgical support skills, and teamwork. Use these samples to help you create a resume that stands out in healthcare environments.

Advice for Writing Your Perioperative Nurse Resume

Learn how to write a resume that highlights your unique skills and experiences in the fast-paced surgical environment for a resume that captures your dedication and expertise in perioperative nursing.

Write a strong professional summary

A professional summary is a brief introduction at the top of your resume used to grab a hiring manager’s attention. It helps them quickly understand who you are as an applicant. You can either choose to write a summary or a resume objective, depending on your experience and career goals.

A professional summary is a few sentences that highlight your experience, skills, and achievements. It’s best for those with some work history, like experienced perioperative nurses. The purpose is to show what you have done in your career and how it adds value to future roles.

On the other hand, a resume objective focuses on your career goals and is better suited for entry-level nurses, career changers, or those with employment gaps. While a summary says “what I’ve accomplished,” an objective states “what I aim to contribute.”

Next, let’s go through examples of both professional summaries and objectives tailored for various levels of experience to guide you in crafting yours.

Perioperative nurse resume summary examples

Perioperative nurse resume objective examples

Include relevant certifications and training

Certifications and training are important for a perioperative nurse because they show that you have the right skills and knowledge to provide safe patient care during surgery.

By listing your certifications, you let employers know that you can handle the complex tasks of the operating room. Creating a certifications section on your resume helps highlight these credentials alongside your education. Relevant certifications for a perioperative nurse include:

• Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Surgical Technologist Certification
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Operating Room Nursing Certificate

These certifications help prove that you’re ready for the challenges of being a perioperative nurse. They show you’re committed to learning and staying updated in your field.

Example of a certifications section

Showcase your work experience

Showcasing relevant work experience on a resume helps demonstrate your skills and expertise as a perioperative nurse. Employers want to see how your past roles align with their needs, so it’s important to list positions that highlight your ability to work efficiently in surgical settings.

Format your experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent role. For each job, include the title, employer name, location, and employment dates. This structure makes it easy for hiring managers to follow your career progression.

Use clear, action-oriented language to describe your responsibilities and achievements. Begin each bullet point with strong verbs like “assisted,” “coordinated,” and “monitored.” Focus on measurable results wherever possible—for example, mention how many surgeries you facilitated daily or any quality improvements you helped implement. Highlight critical tasks such as:

• Preparing operating rooms
• Managing surgical equipment
• Maintaining sterile environments during procedures
• Collaborating with surgeons and anesthesiologists
• Patient care before and after surgery
• Adherence to infection control protocols

Demonstrating powerful contributions can set you apart from other applicants. Keep the content concise yet informative so employers can quickly understand how you’ve made a difference in previous roles while showcasing readiness for new challenges in this position.

5 perioperative nurse work history bullet point examples

• Coordinated with surgical teams to streamline preoperative procedures, resulting in a 20% reduction in preparation time.
• Implemented a new inventory management system for surgical supplies, decreasing stock shortages by 30%.
• Led training sessions on advanced perioperative practices, improving team competency scores by 25%.
• Assisted in over 200 successful surgeries annually, contributing to a patient satisfaction rate of 95%.
• Developed post-surgical care protocols that reduced recovery room stays by an average of 15 minutes per patient.

Match your resume with the job description

Tailoring your resume to the job description is important because it helps you stand out and ensures your application passes through applicant tracking systems (ATS). These systems scan resumes for specific keywords and phrases from job postings.

An ATS-friendly resume includes these keywords and phrases that match your skills, making it more likely for you to get noticed by employers. To find the right keywords, carefully read the job posting. Look for repeated skills, qualifications, and duties such as “patient care,” “surgery preparation,” or “healthcare team collaboration.” Using the exact wording improves your resume’s chances.

Incorporate these terms naturally into your resume. For example, if a job description states “Provide high-quality patient care,” you can phrase it as “Delivered high-quality patient care, soothing pre-surgery anxiety through effective soothing techniques and light humor.”

Customize your resume to make it more compatible with ATS to increase the likelihood of moving forward in the hiring process.