Operating Room (OR) Nurse Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

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Downloadable Resume Examples

Example #1
Operating-Room-OR-Nurse_Example-1.pdf

Example #1

Example #2
Operating-Room-OR-Nurse_Example-2.pdf

Example #2

Example #3
Operating-Room-OR-Nurse_Example-3.pdf

Example #3

Operating Room (OR) Nurse Text-Only Resume Examples

Years of Experience
  • Example #1 #1
  • Example #2 #2
  • Example #3 #3

Aliya Jackson
123 Pine Brook Dr, Miami, FL 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]

Profile

Operating Room (OR) Nurse with 5+ years of experience in outpatient orthopedic surgery. Recognized for prompt, diligent support of surgeons and other healthcare team members. Committed to continually gaining and applying new nursing care skills and knowledge.

Professional Experience

Operating Room (OR) Nurse, HCW Healthcare, Miami, FL | September 2017 to Present

  • Scrub in to support and facilitate scheduled procedures such as arthrodesis, shoulder surgery, and hip and knee replacements
  • As circulating nurse, ensure all surgical supplies are organized, and medications are properly documented
  • Praised for closely monitoring and responding to the specific needs of each orthopedic procedure
  • Maintain strict adherence to established processes and sanitary precautions
  • Help transport patients into and out of the OR as needed. Courteous meeting with patients to answer any questions before their scheduled surgery

Registered Nurse, HCW Healthcare, Miami, FL | July 2015 to August 2017

  • Gained strong foundation in patient relations and quality nursing care

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Miami Dade College, Miami, FL

Key Skills

  • Equipment Preparation
  • Health Status Assessment
  • Medication Administration
  • Patient & Family Relations
  • Perioperative Support
  • Reporting & Documentation
  • Task Prioritization
  • Team Collaboration
  • Treatment Preparation

John Bergsen
123 W Adams Ave, Detroit, MI 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]

Profile

Operating Room (OR) Nurse with 5+ years experience at a major hospital. Strong communicator and collaborator who partners effectively with surgeons and other personnel on frequently long and complex surgeries. Calm, patient, and focused in a high-risk healthcare setting. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.

Professional Experience

Operating Room (OR) Nurse, HPT Hospital, Detroit, MI | September 2017 to Present

  • Facilitate surgical procedures, including heart, lung, liver, and kidney transplants
  • Scrub in to assist surgeons and other personnel on long, complex surgeries requiring various equipment and supplies
  • Helped raise efficiency as member of group that introduced several new best practices for equipment preparation

Registered Nurse, HPT Hospital, Detroit, MI | July 2015 to August 2017

  • Gained strong foundation in patient relations and quality nursing care at a medical-surgical unit of this major hospital

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Language

  • Fluency in Spanish

Key Skills

  • Equipment Preparation
  • Health Status Assessment
  • Medication Administration
  • Perioperative Support
  • Process Improvement
  • Reporting & Documentation
  • Task Prioritization
  • Team Collaboration
  • Treatment Preparation

Skyler Thompson
123 W 15th Street, Minneapolis, MN 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]

Profile

Operating Room (OR) Nurse with 5+ years of experience in general surgery at a major hospital. Highly organized and prepared for the specific needs and considerations of each operation.

Professional Experience

Operating Room (OR) Nurse, MJF Hospital, Minneapolis, MN | September 2017 to Present

  • Assist general surgical procedures such as cancer resections, organ resections, appendectomies, hysterectomies, hepatectomies, cholecystectomies, and exploratory laparotomies
  • As circulating nurse, anticipate and monitor overall equipment and personnel needs in each surgery
  • Ensure all necessary biopsy samples are documented and sent to the lab for examination
  • Handpicked to provide perioperative support for some of the hospital’s most complex surgical procedures
  • Attentive to the specific OR preparations and setup preferred by different surgeons

Registered Nurse, MJF Hospital, Minneapolis, MN | July 2015 to August 2017

  • Gained strong foundation in patient relations and quality nursing care at a medical-surgical unit of this major hospital

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Key Skills

  • Equipment Preparation
  • Health Status Assessment
  • Medication Administration
  • Perioperative Support
  • Reporting & Documentation
  • Task Prioritization
  • Team Collaboration
  • Treatment Preparation

Tips for Writing a Better Operating Room (OR) Nurse Resume

1. Retire the phrase “attention to detail”

For operating room (OR) nurses, attention to detail is key. But countless other professionals (both in and outside healthcare) cite “attention to detail” as a key skill on their resume. The phrase is so overused that it no longer means anything to recruiters and hiring managers. How can you express this theme in a more precise and compelling way? Here’s the trick: Convert it to a verb phrase. Specifically, start a sentence with “Closely attend to” or “Closely monitor,” and then flesh it out with details from your job experience.

Example:

  • Praised for closely monitoring and responding to the specific needs of each orthopedic procedure

 

2. Double-check your spelling

An error-free resume helps show you have the diligence required by your OR nursing role. Use Microsoft Word’s spelling checker to find and correct any typos on your resume. (Press F7 to activate this feature on a Mac or PC.) Whenever spell-check flags a proper noun or less-common word you know is correct, be in the habit of right-clicking and selecting “Add to Dictionary” to keep its overall proofing function relevant to you.

3. Use the right narrative tense

When writing their current job description, many job seekers mistakenly use the third-person narrative tense (“Collaborates with the OT,” “Assists patients”). But this makes for awkward and distant reading on the hiring manager’s part. It’s as if a candidate named Jimmy were to come in for an interview and say, “Jimmy is glad to meet you. Jimmy would be excited to work for your company.”

A resume is just the written form of how you’d describe yourself. You’re writing about yourself and the things you do, not anyone else. You should therefore use the first-person tense (“Collaborate with the OT,” “Assist with patients”). When you’re drafting your resume, a good way to be sure you’re using the correct verb tense is to start every sentence with “I,” then delete it and capitalize the first letter of the verb that follows.

Examples


  • [I] Ensure all necessary biopsy samples are documented and sent to the lab for examination
  • [I was] Handpicked to provide perioperative support for some of the hospital’s most complex surgical procedures
  • [I’m] Attentive to the specific OR preparations and setup preferred by different surgeons

Key Skills Hiring Managers Look for on Operating Room (OR) Nurse Resumes

For a more effective operating room (OR) nurse resume, include a “Key Skills” section. This section gives the hiring manager a quick overview of the expertise and value you offer. It also helps your resume perform better in ATS scans. Consider including any of the terms below:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Equipment Preparation Health Status Assessment
Medication Administration Patient & Family Relations
Perioperative Support Process Improvement
Reporting & Documentation Task Prioritization
Team Collaboration Treatment Preparation

Common Action Verbs for Operating Room (OR) Nurse Resumes

It’s easy to get stuck when writing the Experience section of your resume. You may find yourself running out of action verbs to describe your work. We have compiled a list of strong resume verbs to help you:

Action Verbs
Alert Anticipate
Assist Circulate
Collaborate Communicate
Coordinate Document
Ensure Facilitate
Implement Monitor
Order Organize
Prepare Provide
Relay Scrub in
Update Verify

How to Align Your Operating Room (OR) Nurse Resume With the Job Description

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for registered nurses will increase by about six percent between 2021 and 2031. When you find an operating room (OR) nurse job posting that interests you, look closely at the required skills and credentials. Are there any you possess but haven’t featured on your resume yet? Maybe you’ve worked at a similar healthcare facility or with a similar age range of patients. If so, mention that experience in your resume’s Profile or Key Skills section. Taking this extra step will make your resume more inclusive to the job at hand and more likely to attract the hiring manager’s notice.