How To Write a Pediatric Nurse Resume

To write a winning pediatric nurse resume, demonstrate your experience administering treatments to newborns, infants, adolescents, and teens in both operating room and acute care environments. Show potential employers you have a proven track record of improving clinical workflows and driving positive patient outcomes. In this guide, we’ll provide expert tips and insights to help you translate your health care career into an accomplishment-driven resume.

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level
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1. Craft an outstanding profile with a summary of your pediatric nurse qualifications

Lead your resume with a compelling snapshot of your career to grab the attention of the hiring manager and entice them to read further. Start with an opening sentence that lists your title, years of health care experience, and three to four clinical skills that align with the job posting. In the subsequent sentences, highlight unique aspects of your background as a medical professional.

For example, employers value candidates who have the clinical expertise to succeed as a pediatric nurse, but they also want to see you’re the right fit for the organization’s work culture. Patient-centered care is incredibly important within the health care landscape, so it may be advantageous to emphasize your background in patient advocacy, especially if this aligns with the hospital’s mission statement.

Senior-Level Profile Example


A Pediatric Nurse with 10+ years of experience specializing in patient education, telemetry, acute care, and medical-surgical support. A strong history of identifying opportunities to enhance clinical operations and improve quality care metrics within high-volume hospital environments.

Entry-Level Profile Example


A Pediatric Nurse with entry-level experience specializing in patient care, activities of daily living (ADLs), clinical operations, and HIPAA regulations. Adept at building relationships with patients and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams to drive positive patient outcomes.

2. Create a powerful list of your pediatric nurse experiences

Leverage numbers and metrics throughout your career to differentiate you from the competition during your job search. Within a clinical setting, focus on specifying the nurse-to-patient ratio and the number of beds in your unit. This helps to establish context for other insights, as it’s much harder to improve the length of stay or positive outcomes when dealing with high occupancy levels and patient volume.

As you craft your bullet points, also demonstrate your ability to educate patients and families with empathy and compassion. These patients are often dealing with life-threatening medical conditions, and communicating treatment options requires a level of emotional intelligence that is unique and impossible to quantify with numbers.

Senior-Level Profile Example


Pediatric Nurse, Advent Health Center, Miami, FL May 2016 – Present

  • Provide pediatric nursing care in a medical center with 150-beds and a 1:6 patient ratio and coordinate with medical teams to maximize the efficiency of clinical operations, resulting in a 10% reduction in the average length of stay
  • Improve the timeliness of patient care delivery and reduce average wait times from 45-minutes to 35-minutes by streamlining clinical workflows
  • Drive initiatives to enhance the delivery of patient-centered care, deliver education to patients and families and serve as patient advocate throughout treatment

Entry-Level Profile Example


Pediatric Nurse, Manhattan Medical Center, New York, NY May 2021 – Present

  • Provide treatment to patients in a 40-bed pediatric care unit, conduct patient assessments, monitor vital signs, and interface with patients and families to obtain medical history and provide education on diagnosis and treatment plans
  • Coordinate with physicians and multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individual care plans in accordance with patient needs and hospital care standards
  • Manage electronic medical records (EHR) and create reports for physicians on symptoms, pain levels, vital signs, and changes in patient conditions

3. Outline your education and pediatric nurse-related certifications

In addition to your degree, several certifications can be relevant in the pediatric nursing field and can amplify your resume. For example, a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) is offered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). It is designed for registered nurses (RNs) with experience in the pediatric specialty. If you’re a neonatal nurse, something like a Registered Nurse-Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC) could look excellent on your resume. It can prove your expertise in neonatal intensive care nursing.

These certifications can help you stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs; however, others may also be relevant depending on the specific job listing. Be sure to include any that may be useful (or impressive) to your prospective employer, even if they’re not required for the job.

Education

Template

  • [Degree Name]
  • [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]

Example

  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Nursing
  • University of San Diego, San Diego, CA September 2013 – May 2017

Certifications

Template

  • [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]

Example

  • Pediatric Nursing (RN-BC), ANCC Pediatric Nursing Board | June 2017
  • Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) | April 2018

4. Make a list of your pediatric nurse-related skills and proficiencies

Organizations often utilize applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for potential keywords during the initial phase of the hiring process. To get your document into the hiring manager’s hands, incorporate appropriate key terms that match the position you’re applying for. Although you will experience some degree of variance across different pediatric nursing positions, specific keywords will be widely applicable within the field.

Below, you’ll find a list of potential keywords you may encounter throughout your job search.

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Activities of daily living (ADLs) Acute care
Case management Clinical operations
CPN Electronic health records (EHR)
HIPAA Medication administration
Oncology Patient advocacy
Patient-centered care Patient discharge
Patient education Patient intake
Patient management Pediatric advanced life support (PALS)
Pediatric care Pediatric nursing
Quality Care Metrics (QCM) Telemetry
Triage Written communication

How To Pick the Best Pediatric Nurse Resume Template

When choosing a resume template as a pediatric nurse, look for a design that is clean and professional-looking. Avoid templates that are too flashy or colorful, as they can be distracting and take away from the content of your resume. Choose an elegant, single-column format that allows you to organize your experience and qualifications effectively. Above all other considerations, your resume should demonstrate your ability to provide high-quality care to children and their families.

Pediatric Nurse Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level

Selena Ramirez
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 12345

Profile

A Pediatric Nurse with five years of experience specializing in oncology, hematology, patient-centered care, and continuous improvement. A proven track record of delivering empathetic and compassionate care to pediatric patients within oncology care units.

Professional Experience

Pediatric Nurse, St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
May 2019 – Present

  • Deliver specialized care to diverse patient populations in a pediatric oncology unit with 60-beds, including providing clinical support for leukemia, bone-marrow transplants, emergency surgeries, and chemotherapy
  • Communicate with parents, families, and patients to provide education on long-term prognosis, treatment plans, and medical conditions with empathy and compassion
  • Submit patient referrals to the Make-a-Wish Foundation for children suffering from terminal conditions and coordinate with hospital staff to facilitate requests

Pediatric Nurse, Light of Hope Medical Center, San Diego, CA
May 2017 – May 2019

  • Supported the delivery of high-quality care to pediatric patients, adolescents, and young adults suffering from solid tumors, hematology conditions, leukemia, and malignant hematology, which included providing emotional support to patients and families
  • Coordinated with attending physicians to develop, evaluate, and implement comprehensive nursing plans for patient care
  • Administered medication, monitored patient vital signs, created medical reports, and alerted medical teams to changes in patient condition and symptoms

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Nursing
University of San Diego, San Diego, CA  September 2013 – May 2017

Key Skills

  • Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Empathetic Care
  • Medical Triage
  • Continuous Improvement

Certifications

  • Pediatric Nursing (RN-BC), ANCC Pediatric Nursing Board, 2018
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), 2017
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification, 2017
  • Registered Nurse (RN), State of California, License #12345678, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions: Pediatric Nurse Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for pediatric nurse resumes?-

Many job seekers run short on action verbs while building out the professional experience section of their resumes. This is especially true for health care-related documents, as there are a limited number of verbs to describe one’s achievements accurately. To help diversify your usage of action verbs, refer to this list throughout your resume to keep your content fresh and compelling.

Action Verbs
Administered Analyzed
Collaborated Conducted
Coordinated Delivered
Developed Diagnosed
Drove Enhanced
Identified Implemented
Improved Interfaced
Managed Oversaw
Partnered Performed
Provided Resolved
How do you align your resume with a pediatric nurse job description?-

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for pediatric nurses was $81,220 in May 2022. In this type of clinical role, you’ll be administering treatments to newborns, infants, adolescents, and teens in both operating room and acute care environments. To propel your nursing career forward, you need to build an accomplishment-driven resume that highlights the strongest aspects of your health care experience.

Aligning your resume with the job description often makes all the difference in whether a hiring manager brings you in for an interview. Potential employers won’t be impressed by generic documents filled with vague job responsibilities and empty platitudes. They want to understand your unique experience within the health care field and how your expertise matches their organizational needs.

Before building your pediatric nurse resume, evaluate what the organization is looking for in a candidate. If you’re planning on working within an oncology unit, focus on your clinical experience in this area directly in your professional profile. When an organization emphasizes patient-centered care, feature accomplishments that showcase your experience serving as a patient advocate.

What is the best pediatric nurse resume format?-

When creating a resume for a pediatric nurse job, it’s important to choose a format that highlights your skills and experience in the industry. The reverse chronological format is the most commonly used format and is ideal for those with a solid work history in the industry. This approach lists your work experience, starting with your most recent job and working backward. It also demonstrates your career progression over time.

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Expert Advice
Expert advice: include a cover letter with your resume

A good way to finish your resume before sending it off to your prospective employer is to add a cover letter. This is a great opportunity to speak directly to the hiring manager and make a case for why you’re the best candidate for the job.

Remember, a cover should be fairly succinct. Don’t exceed more than 400 words — 250 to 300 is ideal. For more information and ideas, view our nurse cover letter examples.

Frank headshot

Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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