Practice Nurse CV example

This guide walks you through every step of writing a CV. From structuring your experience in a way that highlights your clinical strengths to showcasing your qualifications and areas of expertise, each section is designed to help you stand out.

Whether you’re applying to a GP surgery, community health clinic, or private practice, this guide will help you show why you’re the right nurse for the job.

As a nurse, you know the importance of being thorough yet efficient – and your CV should reflect that same professionalism. A well-structured CV allows hiring managers to quickly find your qualifications and clinical competencies without wading through clutter. Even the best qualified candidates will be overlooked if they make the mistake of an untidy and disorganised structure.

Here’s the layout to follow:

• Name and contact details – Keep these personal details at the top so a potential employer can reach out to you.
• Profile – Immediately draw in the recruiter with a brief summary of your skills and experience.
• Core skills – Briefly highlight those qualities which make you the best candidate.
• Work experience – List your previous roles in reverse chronological order, with your most recent first.
• Education – Go through the academic history which underpins your expertise.
• Additional info – This optional section can include professional memberships, awards, or hobbies that showcase your suitability for the role.
  

Use clearly labelled section headings to break up your content, bullet points to present information efficiently, and keep your formatting clean with a professional, easy-to-read font. Stick to a two-page maximum length, and make sure every line serves a purpose – much like a well-kept patient record. Following these useful tips will ensure a coherent format which makes a good impression before a hiring manager even starts reading.

Your CV profile is the brief but crucial introduction that lets recruiters know who you are, what you do, and why you’re a perfect fit for their practice. It should sum up your background, specialisations, and the value you bring – all in a few sentences.

Avoid vague claims – focus instead on your clinical strengths, experience with specific patient groups, and areas of expertise like chronic disease management or health promotion. You need to convince the reader that you would bring genuine value.

Include the following:

• Where you worked – Mention whether you’ve worked in GP surgeries, community clinics, walk-in centres, or hospitals
• Your top qualifications – Include your NMC registration, nursing degree or diploma, and any additional certificates such as cervical screening or immunisations
• Essential skills – Highlight clinical skills like wound care, patient triage, chronic disease management, or administering vaccinations
• Patient groups – Specify if you’ve worked with children, elderly patients, those with complex needs, or mental health support
• Professional strengths – Whether it’s relationship-building, lone working, or adapting to a fast-paced environment, let your strengths show
  
  

This section is your opportunity to list the core clinical and interpersonal skills that set you apart. Presented as bullet points, it gives recruiters an at-a-glance summary of your capabilities before they dive into your experience.

Tailor your CV skills to the job description – whether it’s general practice, travel immunisations, or preventative healthcare. Keep them practical and specific: avoid vague qualities like “dedicated” or “hard working” and focus on actual nursing competencies and specialisations.

Now it’s time to show what you’ve done and how you’ve made a difference. Your work experience section should detail your nursing duties, clinical responsibilities, and the impact you’ve had on patient care.

List your jobs in reverse chronological order and use bullet points to present your responsibilities and achievements clearly. Focus on your most recent roles, giving them the most detail, and streamline earlier jobs where necessary.

If you’re newly qualified, you can also mention clinical placements – just make sure you emphasise the skills you developed and the settings you worked in.

• Outline – Briefly introduce the setting and your role: e.g. working in a busy GP practice, reporting to the lead nurse, providing care across a broad patient group.
• Responsibilities – List your core duties using power words like “administered” and “coordinated.” For example: “administered childhood immunisation programmes” or “coordinated chronic disease clinics for patients with diabetes and COPD.” Mention specific systems or protocols you followed.
• Achievements – Highlight results or successes, such as improving patient uptake of screening services, reducing wait times, or contributing to outstanding CQC ratings. Use figures where possible to back up your impact.

This section should clearly show your academic background and nursing qualifications. Include your nursing degree or diploma, any post-registration training, and relevant CPD (Continuing Professional Development).

List your education in reverse chronological order, with the most recent first. If you’re early in your career, include more detail about modules, placements, and clinical areas covered during training.