Student Nurse CV examples

Writing a CV that shows both your medical knowledge and your compassion and adaptability can be hard. 

Whether you’re applying for a graduate nurse role or for additional placements, this guide will show you how to highlight the right skills and experience.

As a healthcare worker, you know the value of patience – unfortunately, recruiters don’t so much. If your CV structure is difficult to navigate and your best qualities are hard to identify, hiring managers will just move onto the next candidate.

A clear and logical layout ensures that they’re able to find the key information they need – your training, clinical experience, and professional competencies.

Here’s how to structure your CV effectively:

• Name and contact details – Keep this personal information at the top so a potential employer can reach out to you.
• Personal statement – Immediately draw in the recruiter with a brief summary of your nurse skills and hands-on experience.
• Core skills – Quickly list your biggest strengths, such as patient care, infection control, and clinical observations.
• Work experience – Walk through any placements, internships, or part-time roles that have developed your nursing abilities.
• Education – List your nursing degree, relevant coursework, and professional development.
• Additional info – You can optionally list any relevant hobbies and activities which help to convey your fit for a nursing role.

Your CV should be as clear and easy-to-follow as a quality patient care plan. A poor CV format full of mistakes will distract recruiters from the qualities that make you the right fit for the role.

These helpful tips will keep your CV format in top form:

• Bullet points – Help the recruiter skim your CV quickly and pick up the important bits with ease.
• Divide sections – Logically organise the information and make it easy to navigate.
• Use a clear and readable font – Just make sure it’s a clear and easy font to read.
• No more than 2 pages – This is the perfect length to cover the essentials without getting boring.

Your profile is your chance to introduce yourself as a dedicated and compassionate student nurse. It should quickly highlight your training, skills, and career aspirations. This personal statement is your first chance to show hiring managers why you’d make a great addition to their healthcare team, so make the most of every line.

Here’s what to include:

• Nursing degree and training – Mention your current studies and clinical placements.
• Patient care experience – Demonstrate your ability to assist with assessments, treatment, and monitoring.
• Teamwork and collaboration – Nursing is a team effort, so highlight your ability to work alongside other healthcare professionals.
• Technical and clinical skills – Showcase your experience with medication administration, infection control, or emergency response.
• Commitment to patient welfare – Show your passion for nursing and dedication to high-quality care.

There are specific skills any healthcare recruiter wants to see when they open up your application, so make sure you cover the diverse skill set, from technical knowledge to interpersonal abilities, which nursing requires. 

If you’ve completed clinical placements, focus on practical skills such as wound care, observations, and assisting with mobility. If you’ve got no work experience, highlight soft skills like communication, time management, and patient advocacy. Even as a student, you’ve already developed essential nursing skills – so make sure they stand out on your CV.

Your nursing degree is your strongest asset at this stage of your career, so make sure it’s presented clearly above the rest of your education history. Since you’re likely lacking work experience, you should compensate by discussing the specific modules and projects which you feel most equipped you for the healthcare role you’re applying for.

If you’ve completed additional courses such as manual handling, infection control, or advanced life support, then all the better – list them here.

Example education sections

What to include in your education section

For each qualification, add the following info:

• Qualification & organisation – State the name of the course you studied, and where you did so.
• Dates studied – Give the start and finish (or expected finish) dates of each course.
• Extra details – Add some further detail about specific courses or modules which you feel especially reflect your suitability for the role: with less work experience, you’re allowed to spend more space discussing specific, pertinent qualifications.

Your work experience section is where you prove that your training has prepared you for a professional nursing role. Even if you haven’t held a full-time job in healthcare yet, your clinical placements and any relevant work experience should be listed here.

If you have non-nursing experience in healthcare (e.g., as a care assistant or volunteer), do your best to highlight transferable skills such as teamwork, adaptability, and patient interaction.

• Outline– Describe the placement, hospital, or care facility where you trained.
• Responsibilities – Outline key duties, such as administering medication, conducting observations, or assisting with patient mobility. Use action words like “assisted”, “monitored”, and “supported”.
• Achievements – Highlight key achievements, such as improving patient comfort, assisting in emergency situations, or learning advanced clinical techniques.

The additional info section is entirely optional, but could really boost the odds of a candidate with less experience to back up their qualifications and skills.

Only include things which are relevant to the role, leaving out any generic hobbies that aren’t going to influence a recruiter’s decision.

Good additional info for Student Nurses

Additional info example