Travel Nurse Resume Writing Tips and Sample

Do you envision yourself exploring different areas of the country or even the world? Are you energized at the idea of working in new and different work environments? Do you learn and adapt quickly? If so, you may enjoy a career in travel nursing.

Although travel nurses are in high demand, you still need a top notch travel nurse resume and cover letter. Why? Because your resume communicates to your recruiter that you are uniquely qualified for the job and helps you land that interview (yes, you will still have to interview, future travelers).

There are some interesting quirks when it comes to travel nursing: the travel agency. Your first step in finding a travel assignment is selecting a travel agency. A recruiter will review your resume and find potential fits for you. But your resume still matters — it’s a necessary component of your job application process.

Tips for Writing Travel Nurse Resumes That Get Noticed

• Use bullet points. Avoid writing long paragraphs. Use bulleted lists to separate your accomplishments and duties in the Professional Experience section of your resume. Keep it skimmable.
• Quantify your experience whenever you can. Numbers are powerful resume tools. Use them to define your experiences. Rather than saying you have “a lot of nursing experience in travel RN jobs” say you have “12 years” of nursing experience. Instead of saying you improved patient satisfaction scores, say you improved patient satisfaction scores by 25%.
• Include action verbs. When including your list of duties in previous jobs, make your list start with action verbs like administered, collaborated, coordinated, guided, and organized. It’s a great way to enhance the appearance of your travel nurse skills.
• Share recent experience. Again, avoid making your resume unnecessarily wordy. Don’t worry about including every detail of your nursing experience — choose what’s relevant and most recent.

How to List Travel Assignments on a Resume

When writing your nursing resume, including your travel nursing experience is very simple. In your Professional Experience section, distinguish your nursing positions by writing “travel RN” or “staff RN.” This will easily highlight to the reader when you worked as a traveler vs. staff nurse.

Check out this travel nursing resume below to see these tips in action and pair it with a solid travel nurse cover letter.

Travel Nurse Resume Sample

Samantha Drew

Chicago, Illinois | firstlast@email.com | 555-555-5555

Experienced travel nurse of 12 years dedicated to providing quality care to critically ill patients. Developed strong critical care assessment and problem-solving skills through RN role at Riverview Medical. Specialized practice in stroke, neurology, and neurosurgery care.

Key Qualifications

• Compassionate, detail oriented, and team player
• Possess active RN license in Illinois
• Specialized nursing experience in surgical trauma intensive care

Education

ABC University, Chicago, IL 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Professional Experience

Chicago Regional Hospital, Travel RN, 20XX–present

• Collaborates with multidisciplinary healthcare team of five doctors, eight nurses, and two respiratory therapists in surgical trauma ICU.
• Monitors vital signs, titrates medication drips, anticipates patient care needs to patients in an 18-bed ICU.
• Utilizes EPIC electronic medical records for prompt documentation for caseload of two critically ill patients.

Riverview Medical, Staff RN, 20XX–20XX

• Managed comprehensive care for six patients suffering from multiple traumas, stroke, surgery, and brain injuries.
• Worked as a charge nurse of 30-bed neurology unit and precepted five nurses.
• Served as nurse educator during staff trainings to educate team of 20 nurses on neurologic nursing care.

Skills

Time management; Empathy; Cross-cultural Communication; Critical Thinking; Organization

Certifications

• Registered nurse (RN)
• Certified critical-care registered nurse (CCRN)
• Basic life support (BLS)
• Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)

What Does a Travel Nurse Make?

The average travel nurse salary is more than $100,000 per year, which comes down to nearly $2,000 per week. If you aren’t planning to work all 52 weeks in a year, take that into consideration. Perhaps focusing on the weekly pay will help you estimate what your earning potential could be.

Note that location has a lot to do with what you could earn. For instance, the top five highest-paying states for RNs are:

1. California
2. Hawaii
3. Oregon
4. Washington
5. Alaska

Additionally, the type of facility in which you work can also affect your pay. Here are examples of average annual RN salaries in different workplaces:

• Outpatient centers: $102,640
• General medical and surgical hospitals: $96,830
• Home health care: $87,430

Looking for Nursing Jobs?

You’ve learned the best tips to write your travel nurse resume. Ready to put it to use? IntelyCare can help you find the job you’re looking for. Check out the travel nurse jobs available across the country and apply today.