Perfecting Your Travel Nurse Resume for Quick Hires

Landing the best travel nurse jobs starts with one thing: a strong, well-formatted resume. Unlike permanent nursing roles, travel nurse positions move fast, recruiters and facilities expect your resume to clearly show experience, compliance, and flexibility at a glance.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what you need on a travel nurse resume, how to format it, and insider tips recruiters use when submitting candidates for top travel nurse jobs.

Why Your Resume Matters More for Travel Nurse Jobs

Travel nurse jobs are competitive. Recruiters often submit multiple candidates for the same role, and facilities make decisions quickly. A resume that’s unclear, outdated, or missing key details can cost you an opportunity—even if you’re highly qualified.

A strong travel nurse resume should:

• Clearly show recent experience
• Match job-specific requirements
• Be easy to scan in under 30 seconds
• Meet compliance and credential expectations

What Every Travel Nurse Resume Must Include

1. Contact Information

Make it simple and professional:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Current city and state

Tip: Avoid nicknames or unprofessional email addresses.

2. Professional Summary

This section should be 2–3 lines and focused on travel nursing.

Example:
Experienced Med-Surg Travel Nurse with 4+ years in acute care hospitals, strong adaptability across fast-paced units, and experience with EPIC and Cerner EMR systems.

Include your specialty, years of experience, and key skills that align with current travel nurse job openings.

3. Licenses & Certifications

This is a critical section for travel nurse jobs and should be easy to find.

• RN License(s) with state and compact status
• BLS, ACLS, PALS (if applicable)
• Specialty certifications (CCRN, TNCC, etc.)
• Expiration dates (preferred)

Pro tip: Missing license information can delay or disqualify submissions for travel nurse jobs.

4. Clinical Experience

This is the most important part of your resume. List your last 2–3 roles in reverse chronological order.

• Facility name
• City & State
• Unit / Department
• Dates worked
• Patient ratios
• Common diagnoses
• Equipment and skills used

Example:

Registered Nurse – ICU
Level I Trauma Hospital | Phoenix, AZ
Jan 2023 – Present

• 1:1–1:2 patient ratios
• Ventilators, CRRT, arterial lines
• EPIC EMR experience

5. Travel Nurse Assignments

If you’ve worked travel nurse jobs before, highlight this clearly. Facilities posting high-demand roles want nurses who can adapt quickly.

• Experience across multiple hospital systems
• Floating between units
• Fast-paced onboarding environments

6. Skills Section

Tailor this section to match the requirements listed in active travel nurse jobs.

• Clinical skills (IV starts, telemetry, vents)
• EMR systems (EPIC, Cerner, Meditech)
• Unit-specific competencies
• Adaptability and teamwork

7. Education

• Nursing degree
• School name
• Graduation year (optional)

8. References

Many travel nurse jobs require references early in the hiring process.

You may include “Professional references available upon request” or list recent supervisors if ready.

How to Format a Travel Nurse Resume

• Length: 1–2 pages
• Font: Arial or Calibri
• Font Size: 10.5–12 pt
• File Type: PDF
• Layout: Clean and scannable

Avoid: graphics, photos, excessive colors, or complex tables.

Common Resume Mistakes That Hurt Travel Nurse Jobs

• Missing license or certification details
• Large unexplained employment gaps
• Vague experience descriptions
• Listing outdated or irrelevant roles
• Overly long resumes

Final Tips to Land More Travel Nurse Jobs

• Update your resume before every assignment
• Tailor experience to each job submission
• Keep certifications current and visible
• Partner with recruiters who specialize in travel nurse jobs

Ready to take the next step? Explore current travel nurse jobs with Anders Group and put your resume to work.