The Best Charge Nurse Resume Sample for 2026 (+7 Other Templates)

What makes this charge nurse resume example work?

• Real numbers that show scope: Managing 30+ patients in critical care, doing wellness checks for 60 patients, and supervising 25 nurses gives hiring managers an instant picture of what this person can handle.
• Clear career growth: Got promoted to team leader within one year at Wood Rose Hospital. That's the kind of thing that catches attention—it shows others recognized their leadership ability early.
• Covers both bedside and management work: The resume shows hands-on clinical skills (wound care, PICC lines, catheterization) plus leadership tasks (scheduling shifts, managing supplies, running meetings). That's exactly what charge nurse jobs need.
• Strong certifications: CRNA, CCRN, and NCLEX-RN aren't easy to get. They immediately prove advanced clinical skills and critical care expertise.
• Leadership shows up throughout: Supervising staff, resolving conflicts, coordinating schedules. The whole resume reinforces that this person knows how to lead a team.
• Master's degree with research experience: MSN with honors, plus presenting at national conferences, shows this candidate takes nursing seriously and stays current with best practices.

How can this charge nurse resume example be improved?

• Summary uses vague language: "Dedicated and empathetic" could describe almost any nurse. Starting with something concrete like "Charge Nurse with 13+ years managing critical care teams of 25+ staff" would work better.
• Personal skills feel generic: Anyone can say they're "passionate" or "hard working." These traits would be more convincing if shown through actual examples in the work experience instead of just listed.
• Important skills are on page two: The skills section doesn't show up until the second page, which means recruiters might never see key terms like "bed management" and "patient safety." Moving this up to page one would help a lot.
• Education takes up too much space: With 13+ years of experience, the detailed bachelor's degree section (coursework, clinical rotations, skills labs) isn't really needed anymore. A simple line with degree and year would free up space for more recent achievements.

Now, let's have a look at 7 more charge nurse resume samples. 

If any of these resumes catches your eye, just click on the image and start customizing the content to fit your needs.

Nurse Practitioner resume sample

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Why this nurse practicioner resume works?

• Diverse clinical background: The resume covers emergency, ICU, internal medicine, critical care, neonatal, and even in-flight nursing. This breadth of experience shows adaptability and makes the candidate appealing for various NP roles.
• Specific scope of practice shown: Bullets like "performed investigatory procedures requested by GPs" and "ordered and interpreted laboratory examinations, x-rays, wrote prescriptions" clearly demonstrate advanced practice authority—not just basic nursing tasks.
• Multiple relevant certifications: Having both ANCC and AANP certifications (plus the NP license) shows commitment to credentialing and gives hiring managers confidence in qualifications.
• International experience: Working in the UK and Switzerland adds interesting dimension and could be valuable for healthcare systems that serve diverse populations or have international partnerships.

What can be improved?

• Profile section is too wordy: The professional profile paragraph runs long and includes vague phrases like "dynamic and dedicated" and "superior patient care." A shorter, more punchy summary with specific years of experience and specialty areas would work better.
• Key skills buried on page two again: Languages and interpersonal skills don't appear until the second page. Moving at least the clinical and technical skills to page one would help recruiters see qualifications faster.

Certified Nursing Assistant resume sample

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What works in this certified nursing assistant resume?

• Impressive rotation experience: Working across 8 different units (Stroke, Neurosurgery, Infectious Disease, ENT, Day Surgery, etc.) in one year shows versatility and the ability to adapt quickly to different patient populations and clinical settings.
• Strong academic performance: First Class Honours in the top 2% immediately stands out and shows this candidate takes their work seriously. For early-career nursing roles, this kind of academic distinction really matters.
• Employee of the Month recognition: Getting recognized while rotating through Infectious Disease (arguably one of the more challenging assignments) adds credibility and shows the candidate performs well even in tough environments.

What can be improved?

• Profile is overly sentimental: Phrases like "recognizing the beauty and value of life" and "deep passion for the healthcare field" feel too emotional for a professional resume. Starting with concrete experience like "CNA with hospital experience across 8 specialized units" would be stronger.
• High school details aren't necessary: The IB Diploma section takes up space that could be used for more relevant information. At this career stage, university education is enough.
• Hobbies add no value: "Exploring distant lands" and "Getting lost in a good book" don't strengthen a CNA application and could be removed to keep the focus professional.

Registered Nurse at Akron Children's Hospital resume sample

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This resume belongs to a real nurse who successfully landed a job at Akron Children's Hospital.

The playful design with illustrated clouds might not work for every nursing role, but for a children's hospital? It actually fits perfectly and shows personality.

Why this resume works?

• Clear progression from intern to RN: The resume shows growth from ASCEND Nurse Intern → Nurse Technician → Staff RN, all at the same hospital. This demonstrates commitment and proves the candidate earned their advancement through performance.
• Impressive involvement in hospital initiatives: Being a Pediatric Skin Care Champion, Unit-Based Council Member, ANCC Magnet Nursing Champion, and C.A.R.E. Ladder Level 3 shows this person doesn't just clock in and out—they actively contribute to hospital quality and culture.
• Strong academic credentials: Magna Cum Laude, multiple honor societies, and leadership roles (President of Bitonte Ambassadors, Academic Student Senator) all point to someone who excels and takes initiative.
• Comprehensive certification list: Having BLS, PALS, ACLS, and NRP covers all the essential emergency and pediatric certifications that children's hospitals look for.

What can be improved?

• No professional summary: The resume jumps straight into work experience without any introduction. A short summary would help show personality, explain the focus on pediatric nursing, and give context for why this candidate is passionate about working with children.
• Missing specific clinical achievements: While the involvement section is strong, there are no bullets showing actual patient care outcomes or improvements made. Adding even one accomplishment (like "reduced IV infiltration rates" or "mentored 5 new graduate nurses") would strengthen the clinical credibility.
• Hobbies take up visual space: The illustrated hobby icons are cute and fit the design, but they don't add professional value. That space could be used for key clinical skills or specialized training instead.

Certified Nurse Midwife resume example

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Why this certified nurse midwife resume works?

• Quantifiable patient load: Mentioning "approximately 25 pregnant patients per month" gives a concrete sense of workload and helps hiring managers understand the candidate's capacity.
• Clear role progression: Moving from Midwife Assistant to Certified Nurse Midwife to collaborating directly with OB/GYNs as a primary care provider shows steady professional growth over 15+ years.
• Comprehensive scope of practice: The resume covers prenatal care, deliveries, postpartum care, well-woman gynecology, and family planning—basically the full spectrum of midwifery services.

What can be improved?

• Wrong section label and missing key info: This is labeled "Career Objective" but it's actually a summary—and not a great one. Career objectives are for entry-level candidates. For someone with this much experience, it should be called "Professional Summary" or just "Summary," and it needs to include years of experience (like "Certified Nurse Midwife with 15+ years of experience") for ATS scanning.
• Bachelor's degree details are outdated: The extensive description of a 1994 bachelor's degree (including "collaborated with classmates") isn't relevant for someone with 15+ years of professional experience. A simple degree line would suffice.
• Hobbies section is too personal: While "pets," "family & friends," and "doing any kind of outdoor sport" show personality, they don't strengthen a midwifery application and could be removed entirely.

Nursing Student resume example

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Why this nursing student resume works?

• Intern of the Month recognition: Being recognized during a summer internship shows the candidate made a strong impression quickly and stood out among other interns.
• Impressive academic performance: A 3.98 GPA in nursing school and 4.0 in high school (top 2%) demonstrates consistent academic excellence and strong work ethic.
• Multilingual ability: Speaking English, French, and Chinese is a huge asset in healthcare settings with diverse patient populations.
• Relevant hands-on experience: The internship bullet points show actual patient care tasks (vitals monitoring, assisting with medications, patient communication) rather than just shadowing or observing.

What can be improved?

• Profile isn't tailored to a specific employer: The objective mentions wanting to work at "a cutting-edge healthcare facility" but doesn't name an actual hospital or explain why. For internship applications, showing you've researched the specific institution and explaining what draws you there makes a much stronger impression.
• Driving license is irrelevant: Unless the job specifically requires driving (like home health or mobile care), a driving license doesn't belong on a nursing resume and just takes up space.

Overall, this is a really solid nursing student resume! It hits all the important points for an internship or entry-level position—relevant experience, strong grades, and the right skills.

If you're putting together your own internship resume and want more tips, this guide walks you through the whole process.

St. Francis Hospital Registered Nurse resume example

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Why this St. Francis Hospital registered nurse resume works?

• Internal progression at St. Francis: Starting as a Nurse Technician in 2018 and moving up to Registered Nurse in 2019 shows the candidate proved themselves and earned the promotion. Hospitals love hiring people they've already trained.
• International clinical experience: Doing clinical work in India and being named Best Study Abroad Student of 2018 shows cultural competency and adaptability—valuable traits in diverse healthcare settings.
• Extensive clinical rotations covered: The resume lists experience across multiple specialties—geriatrics, pediatrics, women's health, mental health, and acute care. This breadth shows versatility and readiness for different patient populations.
• Gilman Scholarship recipient: Earning a competitive scholarship demonstrates academic merit and initiative beyond just coursework.

What can be improved?

• Work experience has no details: The two most important roles (Registered Nurse and Nurse Technician at St. Francis) have job titles and dates but zero description of what the candidate actually did. Adding 3-5 bullets for each with specific responsibilities and achievements would make this section much stronger.
• Profile is generic: "Highly skilled," "proven track record," and "exceptional work ethic" don't say anything specific. A summary mentioning years of experience, specialty areas, or the progression from tech to RN would work better.
• Volunteer experience is repetitive: The Christmas Store Volunteer role is listed twice (2017 and 2018) with almost identical descriptions. Combining them into one entry would save space without losing information.

Licensed Vocational Nurse resume sample

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Why this vocational nurse resume works?

• 15+ years of diverse experience: Working across geriatric, pediatric, rehabilitative, and post-operative settings shows serious versatility and the ability to adapt to different patient populations and care environments.
• Strong evidence of clinical skills: The resume covers everything from anticoagulation therapy and palliative care to patient education and infection control—showing both technical skills and holistic care abilities.
• Current licenses clearly listed: Including license numbers and expiration dates shows attention to detail and makes it easy for hiring managers to verify credentials.

What can be improved?

• Professional profile is way too long: The opening paragraph tries to cover everything at once and ends up feeling bloated. Cutting it down to 2-3 lines with the most important information (years of experience, key specialties) would have more impact.
• College clubs aren't relevant anymore: With 15+ years of professional experience, mentioning Biology Society, Dance Club, and Volleyball Team from college doesn't add value and makes the education section feel longer on purpose.

If you'd rather start fresh than customize someone else's resume, then the following chapters offer a short guide that walks you through building a charge nurse resume from scratch.

How to write the best charge nurse resume for 2026 in 7 steps

Analyzing examples is helpful, but at some point you need to sit down and actually write your own resume.

Looking at examples helps, but building your own charge nurse resume from scratch can actually feel easier than trying to adapt someone else's work to fit your experience.

If that sounds like you, pick one of our professionally designed resume templates and follow these 7 steps to create a charge nurse resume that gets attention in 2026:

1. Start with a clear and professional resume header
2. Write a summary that shows your leadership experience
3. Prove your experience in both nursing and supervision
4. Keep education simple, certifications detailed
5. Highlight the right charge nurse skills
6. Add extra sections that strengthen your resume
7. Tailor your resume to the job and optimize for ATS

1. Start with a clear and professional resume header

Your resume header is where all your contact information lives. It's the foundation of every resume, but what you include depends on your profession.

For charge nurse positions, your header should include:

• Full name
• Professional email address
• Phone number
• Home address (city and state) – but let's talk about the address a little bit...

Unlike a lot of other jobs, being a charge nurse means you need to physically show up at the hospital every day—no remote or hybrid options.

Your location actually matters to hiring managers. Many hospitals filter resumes by location when they're going through applications. If you live in the right city (or nearby), including your address can help you get through that initial screening.

But what if you're willing to relocate? If you're applying to hospitals in a different city or state, leave the address off your header. Instead, mention your willingness to relocate in your resume summary. Something like "RN with 8+ years of experience, relocating to Denver in June 2026" works perfectly.

FYI, only include your city and state, never your full street address. There's no reason a recruiter needs to know your exact home location, plus it helps avoid any potential bias.

2. Write a summary that shows your leadership experience

Your resume summary (also called a professional summary or profile) is the short paragraph that sits right under your header. It's your chance to make a strong first impression and insert some important keywords in just 3-4 lines.

For charge nurse positions, go with a resume summary, not a resume objective.

The difference between the a summary and an objective is that an objective works better for people just starting out or changing careers. A summary is for professionals with experience in the role—which is exactly the case for charge nurses.

A strong charge nurse summary should include:

• Your current title or credential (Charge Nurse, RN, BSN), this is your opener
• Years of nursing experience (especially in leadership roles), also mention this in the first sentence
• Clinical specialty or unit type (ICU, ER, med-surg, pediatrics, etc.)
• Leadership scope (how many nurses you've supervised, bed count, patient load)
• Key certifications (BLS, ACLS, CCRN, etc.)

Here are two examples, one that doesn't work and one that does:

Why this doesn't work: It's vague, focuses on what the candidate wants instead of what they offer, and could apply to literally any nurse at any level.

Why this works: It's specific, shows leadership scope with real numbers, mentions relevant certifications, and includes a concrete achievement that proves impact.

3. Prove your experience in both nursing and supervision

The work experience section is the most important part of your charge nurse resume.

This is where you need to show you can do two things at once: provide excellent patient care AND lead a team.

Unlike staff nurse resumes that focus mostly on clinical skills, your charge nurse resume needs to prove you can manage people, handle conflicts, coordinate schedules, and keep an entire unit running smoothly. All while maintaining quality patient care.

How to write strong charge nurse work experience bullets:

• Stick to 3-6 bullets per role. Enough to show what you handled without overwhelming the page.
• Start with strong action verbs. Words like supervised, coordinated, delegated, mentored, implemented, streamlined, or reduced make your experience sound active.
• Show your leadership skills. Include numbers—how many nurses you supervised, how many beds in your unit, what shifts you managed.
• Don't skip the clinical work. Even as a charge nurse, you're still doing patient assessments, care planning, and procedures. Make sure those show up too.
• Add measurable results. Did you reduce patient falls? Improve satisfaction scores? Cut down on medication errors? Decrease staff turnover? Numbers make your achievements real.
• Use keywords from the job posting. If the hospital mentions "staff development," "quality improvement," or "conflict resolution," include those exact phrases where they fit naturally. It helps with ATS and shows you're a good match.

Once you put all of that together, it should look something like this example:

4. Keep education simple, certifications detailed

As a charge nurse, you've been working in the field for a while now, so your education section doesn't need much attention. At the same time, nursing is a medical profession where having a degree isn't optional but it's a basic requirement.

So yes, you need to list it, but you don't need to go into detail about coursework or school projects from years ago.

What matters way more at this point are your certifications. These show you've kept your skills current and gone beyond the basics.

For charge nurses, that includes both clinical certifications (like BLS, ACLS, or specialty credentials) and sometimes leadership or management training. 

Let's look at how both sections can look like on your charge nurse resume:

That's it. Clean, clear, and gives hiring managers what they need without taking up unnecessary space.

 If you're looking to add more certifications or renew existing ones, these organizations offer well-respected certifications that hospitals recognize:

• American Nurses Association (ANCC)
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
• National League for Nursing (NLN)
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL)

For charge nurses specifically, there are organizations that offer certifications that focus on the leadership side of the role:

• Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC^®). Administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
• CNML (Certified Nurse Manager and Leader). Offered by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL)

5. Highlight the right charge nurse skills

As a charge nurse, your skills section needs to show that you can handle both the clinical side of nursing and the leadership responsibilities that come with the role.

But you can't just list every skill you've ever used. 

You need to pick the ones that match what the hospital is actually looking for.

So, how to pick the right charge nurse skills? Here's a quick guide:

1. Study the job posting carefully. Look for the skills and responsibilities the hospital mentions repeatedly. If they keep talking about "staff mentoring," "quality improvement," or "Epic EMR," those need to show up on your resume.
2. Match those requirements with your real skills. Only include skills you actually have and can back up with experience.
3. Balance clinical and leadership abilities. Charge nurses need both. Show you can care for patients AND manage a team.
4. Include specific systems and tools. Mention EMR platforms (Epic, Cerner, Meditech), scheduling software, or any hospital-specific systems you know.

Once you do that, your skills section becomes focused and relevant. 

If you want to make your skills section even better, break your skills into sub-categories to make them easier to scan. For example:

1. Leadership & Management
2. Clinical skills
3. Technical skills

6. Add extra sections that strengthen your resume

If you've already completed steps 1-5, your resume has everything it needs. You're in good shape.

But maybe you feel like something's missing, or you have relevant experience that doesn't fit neatly into the main sections. Or maybe you just want to give hiring managers one more reason to pick you over other candidates.

That's when extra sections come in handy. 

For charge nurses, here are some optional resume sections worth considering:

• Awards & Achievements. Awards and achievements aren’t quite the same thing. Awards are formal recognition you received (like Nurse of the Month), while achievements are results you helped make happen (for example, improving patient satisfaction or reducing errors). 
• Volunteering. Focus on volunteer work connected to healthcare, leadership, teaching, or patient care. If it has nothing to do with nursing or working with people, it’s better to leave it out.
• References. For most office jobs, references on a resume feel a bit old-school these days, thanks to LinkedIn and online recommendations. In healthcare, though, references still matter. You can either write “References available upon request” or list 1–3 people who can vouch for you professionally directly.

Let's have a look at how an Awards section can look like on a charge nurse resume:

7. Tailor your resume to the job and optimize for ATS

Once you've filled out all the resume sections, you're about 70% done. But to actually land interviews, you need to do two more things: tailor your resume to match the job posting and make it ATS-friendly.

The good news is, these two tasks overlap quite a bit. But first...

...What's an ATS?

Before your resume reaches a nurse manager or HR director, it usually goes through an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) first. These are programs that scan resumes for certain keywords that match the job posting. If the ATS doesn't find the keywords it's looking for, it can reject your resume. That can happen when:

A) you don't include the right keywords (obviously), and

B) when some design/visual choices make it hard for the ATS to read the document properly. 

...What does "tailoring" mean?

It means customizing your resume for each specific job you apply to. Instead of sending the same generic resume everywhere, you adjust your summary, skills, and work experience bullets to match what that particular hospital is looking for.

...And how are ATS and tailoring connected?

When you tailor your resume to match the job posting, you're naturally using the same keywords and phrases the ATS is programmed to look for. So tailoring doesn't just make your resume more relevant to human readers—it also helps you get past the ATS filters.

Now that that's all clear, here are some tips for how to make your resume ATS friendly:

• Use a single-column resume template. Multi-column layouts confuse ATS systems and can scramble the order of your information.
• Don't use pictures, graphs, or special graphic elements. ATS can't read images, and they often cause the system to skip entire sections of your resume.
• Avoid adding background to your resume. Even light background colors can make text unreadable to ATS scanners. Stick to a plain white background.
• Save as PDF or .docx format. Use whatever format the job posting recommends. If they don't specify, either of these formats works.
• Include exact keywords from the job posting. If the ad says "staff scheduling," use "staff scheduling" (not "shift management"). Copy their exact phrasing.
• Include both variations of key terms. Mention "electronic medical record" and "EMR," or "registered nurse" and "RN" to cover all bases.
• Use the job title from the posting. If they're hiring a "Charge Nurse," use "Charge Nurse" in your summary or past job titles (if accurate)—not "Unit Supervisor" or "Lead RN."

As for tailoring your resume, we've got something better than a bullet-point list.

This video breaks down the entire process section by section, using an actual resume and job posting so you can see exactly how it's done. 

Average salary and job outlook for charge nurses 

If you're considering moving into a charge nurse role or want to know what the field looks like over the next decade, good news! The outlook for charge nurses is really strong!

Employment for medical and health services managers—the category that includes nurse managers and charge nurses—is expected to grow by 23% between 2024 and 2034. That's much faster than the average for all occupations, according to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

About 62,100 openings for medical and health services managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. So there's plenty of opportunity for growth and job security in this field.

Why the growth? The aging population is driving up demand for healthcare services across the board. More people needing care means more physicians, nurses, medical procedures, and healthcare facilities. And all of that creates a greater need for managers—like charge nurses—to organize workflows, oversee staff, and keep everything running smoothly.

What about salary? The average pay range for charge nurses is $78,000 to $109,000 per year, based on Glassdoor data. 

Your actual salary will depend on factors like location, years of experience, specialty area, shift differentials, and the size of the hospital or healthcare system you work for.