Common Resume Mistakes Nurses Make—and How to Fix Them Fast

Your Resume: The All-Too-Real Gatekeeper

You know your clinical skills could run circles around any shift—so why does your resume feel more like a barricade than a bridge? You’re not alone. Plenty of great nurses get ghosted by hiring systems (and recruiters who never answer emails), all because of a handful of resume blunders. Let’s fix that—quickly and painlessly—so you stand out for all the right reasons, especially in the remote nursing world.

The "Task Trap": Don’t Just List Duties

First up—if your resume reads like a job description you copy-pasted from the hospital intranet, time for a rewrite. Instead of listing every duty you did (“monitored patient vitals, administered medications…”), show impact. Did you help bring down patient call light times? Pilot telehealth visits during the pandemic? Numbers and outcomes pack serious punch. Try: “Reduced ER bottlenecks by facilitating 30+ virtual triage sessions daily” or “Trained 12 charge nurses in new EHR system, improving documentation speed by 40%”.

Formatting Fails: Keep It Clean (for the Bots and the Bosses)

We all love a little personality, but graphic-heavy resumes confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (those mysterious robots guarding job postings). Stick to a clean, professional look:

• No headshots (leave that for LinkedIn)
• Avoid colored backgrounds and emojis (yes, even the cute ones)
• Use clear headers (Experience, Education, Certifications)

Bonus tip for remote roles: Make your tech skills pop. Telehealth companies like Carenet Health or UnitedHealth Group (UHG) want to know you’re tech-savvy. Highlight EMR/EHR systems, teleconferencing tools, and any remote charting experience.

Missing the Magic Words: Keywords Matter

If your resume doesn’t include the right keywords, you might as well be shouting into an empty void. Scan the job description—do they want "triage experience," "telehealth," "virtual care," or "case management"? Work those in organically. Example: “Provided telephone triage for chronic disease management patients using RN license in a remote setting.” Need help? The Telehealth Resume Kit comes with keyword checklists tailored to remote nursing roles (because we love you).

Fluffy Language & Nurse-Speak

Resist the urge to say you’re a “hardworking team player” with “good communication skills." Show, don’t tell. Give a quick example—like, “Led virtual support group for 30+ diabetes patients, fostering a 25% boost in attendance.” Make it real and concrete. Also, swap out the acronyms unless they’re industry-standard. No one's impressed by an alphabet soup unless it's Campbell’s.

Forgetting the "Remote" Factor

Hiring for telehealth is not the same as bedside. Highlight experience that proves you’re ready to thrive at home:

• Experience with remote monitoring or virtual care tools
• Managing time independently (“coordinated care for 40+ patients weekly in a home office”)
• Documenting and communicating effectively outside of face-to-face settings

If you’re just starting out, mention any exposure—even if it was just helping coordinate remote appointments or sitting in on a Zoom inservice.

The Fix: Upgrade Your Resume Like a Pro

If your eyes have glazed over, don’t go it alone. Tap into peer support in the Telehealth Nurse Network Community for advice, sample resumes, and real-life success stories. Ready to go from scanner food to “must-interview”? Grab the Resume Kit and check out our remote job board when you’re ready to show off your new, attention-grabbing resume.

Takeaways: Make Your Resume a Shining Advocate, Not a Blocker

• Show results, not just tasks
• Keep formatting simple and robot-friendly
• Load up on job-relevant keywords
• Give concrete, non-fluffy examples
• Highlight remote-ready skills

You’ve worked too hard to let avoidable resume mistakes keep you stuck. Clean up, keyword, show impact, and get ready to be noticed. See you in the (virtual) break room soon!