5 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Med-Surg Travel Nursing Resume

There are about 650,000 med-surg nurses in the United States, making it the most common nursing specialty. As a result, the smallest mistake can make the difference between you landing that travel nursing gig and ending up in the slush pile.

Here are some mistakes to watch out for on your med-surg travel nursing resume.

Including boilerplate summaries

No two travel nursing gigs are the same, so no two job summaries are the same. It’s tempting to choose a boilerplate message and copy and paste it into every resume you send out for a job. But avoid that temptation. Be sure your summary speaks to what the hospital is looking for in a travel nurse. For example, they require experience at a Level II Trauma Center, be sure to mention if you have that.

Writing overly-general descriptions of your job history

Just as you don’t want to copy and paste your job summary, don’t skimp on the details of your job history. Really dig in and give them a good picture of the specifics. Here are some questions you want to make sure your resume answers:

• What med-surg experience do you have?
• What travel nursing experience do you have?
• What were the trauma levels of the hospitals you’ve worked at?
• What kind of float experience do you have?
• What skills did you master at certain positions?

Glossing over your travel nursing experience

Hospitals often require a year or two of travel nursing experience before taking you on for a position. Though there are rare hospitals that will take nurses who have never traveled before, underscoring your previous travel experience will give you a leg up. List the number and duration of all travel contracts you’ve had in the past.

Omitting your licenses and certifications

You may think that it’s a given that you have your BLS and ACLS certifications, but the hirer at the hospital you’re interested in will want to make sure you meet the minimum requirements for your position. Don’t make them hunt for that information or come back to your recruiter to double check your credentials.

Making small grammar, spelling, and formatting errors

As a med-surg nurse, it’s crucial that you’re detail-oriented, and the first way you prove that is through your resume. Grammar, spelling, and other errors can make you look sloppy, and can make hirers pass you over for that dream position. So, double check your resume and have someone else read over it if possible.

Looking for more travel nurse resume tips? Check out How to Write the Perfect Travel Nurse Resume to Get the Job You Want.