How to write a CV for a nursery nurse (template and example)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published 13 November 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

A nursery nurse is a medical professional who assists in the care of newborns and infants. Also known as neonatal nurses, these professionals usually work at hospitals or nurseries. If you're interested in pursuing a medical career and like working with babies, you may want to consider a career in this profession. In this article, we explain the role of a neonatal nurse, show how to write a CV as a nursery nurse and share a CV template and an example, which you can use as inspiration when developing your job application.

What is a nursery nurse?

A nursery nurse, sometimes known as a neonatal nurse, is a health care professional and a registered nurse (RN) who specialises in working with newborns, infants and small children, usually below the age of seven. Many nurses with this specialisation work in hospitals, but it's also common for them to find employment in nurseries, community centres or children's clinics. These are the key responsibilities of a nursery nurse:

providing medical care to children
monitoring children's vitals and reporting them to physicians
supplementing primary care by changing diapers and feeding children
providing emotional and psychological support to parents and children
working with other nursing professionals to administer medication and treatment that physicians prescribed
maintaining a stimulating environment to help with children's developmental needs
creating periodic reports and filling in patient charts
communicating updates and health information to parents

How to write a CV as a nursery nurse

If you're interested in working with children as a nurse, then it's important that you learn how to write a good CV of a nursery nurse. You can take the following steps to do that:

1. Analyse the job description

Before you start writing your CV, it's important that you carefully analyse the job description. This helps you understand not only what the employer expects from you as a candidate but what they'd like to see in your job application. As you analyse the description, pay attention to any keywords or phrases they emphasise when describing the role's responsibilities or requirements. You can also note the minimum level of qualifications and key skills that they want the ideal candidate to have. Creating such a list helps you in later steps.

2. Choose the type of CV you want to create

There are various types of CV that help candidates present their strengths when creating a job application. Choosing the best type requires that you consider how much experience in the field you have and if there are any significant gaps in your CV. The three most common CV types are:

Chronological CV: Also known as a traditional CV, it allows you to concentrate on demonstrating your work experience before you list your education and skills. It's great for people with a lot of expertise in the field who've worked continuously for at least the past few years in the same role.
Skills-based CV: Also referred to as a functional CV, this document helps you focus on your skills and practical abilities. You may consider this CV type if there are longer breaks in your career.
Combination CV: This CV type combines elements of both chronological and skills-based CVs, allowing you to comprehensively describe your experience and skills to show that you meet most, or all, requirements for the role. Employers usually require that nursery nurses have both experience in the field and strong skill sets, which is why this CV type may be the best for this profession.

3. Provide your contact information

Start writing your CV by providing your contact information at the top of the page. Write your full name and, if applicable, a professional title. As an aspiring nursery nurse, it's critical that you have at least a few years of experience as a registered nurse. Including the acronym RN (registered nurse) or LPN (licensed practical nurse) next to your name tells recruiters that you have the necessary qualifications. In a new line under your name and title, include your phone number, email and location. This way, a recruiter can easily contact you to invite you to a job interview.

4. Write an engaging professional summary

This next section allows you to briefly describe your experience and accomplishments in the field. Although it appears right under your contact information, you may want to write this at the end of the CV writing process. To write an engaging professional summary, it's important that you use only a few sentences.

In addition to talking about your achievements and expertise, you can use this space to express excitement about the role. You may also specify why you're seeking a position at the health care facility or nursery to which you're applying. This demonstrates professionalism and shows that you're truly passionate about working with children.

5. Describe your work experience

Next, focus on describing your relevant work experience. Starting with your current or most recent position first, write your job title and employment dates. In the next line, mention the employer and where the organisation is located. After providing this basic information, use bullets to list each role's key responsibilities. You may want to use action verbs and numericals to, for example, describe the size of the team you managed or mention how many children you were responsible for daily. These are elements that often get recruiters' attention and show your efficiency.

6. List your key skills

Although it may seem that listing your skills as a nurse is an easy task, knowing which abilities to mention can increase your chances of getting the job. To create an effective skills section, use the information you gathered after analysing the job description to see what the employer requires. For example, some may want you to know how to use a specific reporting software. Here are example skills that you can mention as an aspiring nursery nurse:

stamina and patience
creativity and imagination
understanding of children's physical, intellectual and emotional development
teamwork and communication
a warm and caring nature
a sense of responsibility

7. Mention your education

Lastly, describe your educational background. Start by writing your degree and title, for instance, a bachelor of science in nursing. In the same line, mention your school or university.

Nursery nurse CV template

You can decide to create a CV from scratch, but using a template can help you make sure you include all important elements in it. Here's a simple template to use when developing your job application:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email] | [Location]

Professional summary

[A few sentences in which you describe your professional experience, background and notable accomplishments.]

Work experience

[Job title] | [Dates of employment]
[Company name] | [Location]

[Bullet points describing key responsibilities]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job title] | [Dates of employment]
[Company name] | [Location]

[Bullet points describing key responsibilities]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Skills
[Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill]

Education
[Degree and title], [Name of school or university]

Example of a nursery nurse CV

Reviewing an example neonatal nurse CV can help you get a sense of that to include in yours. Here's an example of a good nursery nurse CV:

Sharon Gill, RN +44 7873 123456| sharongillnurse@email.com| Chelsea, London

Professional Summary

Experienced registered nurse with level 3 childcare qualifications and over four years of experience working with children in a medical environment. Seeking a nursery nurse position in which I can further develop my leadership, children care and administrative skills.

Work experience

Registered children's nurse | July 2018—Current
MedHelp Clinic | Westminster, London

Providing pre-op and post-op care to children
Monitoring and administering medication, injections and infusions
Overseeing the work of 10+ children's nurses and medical staff members
Creating schedules and leading staff meetings
Assisting surgeons and physicians during ward rounds

Skills

Patience and Creativity| Theories of Child Development | Reporting and Administration | First Aid

Education

Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Hope Medical University

Level 3 Certificate in Childcare and Education, National College of Children's Medicine