As a travel hospice nurse, you know that many of your skills transcend the language typically found on resumes.

And yet, getting your hospice nurse resume in tip-top shape is also vital to landing the travel assignment of your dreams. So, what can you do?

If you’re a travel hospice nurse looking to refine your CV, these nine tips will help you piece together the perfect hospice nurse resume.

#1. Craft an Eye-Catching Personal Statement 

End-of-life-care hiring managers are, as you know, not simply searching for any RN, but one who possesses the skills that are unique to your concentration on hospice care—namely, compassion, tact, and grace. 

These skills are necessary to help terminally ill patients transition toward death (and manage questions, concerns, and expectations from their loved ones). So, consider leading your resume with a powerful personal statement that emphasizes the empathy, tenderness, and composure you bring to the job. It’s an impactful and effective way to encourage the hiring manager to continue reviewing your resume.

Also known as a resume profile, a personal statement further enables you to showcase your character, passion, and commitment to hospice care because it’s written in your own words (rather than listed), which will give hiring managers a glimpse of your personality. Consider succinctly including:

  • What compelled you to pursue a career in hospice care
  • Something distinct and impressive about your skill set (if possible)
  • Your reason for applying for a travel assignment

Lastly, read through the job description meticulously: it may inspire you to modify a few word choices to demonstrate that you understand the position. 

#2. Use Concrete Details When Discussing Your Professional Experience

The more precise your explanation of your work experience, the more outstanding your hospice nurse resume may appear for travel assignments.

Why?

It will give hiring managers a clearer understanding of the breadth and depth of your professional qualifications—and a good sense of what you’re able to handle as a travel nurse. To that end, you may want to use numerics to detail your:

  • Years of experience as an RN
  • Years of experience as a travel RN
  • Years of experience specifically as a hospice and palliative care nurse
  • Average daily patient load
  • Experience with end-of-life planning

In this section, you might also want to highlight any relevant experience that supplements your hospice experience, such as working in a long-term care facility, a rehabilitation center, or geriatrics—again, with numerics.

#3. Underscore Your “Soft Skills”

Yours is an extraordinary role—one that relies on soft skills like few other professions. With this in mind, you may want to shine a spotlight on your: 

  • Communication prowess – Perhaps more than any other nursing specialty, hospice nursing depends on solid communication in delivering ultra-compassionate care. The education, comfort, and emotional support you provide should be emphasized under your communication skills.
  • Teamwork mindset – You’re well aware that teamwork is essential to your profession. Underlining your ability to coordinate well with other healthcare professionals—such as bereavement counselors, social workers, dieticians, and primary care physicians—may demonstrate that you view your role as part of a larger group effort.
  • Critical thinking abilities – Consider all of those “think on your feet” moments you’ve had throughout your career—hiring managers will want to know that you can act quickly, smartly, and decisively. Concisely detailing that you’re capable of managing ethical dilemmas and unfamiliar situations with empathy and integrity may help you stand out from other applicants. 
  • Professionalism – Although your obligations involve all kinds of emotions, your responsibility is to maintain your equilibrium. That doesn’t mean detaching yourself entirely from your patients, but it does mean acting professionally at all times, even when providing emotional support to patients and their families. So, spelling this out on your resume is important.

#4. Emphasize Your Compassion

The skills above are all vital for hospice nurses, but one skill is worth singling out: compassion.

As you know, your patients and their loved ones often have a difficult road ahead. The days and months are filled with grief, pain, and loss. Helping your patients and their families manage their psychosocial health is just as important as helping them with their physical health.

So, as you fill out your resume, don’t just list compassion as a skill. Instead, try to infuse compassion into every section. When you talk about working with patients in your other roles, do so with empathy, care, and kindness.

#5. Make Sure You Have All the Essential Info

Logistically speaking, your hospice nurse resume should also include some basic information, like your:

  • Contact details – Every hire-worthy resume begins with the basics: your full name, location, and a phone number and email address.
  • Education – Whether you earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), you’ll want to include that information along with the school name and the years you attended.
  • Certifications – Whatever licenses and certifications you hold, be sure to list them here. A CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) designation can be especially beneficial when you’re applying for hospice nursing roles.
  • Job experience – From nursing school placements to full-time work, your professional experience is what sets you apart. 

#6. Tailor Your Resume to the Position

As convenient as it would be to submit the same resume to every employer, that approach may put you at a disadvantage. You’ll see much better results if you customize your resume with the specific job in mind—much in the same way you might rewrite every iteration of your personal summary. 

The easiest way to tailor your resume to the role is to inject the right keywords into your resume. For example, if the job posting uses the term “end-of-life care” instead of “hospice care,” you may want to mirror this wording on your resume.

Not only will using the potential employer’s terminology show that you’re paying attention, but it will also improve your odds of making it through an automated resume screening system. (Busy hiring managers sometimes filter out applications that lack specific keywords).

#7. Pay Attention to Structure and Formatting

Once you’re happy with the content of your resume, it’s time to make the document look like a polished masterpiece.

As a general rule, try to keep your resume format simple and readable. Photos and captivating colors may look nice, but they can distract hiring managers and make your resume seem unprofessional. Remember: It’s your skills and experience that will land you the hospice travel nurse job—not your passion for graphic design.

In most cases, the only “design element” you’ll need is a single-color header with your name and contact details in bold. Otherwise, as long as your resume is clear, organized, and legible, you’re in business.

Additionally, you’ll want to format your resume with hiring software in mind. As mentioned above, more and more employers are using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to sift through the countless resumes they receive.

To ensure your resume is readable by any software the hiring manager may be using, you should avoid:

  • Tables
  • Images
  • Charts
  • Graphics

#8. Include a Cover Letter with Your Resume

Though not necessarily a requirement, including a cover letter is a tactic to further showcase your experience and interest in the travel role. Even if a posting says that cover letters are optional, it’s worth taking the time to draft one up.

A resume mostly gives the cold, hard facts; a cover letter allows you to clear up any confusing sections, prove you have communication skills, and showcase your personality. Above all, it’s your opportunity to explain why you’re the best fit for the job.

Here are some quick tips for writing a flawless cover letter:

  • Include a header with your information
  • Address the recipient by name (if it’s easily available)
  • Add specific examples and details
  • Keep it to a single page
  • Finish with a professional sign-off

The only time you shouldn’t include a cover letter is when the posting specifically tells you not to.

#9. Review and Revise Before Submitting

Last—but certainly not least—always proofread and edit your resume and cover letter before sending off your application, in part because your role as a hospice nurse demands an exceptional eye for detail. Consider this your chance to prove that you have this indispensable trait!

Once you’re satisfied with the overall content and appearance of your resume, you should:

  • Use a writing review tool – A grammar and spell-checking program like Grammarly can spot any errors you might have missed. 
  • Scrutinize the details – Double-check that particulars like years and hospital names are written correctly. No amount of spell-checking will catch a typo in your graduation year. This is also the time to ensure your formatting is consistent.
  • Ask for a second opinion – It can be hard to spot mistakes on a document you’ve spent hours working on. So, see if a colleague or friend will read over your resume to make sure it gives off a positive first impression.

Now that you’ve ensured your resume is 100% accurate and well-written, it’s time to apply for that hospice nurse travel role.

Build the Ultimate Hospice Nurse Resume with Host Healthcare

When you’re looking for a new job, your resume is everything. You might be the perfect candidate for a role, but if your resume doesn’t reflect that, you won’t be hired.

What will get you hired is experience.

At Host Healthcare, we can help you gain the experience that will make your resume stand out. That’s because we place hospice travel nurses like you with skilled recruiters who can assist you with securing high-quality jobs around the country. We also provide our travel nurses day-one health benefits, personalized housing assistance, and more. 

Discover the fulfilling journey of being a hospice nurse with us. Apply today to embark on the path toward the life and career you’ve always dreamed of.

 

Sources: 

Kahler, Karl. “Resume Summary: What It Is, Why It Matters and How to Write It.” Resume.Io, 10 Feb. 2023, resume.io/blog/resume-summary. Accessed March 4, 2024.

Wolff, Debra A. “Your Résumé: The Essential Document for Career Advancement.” American Nurse Journal, 11 July 2022, www.myamericannurse.com/your-resume-the-essential-document-for-career-advancement/. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.

“18 Tips To Pass Automated Screening Resume Software.” Indeed, 10 Mar. 2023, www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/automated-screening-resume. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.

“How To Write an ATS Resume (With Template and Tips).” Indeed, 21 Aug. 2023, www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/ats-resume-template. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.