Keep the vacancy beside your CV while you work through this checklist. For each essential criterion, you should be able to point to a line that addresses it. If the employer asks for a supporting statement or application form, use the same exercise there; sending a CV alone may not complete the application.
This checklist is for adult nursing roles. It helps you organise an application, rather than assess clinical competence or eligibility to practise.
Check the essentials first
| What the reader needs | Where to put it | What to look for in your draft |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing field and recent setting | Opening profile and latest role | Does it say adult medical ward, community service or another specific setting? “Hospital experience” leaves too much unexplained. |
| Professional registration | A short section near the top | Name the body, jurisdiction and current status. An application in progress should be labelled as pending. |
| Relevant clinical experience | Employment history | Include department, dates and responsibilities, with the most relevant work first. |
| Education | Education section | Give the exact award, institution and completion date. |
| Relevant training | A concise training section | Include provider and completion or renewal dates where applicable. Separate current training from expired certificates. |
| Student placements | A clearly labelled placement section | Identify the setting and supervised responsibilities. Keep these separate from qualified employment. |
| Coordination or supervision | Under the role where it happened | Explain whom you supported and what you did, rather than simply listing “leadership”. |
Put registration identifiers through the employer's requested verification process rather than publishing them on a public CV. Requirements vary between jurisdictions; a registration in one country does not establish eligibility elsewhere.
Replace broad claims with clinical context
“Good communication” could describe almost any applicant. A ward handover, discharge conversation and explanation to a worried relative involve different work. Name the relevant situation.
The wording below is illustrative, with no real patient or candidate behind it.
| Draft wording | A more informative version |
|---|---|
| Excellent communication skills | Contributed to structured ward handovers, documenting outstanding actions for the incoming team. |
| Worked well in a team | Coordinated discharge information with nursing and therapy colleagues and referred unresolved questions to the appropriate team member. |
| Helped students | Supported student nurses with ward routines and documentation during supervised placements. |
| Experienced in patient care | Cared for adults on a general medical ward, contributing to care plans and documenting changes for review. |
Choose the example that reflects the work you actually need to explain. A long list of procedures is less helpful if it mixes current competence, old training and brief observation without distinguishing them.
For a newly qualified nurse, supervision is useful context. “Contributed to structured handovers during a supervised medical placement” tells an employer where that experience came from. There is no need to make it resemble an independent staff nurse role.
Moving from ward work into the community? Bring forward discharge coordination, patient education and links with other services where relevant. Leave room for the experience the new setting requires instead of filling the page with every routine from the previous ward.
One last pass against the application
- The profile identifies my nursing field and setting.
- Registration status and qualification dates are easy to find.
- Each essential criterion has supporting evidence, or I have identified the gap.
- Placement work and independent responsibilities are distinguishable.
- Training entries show dates, rather than an undated list of certificates.
- Examples contain no identifiable patient information.
- I have completed the requested form or supporting statement as well as any CV.
For background on adult nursing settings and responsibilities, see the National Careers Service nurse profile.
After formatting, run through the checklist on the exported PDF. Check that registration details are easy to find and placement headings stay with their entries.