Ward managers screen first for current NMC registration, your field of nursing, your band and your specialism, so this example puts them in the opening lines. Each role then shows what changed because you were there. Most NHS posts use an online form and supporting statement, but agencies, private hospitals and GP practices ask for a CV, and a finished one makes the NHS form quick to fill in.
Use this example: the CV builder opens with it filled in on the Blue template, free to edit and preview. Downloading the CV and matching cover letter costs £4.99 once.
Example nurse CV
A fictional person, employers and figures, to show the format. Replace every detail with your own.
Adult nurse with NMC registration and four years' experience on a busy acute medical ward, currently Band 5 and regularly in charge of shifts. Skilled in IV therapy, sepsis recognition and discharge planning, and a trained practice supervisor for student nurses. Looking for a Band 6 post in respiratory or acute medicine.
Experience
Staff Nurse, Band 5 (Acute Medical Unit), Trentvale NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham (Mar 2023 - Present)
Take charge of a 28-bed acute medical ward on three to four shifts a week, coordinating up to six nurses and healthcare assistants.
Led a ward audit of NEWS2 escalation and ran short teaching sessions, raising timely escalation from 71% to 93% over three months.
One of four ward trainers for cannulation and venepuncture; signed off ten colleagues as competent in a year.
Practice supervisor for eight student nurses over two years; all passed their placements.
Staff Nurse, Band 5 (Respiratory), Trentvale NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham (Sep 2022 - Feb 2023)
Completed preceptorship; cared for patients on non-invasive ventilation after trust training.
As tissue viability link nurse, introduced a skin check prompt at handover, helping cut ward-acquired pressure ulcers.
Healthcare Assistant (bank), Trentvale NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham (Oct 2019 - Aug 2022)
Worked bank shifts across medical wards alongside my nursing degree.
Education
BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing, University of Nottingham, 2019 - 2022. Placements in acute medicine, surgery, community nursing and a hospice.
Training and certifications
NMC registration (adult), revalidation current, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Current
Immediate Life Support (ILS), Resuscitation Council UK, 2026
Safeguarding adults and children, Level 3, Trentvale NHS Foundation Trust, 2026
IV therapy and medicines management, Trentvale NHS Foundation Trust, 2023
Skills
Patient assessment and NEWS2, Sepsis recognition, IV therapy and cannulation, Medicines management, Discharge planning, Shift coordination, Practice supervision, Infection prevention and control
A nurse personal statement to adapt
Adult nurse with NMC registration and four years' experience on a busy acute medical ward, currently Band 5 and regularly in charge of shifts. Skilled in IV therapy, sepsis recognition and discharge planning, and a trained practice supervisor for student nurses. Looking for a Band 6 post in respiratory or acute medicine.
Key skills for a nurse CV
Patient assessment and escalation - NEWS2, sepsis screening and knowing when to escalate. Shortlisters look for this first on acute wards.
Medicines management - Safe administration, IV therapy and any extended skills you are signed off for.
Clinical skills - Cannulation, venepuncture, catheterisation, wound care: list only those you are competent in.
Shift coordination - Taking charge, delegating and keeping the ward safe when it is busy.
Discharge planning - Working with the MDT and families so patients go home safely and on time.
Infection prevention and control - Audits, link roles and practice that keeps patients safe.
Supporting learners - Practice supervisor or assessor training, and students you have supported.
NHS values - Compassion, teamwork and speaking up for patients, shown with real examples.
What a UK nurse CV needs
NMC registration and field - "NMC registered nurse (adult)" or your field, and that registration and revalidation are current. You do not need to write out your PIN on a CV; NHS forms ask for it separately.
Band and setting - For every post, give the band, ward or team, and specialism. Recruiters screen on these first.
Mandatory training with dates - Basic or immediate life support, safeguarding at the right level, and manual handling.
Extended skills - IV therapy, cannulation, NIV, chemotherapy or depot administration, with where you were signed off.
Placements, if newly qualified - List them like jobs, with the setting and what you did well, and say you are looking for a post with preceptorship.
Achievement bullets to adapt
The figures are invented to show the format. Use your own.
Took charge of a 28-bed acute medical ward on three to four shifts a week, coordinating a team of six.
Led a NEWS2 escalation audit and teaching, raising timely escalation from 71% to 93% in three months.
Signed off ten colleagues as competent in cannulation and venepuncture as a ward trainer.
Worked with the discharge team to start discharge planning on admission, helping reduce average length of stay by about a day.
Managed a community caseload of 25 service users with no overdue reviews in 12 months.
Nurse CV questions
Should I put my NMC PIN on my CV?
You don't have to. Saying your NMC registration is current, with your field, is usually enough. Employers check the register themselves, and NHS forms have a separate place for your PIN.
Do I need a CV for NHS Jobs applications?
Most NHS Jobs applications use an online form and supporting statement rather than a CV upload. Writing a CV first still saves time, because your dates, skills and examples are ready to use.
How do I turn my CV into an NHS supporting statement?
Copy each essential criterion from the person specification as a heading and give a short example from your CV under each: the situation, what you did and what happened. Check the advert for any word limit.
What should a newly qualified nurse put on their CV?
Your NMC registration and field, then placements written like jobs, clinical skills, mandatory training and any healthcare work you did while studying.