Recruiters skim travel RN resumes in seconds and only submit candidates whose file is recruiter-ready. This editable, ATS-friendly template, plus STRMLYN's free review, gets your resume to that bar fast.
What recruiters look for in the first 6 seconds
A travel agency recruiter skims dozens of resumes a day and only submits the ones that are obviously ready. In the first glance they are looking for: your specialties, years of experience, charting systems (EMRs), active certifications, and assignment history with enough detail to match you to a requisition. If those are buried or vague, you get passed over — not because you are unqualified, but because you are not recruiter-ready.
The recruiter-ready structure
Use this order; it mirrors how agencies read and how applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse:
1.
Summary — specialty, total years, compact license status, availability
2.
Specialties — primary and secondary, with years in each
3.
EMRs / charting — Epic, Cerner, Meditech, etc.
4.
Certifications — BLS, ACLS, PALS, specialty certs, each with expiration dates
5.
Assignment history — by unit type, bed count, ratio, and EMR
7.
References — ready on request
How to write assignment history (with an example)
Vague duties do not help a recruiter match you. Be specific and quantified.
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Weak: “Provided patient care on a busy unit.”
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Recruiter-ready: “Med-Surg/Tele — 32-bed unit, 1:5 ratio, Epic, floated to PCU. 13-week contract.”
That one line tells a recruiter your setting, acuity, system, and flexibility instantly — and it is exactly what gets you submitted faster.
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Use standard section headings and a clean single-column layout
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Avoid tables, text boxes, and graphics that ATS cannot parse
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Save as a modern document format and keep certifications as plain text with dates
Get a free review in STRMLYN
STRMLYN does more than hand you a template. It keeps your profile recruiter-ready and assignment-ready, runs a free AI resume review against a specific job lead, scores keyword gaps, and suggests a rewrite — then keeps your certifications and licenses current so a recruiter never waits on a missing document. Start from the travel nursing app overview, confirm licensing with the compact states guide, and estimate offers with the pay calculator. Review your resume to land more interviews.
FAQ
What should a travel nurse resume include?
A summary, specialties with years, EMRs, certifications with dates, and assignment history listed by unit type, bed count, ratio, and charting system.
How do I write assignment history that gets me submitted?
Be specific: unit type, bed count, ratio, EMR, and contract length. For example, Med-Surg/Tele, 32-bed, 1:5, Epic, floated to PCU.
Is the template ATS-friendly?
Yes. It uses standard headings and a clean single-column layout so applicant tracking systems parse it correctly.
Why do recruiters pass over qualified nurses?
Usually because the resume is not recruiter-ready — specialties, EMRs, or certifications are buried or vague, so it is faster to submit someone else.
Can STRMLYN review my resume?
Yes. STRMLYN runs a free AI review against a specific job lead, scores keyword gaps, and suggests a rewrite, then keeps your credentials current.