Director of nursing with 16 years of nursing experience and 6 in skilled nursing leadership, overseeing a 150-bed facility. Took the building from a 2-star to a 5-star CMS rating and a deficiency-free annual survey. Brings regulatory command, staffing stability and clinical systems that reduce hospital readmissions.
Experience
Director of Nursing, Golden Oaks Health & Rehabilitation (Sacramento, CA)
Mar 2022 – Present
Lead 140 nursing staff across short-term rehab and long-term care in a 150-bed skilled nursing facility
Raised the CMS star rating from 2 to 5 and achieved a deficiency-free annual survey in 2025
Cut 30-day rehospitalizations from 22% to 14% with INTERACT tools and nurse practitioner coverage
Assistant Director of Nursing, Valley Rose Care Center (Stockton, CA)
Jan 2020 – Feb 2022
Led infection prevention during COVID-19, holding outbreaks to 2 units with cohorting and testing
Oversaw MDS accuracy, improving quality measure scores for pressure injuries and falls
Registered Nurse to Nurse Manager, Capitol Medical Center (Sacramento, CA)
Jun 2010 – Dec 2019
Progressed from med-surg RN to nurse manager of a 32-bed unit with 55 FTEs
Education
Master of Science in Nursing, Leadership, Grand Canyon University (Jan 2016 – Jun 2018)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, California State University, Stanislaus (Aug 2006 – May 2010)
Regulatory: CMS F-tags, Five-Star Quality Rating, California Title 22, infection prevention
Systems: PointClickCare, SmartLinx, Abaqis
How to write a Director of Nursing resume
A strong Director of Nursing resume shows patient outcomes, safety and the clinical or operational standards you upheld. Show the organization you ran (team size, budget, revenue) and the business results you are accountable for.
Sections, in order
Summary
Licenses and certifications
Experience
Education
Skills
Length: Two pages are common for leadership roles; keep the first page strong enough to stand alone.
Summary: Lead with your leadership scope and the business outcomes you are known for.
Skills to feature
Patient care
Clinical documentation
EHR systems (Epic, Cerner)
Infection control
Care coordination
Patient education
Regulatory compliance (HIPAA)
Triage
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Quality improvement
Example bullet points
Cared for 5 to 6 patients per shift on a 32-bed cardiac unit with a 98% documentation audit score
Led a falls-prevention initiative that reduced unit falls by 40% over 12 months
Trained 14 new nurses on Epic workflows, shortening their orientation by two weeks
Tips from recruiters
Put licences and certifications (RN, BLS, ACLS) with their state or body near the top.
Name the setting and specialty for each role: unit type, patient population and bed count.
Use a clean single-column layout; hospital applicant systems parse them most reliably.
Recommended templates
Vital (ATS-friendly): Clean clinical layout with a credentials block
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Modern (ATS-friendly): Clean single column with accent headings and rules
Director of Nursing resume FAQ
What should a Director of Nursing resume include?
A Director of Nursing resume should show patient outcomes, safety and the clinical or operational standards you upheld. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Licenses and certifications, Experience, Education and Skills. Show the organization you ran (team size, budget, revenue) and the business results you are accountable for.
What is the best resume template for a Director of Nursing?
Vital, Classic and Modern work well for Director of Nursing roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Director of Nursing resume be?
Two pages are common for leadership roles; keep the first page strong enough to stand alone.
Which skills should a Director of Nursing put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Director of Nursing roles are Patient care, Clinical documentation, EHR systems (Epic, Cerner), Infection control, Care coordination and Patient education.
How do I write strong Director of Nursing resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as patients per shift, readmission rate and patient satisfaction. For example: "Cared for 5 to 6 patients per shift on a 32-bed cardiac unit with a 98% documentation audit score."