Authors

  1. Worman, Dawn DNP, RN, NE-BC

Article Content

Senior nursing students are enthusiastic but apprehensive about writing a new nurse resume and preparing for the first nursing interview. Faculty can mentor and facilitate resume writing and interview preparation with a simplified acronym "PICC ME." The play on words captures the interest of nursing students, but ultimately provides strategies to enable selection among other candidates. The information can be presented in a session outside of class, such as a nursing student association-supported event, or included as part of the curriculum. Faculty can use the acronym as a guide to examine current evidence related to each concept. The "P" relates to paper and provides details about the arrangement of the resume and relevant information to include. An important tip with "P" is reminding students to save the final resume in a pdf format to aid uploading to electronic portals without formatting issues. The "I" focuses on how to prepare for the interview and overall interview etiquette. The first "C" addresses professional clothing and general appearance. The second "C" relates to communication techniques during and after the interview. The "M" emphasizes the student's effort to examine the mission and vision of the organization and ensure all are aligned with the student's beliefs and career aspirations. The "E" prompts students to analyze electronic media and ensure their social media presence is positive. Organizing the information in an easy-to-remember acronym enables faculty to present the material clearly and provides students with succinct information for easy recall.