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Nursing Resume References
Tips for Providing Character and Employment References for Nursing Jobs in Canada

Resume references do not need to be included on your nursing resume when you apply for nursing jobs in Canada. Here are some tips for how to handle nursing employment and character references on your nursing resume.

Normally your references are not submitted until the employer has made the decision to hire you.

Once the hiring decision has been made, the employer will often state that the offer is "pending receipt of references". This is the time when the employer will be asking you for the contact information for two references.

It is quite likely they will request both a character reference and a nursing employment reference.

Resume References for Nursing Employment

If you have any previous nursing experience in Canada your employer will want a nursing employment reference. Make sure that you include the name of the person that they should contact at your previous nursing employment. Most often reference requests are made either by telephone or fax so include both the telephone and fax number where your new employer can send the reference request.

If you have no previous nursing employment in Canada you can still provide an employment reference if you have worked at a paid job. Not having a nursing employment reference will not jeopardize your chances of getting a job. Just remember that all nurses start their nursing career without a nursing employment reference!

Your future employer just wants to know if you have a satisfactory work record and that you are a good employee who shows up on time, gets along well with others, and cares about doing your job well. If you have a previous employer that can provide this reference then that should be sufficient.

If you are just graduating from a nursing education program you should be able to get a reference directly from the school. Often this will be used in place of the nursing employment reference.

Character Resume References

A character reference is not about your expertise in nursing but rather about your character as a person. If you have any contacts with people who are in community leadership positions they can often be used as a character reference.

Don't forget that a criminal records check has already been done and your application for a nursing license has already been accepted so there has already been a good level of scrutiny as to your suitability for the nursing profession.

Employers who are hiring into nursing jobs in Canada rely more on this established level of public accountability than they do on character references.

Tips for handling references on your nursing resume

  • Make sure you have permission to give out a person's name and contact information as a reference.

  • As a matter of etiquette you should call the people you have listed as your reference and let them know that you have had an offer of nursing employment and they can expect to be contacted.

  • Do not include any written letters or references with your application. Your employer has no way of knowing if they are genuine and they are of no value whatsoever. The employer will want to contact your referees directly.

Go back to How to Make a Resume for Nursing Jobs in Canada

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REMEMBER! The purpose of your nursing resume is to get a job interview. Check out the Job Interview Tips for Nursing Jobs in Canada.

Here is a list of all the pages on this website that contain more specific information to help with writing your nursing resume.

Resume Objectives

Career Objective Examples for Resumes

Outline of a Resume

Write A Good Resume

Resume Words for Your Nursing Resume

Registered Nurse Resume

Nursing Resume References

Free Resume Writing Online- Links to sites where you can make a resume online for free!




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