Psychiatric Nurse Resume Guide

Introduction

Creating an ATS-friendly resume for a psychiatric nurse transitioning into media and journalism in 2025 requires a strategic approach. The goal is to highlight relevant skills, experience, and adaptability while ensuring the resume passes the automated screening systems used by hiring managers. This guide will help career switchers craft a clear, keyword-rich document that aligns with the expectations of media and journalism recruiters.

Who Is This For?

This guide is for psychiatric nurses with some professional experience who are transitioning into media or journalism roles in any region. It suits those with a background in mental health care seeking to leverage their communication, empathy, and crisis management skills into media segments such as health reporting, mental health journalism, or media consultancy. If you are an intern, recent graduate, or returning to work after a career break, this advice still applies, with emphasis on transferable skills.

Resume Format for Psychiatric Nurse in Media & Journalism (2025)

Opt for a clean, straightforward format with clearly labeled sections. Start with a professional summary that emphasizes communication skills and media interest. Include a skills section with media-related keywords. Follow with experience, highlighting transferable responsibilities. Add a projects or portfolio section if possible, especially if you’ve undertaken media-related work or volunteering. Education and certifications should be at the end. Use a one- or two-page format based on your experience level; two pages are acceptable if you have notable media projects or additional training. Prioritize clarity over design complexity, and avoid heavy graphics or tables that ATS may struggle interpret.

Role-Specific Skills & Keywords

• Mental health expertise
• Crisis intervention
• Patient advocacy
• Empathy and emotional intelligence
• Healthcare communication
• Media literacy
• Content creation
• Health journalism
• Interviewing skills
• Public speaking
• Social media management
• Interview techniques
• Data interpretation
• Ethical reporting
• Multidisciplinary collaboration

Incorporate industry-specific keywords such as “mental health reporting,” “health communication,” “media outreach,” and “public health education” throughout the resume to align with ATS filters used in media and journalism.

Experience Bullets That Stand Out

• Managed patient care plans, demonstrating strong communication skills applicable to health journalism and media outreach.
• Developed educational materials on mental health, showcasing ability to simplify complex topics for diverse audiences.
• Led crisis intervention sessions, highlighting crisis communication skills valuable in media reporting on sensitive issues.
• Volunteered for mental health awareness campaigns, gaining experience in public engagement and media promotion.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes, translating into effective teamwork in media projects.
• Conducted internal training sessions on mental health topics, demonstrating content creation and presentation skills.
• Utilized social media platforms to disseminate mental health information, increasing engagement by ~20%.

Related Resume Guides

• Nurse Mental Health Resume Guide
• Adult Nurse Resume Guide
• Mental Health Nurse Resume Guide
• Nurse Adult Resume Guide
• Nurse Learning Disability Resume Guide

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

• Vague summaries: Instead of “Experienced in patient care,” specify “Provided mental health care to diverse patient populations, developing communication skills applicable to media storytelling.”
• Overloading with jargon: Simplify technical terms where possible, e.g., replace “psychiatric assessment” with “mental health evaluation” in context of media content creation.
• Ignoring transferable skills: Highlight soft skills like communication, empathy, and public engagement in your experience and summary.
• Heavy formatting: Use standard fonts and avoid text boxes, tables, or graphics that ATS may misread.
• Lack of keywords: Incorporate industry-specific terms throughout your resume, especially in skills and experience sections.

ATS Tips You Shouldn't Skip

• Save your resume as a Word document (.docx) or PDF, based on the job listing requirements.
• Use clear, section labels like “Professional Summary,” “Skills,” “Experience,” and “Education.”
• Include keywords and variants such as “mental health journalism,” “health communication,” and “media outreach.”
• Keep formatting simple: avoid excessive bolding, italics, or underlines.
• Use consistent tense—past tense for previous roles, present tense for current activities.
• Ensure proper spacing and avoid embedding important keywords in headers or footnotes.
• Name your file professionally, e.g., “Jane_Doe_Psychiatric_Nurse_Media2025.docx.”

Following these guidelines will improve your chances of passing ATS scans and catching the eye of hiring managers seeking a psychiatric nurse with media potential in 2025.